What are the measures to control high blood pressure?

The core is a combination of lifestyle adjustment, standardized drug treatment, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Currently, there is no method that can completely cure essential hypertension. The online claims that "eating celery and drinking vinegar can lower blood pressure and stop taking medication" are not reliable. Don't gamble with your own blood vessels.

Uncle Zhang, who I met at the community free clinic last week, is a typical example. He is 62 years old. He has been diagnosed with high blood pressure for three years. He has never been willing to take medicine regularly. He always says, "It's only three parts of the medicine that is poisonous. I don't feel dizzy and I don't need any medicine." He usually likes to drink pickled radish. Erliang Baijiu. Last month, I fainted on the way to buy groceries due to a transient cerebral infarction. I stayed in the hospital for a week before being discharged. Now I take medicine every day according to the doctor's instructions. The problem of heavy mouth has also improved. Recently, my blood pressure has basically stabilized at around 130/80.

In fact, adjusting your lifestyle does not mean that you should completely quit eating. There is no need to eat no meat or dare not add salt. The total amount of salt per day should be controlled within 5g, which is about the amount of an ordinary beer bottle cap. It should be noted that many invisible salts are easy to be ignored. For example, there is a lot of sodium hidden in Laohuo soup, pickles, preserves and even soda water. Many patients told me that they eat very lightly. When I checked, the 24-hour urinary sodium was twice the normal upper limit, but these invisible sodium were not taken into account. There is no need to pursue high-intensity exercise. Go downstairs for a brisk walk for 40 minutes after dinner every day, or dance for half an hour with an old friend. Five days a week is enough. If you feel dizzy when you squat down or stand up, don’t push yourself. Rest first. Of course, if it is secondary hypertension, such as caused by adrenal tumors or thyroid problems, the blood pressure can indeed return to normal after the primary disease is cured, and there is no need to take medicine for a long time. This kind of condition needs to be checked first.

If your blood pressure is still above 140/90 after 3 months of diligent lifestyle adjustments, don’t take the medication. When it comes to taking medicine, many people have concerns. They think that "once you take antihypertensive medicines, you can't stop taking them, and they can damage the liver and kidneys." This is actually one of the most controversial misunderstandings at present. Let's make it clear: first of all, it is not that there is drug dependence, but that most essential hypertension is a chronic disease that cannot be completely cured. It requires long-term medication to stabilize blood pressure. If you stop taking the medicine, the blood pressure will naturally rise back. It is not "addiction".” ； Secondly, the side effect rate of currently commonly used antihypertensive drugs is less than 5%, and doctors will first check your liver and kidney function when prescribing drugs. If you really feel uncomfortable after taking them, just change the category. Compared with the risks of arteriosclerosis, kidney failure, and stroke caused by long-term high blood pressure, those side effects are really negligible. Don’t think that you can stop taking the medicine once your blood pressure drops to normal. I just admitted a patient last month. I took the medicine for half a month and my blood pressure was 120, so I immediately stopped taking the medicine. Within ten days, the blood pressure soared to 190, and I almost had a cerebral hemorrhage. Instead, I needed a larger dose of medicine to suppress it.

Whether you are adjusting your lifestyle or taking medicine, you must keep an eye on the changes in blood pressure, otherwise it will be like working in vain. Don’t just focus on the value taken when you go to the hospital. Many people get nervous when they see people wearing white coats. Their blood pressure is frighteningly high. If you go home and measure it yourself, it will be normal. This is white coat hypertension and you don’t need to take extra medicine. ； On the other hand, some people have normal blood pressure during the day, but their blood pressure quietly rises after they fall asleep at night. This kind of hidden hypertension is more dangerous. If you always feel headache and sleepy in the morning, it is best to go to a community hospital to carry a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor. It is just a small box hanging on your waist.

To be honest, the control of high blood pressure is really not that complicated, and you don’t have to constantly search for home remedies. Just change your daily habits, take medicine according to the doctor’s instructions, and measure your blood pressure frequently. Basically, you can control it well. Last time, there was a 78-year-old man who had controlled his blood pressure for 20 years. He is still in good health and climbs the stairs to buy groceries by himself every day.