High blood pressure, sometimes referred to as hypertension is a major health condition that must be treated to deter further complications. Patients who are diagnosed with the cardiovascular disease are often uneducated on how to control high blood pressure. The disease is very common amongst Americans, and, unfortunately, many of them are not aware that they have developed it.

High blood pressure that is not treated properly leads to further medical complications that can be life- threatening. It is extremely imperative that Americans visit a physician regularly to have the blood pressure measurements checked; especially if you are at risk for developing the disease. Most people will not experience illness when they are diagnosed with hypertension. Ideally, while some may experience dizziness or headaches, this disease causes no symptoms.

Physicians generally consider a patient to be hypertensive when the blood pressure levels are consistently high after two (2) or more check- ups. Patients whose blood pressure is in the range of 130-139/85-89 mmHg may be diagnosed with hypertension. At this point, the medical healthcare providers offer a variety of recommendations on how to control high blood pressure.

Implementing healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine is a sure way to control the progression of the disease. Noted cases have demonstrated that these same healthy habits have prevented the development of the disease.

If these lifestyle modifications alone are not prominently successful with lowering the blood pressure, the physician will also prescribe anti- hypertensive medications. More so, it is possible that the patient must take these medications for the remainder of their lives as controlling elevated blood pressure is a life-long process.

Healthy lifestyle modifications, in addition to anti- hypertensive drugs, are usually most effective for lowering high blood pressure. Learning how to control high blood pressure will ensure that the patient will alleviate the risks for further complicating diseases as well as extend the lifespan. Recommended healthy lifestyle habits include:

Maintaining healthy weight:
Overweight and obesity cause elevated blood pressure levels due to the strain on the heart.

Daily physical activity and exercise:
Physical activity helps reduce the blood pressure measurements and lower the risk of heart disease. It is recommended that people exercise at least 30 min a day, 5 days a week or more.

Healthy eating plan:
Eat a healthy portion of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low- fat dairy foods to control elevate blood pressure.

Decrease sodium intake:
High sodium (salt) intake elevates blood pressure to risky unhealthy levels. Avoid foods prepared with sodium and limit adding salt to food.

quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption:
Smoking and alcohol cause blood pressure to elevate. If there is no intent to stop completely, it is highly recommended that the consumption is limited.