How to Lower Blood Pressure Quickly

Individuals diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) will be monitoring blood pressure reading at home or be required to have readings done at a medical facility on a regular basis. If these readings were high it would be advantageous for them to know how to lower blood pressure quickly. There are also many medical reasons for wanting to know how to lower blood pressure quickly.

The reason why it is important to lower blood pressure quickly is because when blood pressure is high there is an increased risk for several medical complications some of which may be fatal if left unchecked. Some of these complications include an increased risk for heart attack, complications that involve the blood vessels, complications that involve the brain, and an increased risk for kidney failure. Most individuals and those caring for them would probably rather take steps to lower blood pressure quickly than to suffer the consequences of sustained high blood pressure.

One of the first things discussed following the diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure) are some of the more common ways to lower blood pressure quickly including following a strict diet, having a proper eating schedule, eating dark chocolate, eating foods that are rich in potassium such as apricots, figs, raisins and sardines and by replacing food items like red meat with healthier choices such as cold-water fish, and salmon. Other ways that help to lower blood pressure quickly include learning how to relax, making an effort to be physically active each day by doing activities such as yoga, and by avoiding habits such as smoking or drinking of alcoholic beverages, drinking plenty of water and by striving to lead as stress-free life as possible.

You may notice that the things mentioned above that help to lower blood pressure quickly are also the same things that many doctors tell individuals to do in order to lower cholesterol. That is because there is a connection between high blood pressure and high cholesterol. When you take steps to lower your cholesterol, the result is that you lower your blood pressure too. Having high cholesterol is a main risk factor for high blood pressure. You learn how to lower one you will lower the other. All adults should know what their cholesterol numbers are and what their blood pressure readings are so that they will know if they are at risk for high blood pressure.

If an individual presents in an emergency room with an extremely high blood pressure reading personnel know how to lower blood pressure quickly. They know that high blood pressure can lead to serious medical complications such as severe brain, heart and kidney damage and even death. In order to lower blood pressure quickly emergency personnel will administer rapidly acting medications that will safely lower dangerously elevated blood pressure.

Signs or symptoms that an individual needs to lower blood pressure quickly include presenting with a severe headache, being in a state of extreme anxiety, experiencing shortness of breath, having a seizure, experiencing chest pain, the appearance of swelling or fluid buildup in skin tissues and swollen or bleeding eyes.
Several medical conditions such as eclampsia in pregnant women, intracranial hemorrhage, an aneurysm and acute congestive heart failure with pulmonary edema may also present in an emergency room with high blood pressure requiring that measures be taken to lower blood pressure quickly.

It is easy to see why it is so important to monitor blood pressure readings if a person is known to have high blood pressure. It is equally important for everyone with high blood pressure to know how to lower blood pressure quickly so that they can avoid the complications that may develop as a result of the high blood pressure.