When is blood pressure medication absolutely necessary?
My blood pressure is a bit too high. I know it comes from smoking and being overweight. My systolic reading usually runs from 128-138, and the diastolic is 89-99.
I have not been to the doctor, because I do not want to go on medicine. I’m going to try and lower my blood pressure through natural methods such as losing weight and to stop smoking.
Is what I am doing dangerous? Do I really need to go on medicine for my blood pressure?
Thanks!
Tagged with: being overweight • blood pressure • diastolic • losing weight • medicine
Filed under: blood pressure medication
You first of all need a doctor to assess your readings, this may require a 24 hour monitor to make a formal and reliable diagnosis. Ignoring this is pretty much hiding your head in the sand and hoping it will go away!
Being no more than your ideal weight, taking regular exercise and reducing salt all help to reduce blood pressure. However if you have established hypertension this will not fix it. Left untreated this would increase your stroke and heart attack risks and potentially damage your eyes and kidneys.
You could be heading for trouble.
Most blood pressure pills just thin down your blood, they won`t harm you in any other way. But to stop smoking, to have exercise, and to eat healthy food, beats all the pills.
It`s pretty pointless taking pills and to continue smoking at the same time. One defeats the other.
130/90 is considered hypertensive to most doctors. You really need to go get checked out and try to stop smoking and eat as healthy as possible. High blood pressure can lead to so many health issues. The longer you wait the worse off you will be.
Systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 120 mmHg/ Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 80 mmHg-Follow-up recommended: Recheck in two years.
SBP 120-139/ DBP 80-89 Recheck in one year; change of lifestyle.
SBP 140-159/DBP 90-99 Confirm in two months; one BP medication; change of lifestyle.
SBP 160 or greater/ DBP 100 or greater : Treat within a month; twoBP medications; change of life style.
My blood pressure (2 weeks ago) was registering 160/100. I can tell you from experience that you don’t need to try to get this down on your own. They put me on a diaretic (water pill) to elevate some of the water retention, which in return has lowered my pressure to 139/90. If you try to do this the natural way you risk having a heart attack or stroke before it can be under control. Please, go to the doctor and talk with them. Let them at least maintain with medication first, then continue on the path to good living to maintain it over time once it’s lowered.
Your blood pressure is high, but not so high that you need immediate medical care. You do need to see a doctor however. Often times the first treatment for slightly high blood pressure will be the doctor putting you on some type of diuretic and nothing else.