6 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure

When it comes to high blood pressure, it's hard not to talk about the serious and life-threatening consequences associated with this condition. While our goal isn’t to scare you, the reality is that hypertension, which affects nearly half the adult population in the United States, places you at a far greater risk of heart attack and stroke, the top two causes of death in the US.

Now let’s get to the good news — 90% of cardiovascular disease is preventable, and, in the case of hypertension, we can add reversible.

If you want to take control of your blood pressure numbers, our team here at Temecula Medical Group is here to help. Dr. Richard Rawson, Ryan D Rowan, PA-C, and Armanda L Alvarez, FNP-C, are big believers in preventive care, and we can guide you toward lowering your blood pressure. 

Here, we present six of the most effective steps you can take to improve your blood pressure and overall health.

1. Get the right team and oversight

Here at our practice, we don’t just pay lip service to the concept of partnering with patients. Through our concierge care, you have the access you need to improve your health, and we’re with you every step of the way.

This oversight is important when you're trying to lower your blood pressure. We measure your blood pressure, set goals for lowering the numbers, monitor your progress, and make any tweaks necessary to help you reverse hypertension.

2. Medications

If your blood pressure is dangerously high, we may recommend placing you on medications to relieve the pressure on your blood vessels.

If you're not keen on the idea of medications, read on for more tips.

3. Weight loss

If you’re carrying excess pounds, you’re putting more stress on your cardiovascular system. Losing weight is one of THE best ways to lower blood pressure and improve your health. We understand that these two words (lose weight) are far simpler than they appear, and we’re here to help.

To that end, we offer medical weight loss programs tailored to your unique needs and goals. 

4. Get moving

This next tip is also crucial for helping to lower your blood pressure — exercise more. Your heart is a muscle like any other and needs regular workouts to keep it healthy. When your heart is strong, it pumps blood with less effort, which means there’s less force against the walls of your blood vessels.

There are innumerable ways to can get exercise, and not all involve committing to a gym. Whether you go for walks with friends, join an online yoga class, or start playing pickleball, the point is to move.

5. Reduce stress

When stressed, your body is in a fight-or-flight response that elevates your blood pressure. Stress reduction is a great way to lower your blood pressure and ease your mind. Meditation, deep breathing, and listening to music are all great stress relievers. Also, turning off your phones, TVs, and every other device that tends to deliver bad news is also a great stress reducer.

6. Improve your diet

Salt is enemy number one in high blood pressure, so take steps to reduce the sodium in your diet. Even better, replace salty snacks with healthy ones — carrots instead of chips or celery in lieu of french fries.

You should also be aware that sodium is a major ingredient in most processed foods, from canned soups to cold cuts. Be mindful of checking the labels when you go shopping.

There is one other major risk factor regarding high blood pressure that we didn’t include above — smoking. If you smoke, it’s really important that you quit — for your heart, for your lungs, for your health.

To figure out which plan is best for lowering your blood pressure, please contact us at our Temecula, California, office to schedule an appointment.