Living With High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure (HBP), you will need
to treat and control it for life. This means making lifestyle changes, taking
prescribed medicines, and getting ongoing medical care.
Treatment can help control blood pressure, but it
will not cure HBP. If you stop treatment, your blood pressure and risk for
related health problems will rise. For a healthy future, follow your treatment
plan closely. Work with your health care team for lifelong blood pressure
control.
Lifestyle Changes
Following a healthy lifestyle is an important step
for controlling HBP. A healthy lifestyle includes following a healthy eating
plan, losing weight (if you're
overweight
or obese), doing regular physical activity, and not smoking. (For more
information, see "How Is High Blood Pressure
Treated?")
Medicines
You should take all blood pressure medicines that
your doctor prescribes. Be sure you know the names and doses of your medicines
and how to take them. If you have questions about your medicines, talk to your
doctor or pharmacist.
Make sure you refill your medicines before they run
out. Take your medicines exactly as your doctor directsdon't skip days or
cut pills in half.
If you're having side effects from your medicines,
talk to your doctor. He or she may need to adjust the doses or prescribe other
medicines. You shouldn't decide on your own to stop taking your medicines.
Ongoing Care
Go for medical checkups or tests as your doctor
advises. Your doctor may need to change or add medicines to your treatment plan
over time. Regular checkups allow your doctor to change your treatment right
away if your blood pressure goes up again.
Keeping track of your blood pressure is vital. Have
your blood pressure checked on the schedule your doctor advises. You may want
to learn how to check your blood pressure at home. Your doctor can help you
with this. Each time you check your own blood pressure, you should write down
your numbers and the date.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's
(NHLBI's)
"My
Blood Pressure Wallet Card" can help you track your blood pressure. You
also can write down the names and doses of your medicines and keep track of
your lifestyle changes with this handy card.
During checkups, you can ask your doctor or health
care team any questions you have
about your lifestyle or medicine treatments.
High Blood Pressure and Pregnancy
Many pregnant women who have HBP have healthy
babies. However, HBP can cause problems for both the mother and the fetus. It
can harm the mother's kidneys and other organs. It also can cause the baby to
be born early and with a low birth weight.
If you're thinking about having a baby and you have
HBP, talk to your health care team. You can take steps to control your blood
pressure before and while you're pregnant.
Some women get HBP for the first time while they're
pregnant. In the most serious cases, the mother has a condition called
preeclampsia (pre-e-KLAMP-se-ah).
This condition can threaten the lives of both the
mother and the unborn child. You will need special care to reduce your risks.
With such care, most women and babies have good outcomes.
See the NHLBI's
Your Guide to
Lowering High Blood Pressure Web site for more information about HBP and
pregnancy. |