What are the measures to control high blood pressure?

Currently, the core of clinically recognized effective control of hypertension is the linkage of lifestyle adjustments, individualized medication according to doctor's instructions, and continuous dynamic monitoring. There is no "one-and-done cure". Don't believe the folk remedies posted on the Internet that can cure the disease without taking medicine.

Last week, I met a 38-year-old Internet practitioner at the outpatient clinic. His physical examination showed high blood pressure of 146 and low blood pressure of 96. He just reached the critical line of high blood pressure. As soon as he sat down, he urged me to prescribe powerful antihypertensive drugs, saying that he was afraid of affecting my work. Upon further questioning, I found out that he stayed up until two or three o'clock every day to change his plan, ordering takeaways that were heavy on salt and oil. He had a beer belly for three years and rarely even climbed the stairs. I did not prescribe him any medicine, but first made a three-month life adjustment plan: his daily salt intake should not exceed the amount of five beer bottle caps with rubber seals removed, he would walk around the park for 40 minutes after get off work three times a week, and he must go to bed before 12 o'clock. When he was reviewed last month, his blood pressure had stabilized at 135/83, which was completely within the normal range.

Nowadays, many people have two extreme misunderstandings about the control of high blood pressure. They either think that "I have taken medicine and I can eat whatever I want and endure it as long as I want." Or they think that "the medicine is only three parts poisonous. If I don't take it, I just drink celery juice and wear anti-hypertensive patches." Both of these ideas are quite delaying things. Even if the former takes medicine, the blood pressure will go up and down. Over time, it will still damage blood vessels and kidneys. ； If the latter has high blood pressure of grade 2 or above, or has underlying diseases such as diabetes or coronary heart disease, refusing to take medicine can easily lead to serious serious illnesses such as cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. Last year, I took care of a 62-year-old aunt who found that she had high blood pressure and refused to take medicine for 3 years. She drank anti-hypertensive tea from the Internet every day. Finally, she had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was sent here. After the rescue, she couldn't move half of her body. It was a pity.

If you really need to take medication, don’t be afraid. Today’s antihypertensive drugs are very mature and the incidence of side effects is very low. The doctor will adjust the appropriate medicine for you according to whether you have underlying diseases and the pattern of blood pressure fluctuations. Don’t secretly reduce the dose or change the brand yourself, and you can’t stop taking the medicine after a few days of normalizing the blood pressure. Hypertension is a chronic disease, and most people need long-term medication to control blood pressure. Just like wearing glasses for myopia, you don’t need to wear them after two days to improve your vision.

Oh, by the way, many people will ignore the role of monitoring, buy a blood pressure monitor and leave it gathering dust at home, only to measure it once they remember it, or take it right after taking medicine or exercise, and the value will be inaccurate at all. It is best to measure at a fixed time. For example, take two measurements when you get up in the morning to empty your bladder or take the average value before going to bed. Write it down in a notebook or cell phone memo and show it to the doctor during your next follow-up visit. There is also an accurate basis for adjusting medication. It is more reliable than saying "I feel that my blood pressure has been quite normal recently". To put it bluntly, blood pressure monitoring is the "dashboard" of your blood vessels. You can't wait until the car breaks down before you think of looking at the fuel gauge, right?

As for the celery juice anti-hypertensive, anti-hypertensive bracelets, and anti-hypertensive pillows posted on the Internet, there is currently insufficient clinical evidence to prove that they can replace formal management and control methods. At most, they are auxiliary items in lifestyle adjustments. Don’t put too much pressure on these. If you really have a problem, go to a cardiovascular doctor in a regular hospital first. Don’t blindly try folk remedies and delay the condition.