According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, blood pressure is an indicator of how forceful the heart pumps blood against the walls of the blood vessels. Doctors and nurses express blood pressure as two numbers measured in millimeters of mercury: the pressure measured as the heart beats over the pressure measured as the heart rests. Developing a strategy to lower blood pressure involves understanding the drug, drug-free and alternative treatments for high blood pressure.

Lifestyle Changes

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends making lifestyle changes as the primary means of lowering blood pressure. Reducing fat and salt intake, eating more whole grains and vegetables, maintaining healthy weight and increasing physical activity are all ideal ways to lower blood pressure, according to the AAFP. Experts at the Mayo Clinic suggest that patients quit smoking and decrease alcohol consumption to lower blood pressure. Both AAFP and Mayo Clinic recommend stress management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing and biofeedback to lower blood pressure.

Drugs

There are a variety of drugs to help patients lower blood pressure. According to the NHLBI, doctors should only use drugs to lower blood pressure when patients cannot successfully lower their blood pressure through lifestyle changes. Mayo Clinic experts note that doctors have many choices to help patients lower blood pressure: medicines such as diuretics (which flush the system of salt), ACE inhibitors (which relax blood vessels), beta blockers (which cause the heart to beat with less force) and calcium channel blockers (which relax the blood vessels) all lower blood pressure.

Alternative Therapies

Experts at the Mayo Clinic report that patients who do not want to take drugs to lower their blood pressure do have some alternative therapy options. Mayo doctors note that supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linoleic acid, cod liver oil and coenzyme Q 10 help lower blood pressure. They also report that patients can add cocoa, garlic, calcium and blond psyllium to their diets to lower their blood pressure.

Source:

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure

American Academy of Family Physicians: Lowering High Blood Pressure

Mayo Clinic: High Blood Pressure