Please provide some do's and don'ts for people who have or are close to having high bloood pressure.

Don't: Don't eat or drink items that are in cans, the aluminum can contribute to high blood pressure.

Don't: Don't take fluid pills (hctz, lasix) before having anesthesia.

Silence: Silence is golden. Talking while measuring blood pressure can give false high numbers.

High: High blood pressure is a signal that your circulatory system is not working properly.

Hold: Hold your diuretics before surgery. Check with your doctor about ace inhibitors.

Rest: Rest for 5 minutes before measuring your blood pressure to avoid false high numbers.

Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers (atenolol, metoprolol) protect your heart.

Eliminating: Eliminating sugar, processed foods and fried foods in your diet can help lower your bp.

Get: Get a blood pressure cuff and keep a BP diary. Try to find times when your pressure is high.

Proper: Proper diet, proper weight & proper exercise will significantly reduce your risk of hypertension.

Some: Some BP meds can make BP too low under anesthesia. Talk to your doctor.

If: If you have hypertension, see your doctor at least once a year.

Learning: Learning to reach a level of deep relaxation, (thru stretching, breathing & meditation) each can lower your bp.

Most: Most blood pressure medications, should be taken on the morning of surgery. Ask your doctor.

Salt: Salt contributes to high blood pressure; fast food and processed foods can be loaded with salt.

Follow: Follow your doctor's advice. Check online for herbs for blood pressure. Find inner peace and relax!

Get: Get a home blood pressure kit. Bring the readings when you see your doctor. Forget about herbs.

Myth: It's a myth that - "only the bottom figure is important to assessing for hypertension.".

To: To avoid hypertension (high blood pressure) maintain a normal weight, don't smoke and don't stress.

Do: Do start on medication if your doctor recommends it.

Avoid: Avoid stress, sodium, sitting, computers. Eat more potassium, and take magnesium. Exercise more!

Take: Take 8 oz of fresh raw beet root juice & 1 clove of raw garlic- chop fine & mix with olive oil.

Eat: Eat less salt, exercise more; try these herbs gingko, turmeric; hawthorn berry, ginger root, olive leaf.

The: The myth is that blood pressure in the two arms are the same.

Diabetic?: Diabetic? Certain blood pressure medications help protect your kidneys more than others.

Try: Try to keep your hctz (hydrochlorothiazide) dose at 12.5mg, even if combined with another BP medicine!

“An: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” exercise can help prevent high blood pressure.

BP: BP meds that deliver more than BP reduction: beta-blockers, arbs, & ace-inhibitors are heart healthy.

Maintain: Maintain a healthy lifestyle (ideal body weight, exercise 30-60 minutes daily, eat a healthy diet).

Avoid: Avoid caffeine and supplements that contain stimulants (such as yohimbine).

Common: While you may feel fine, high blood pressure is a silent killer!

Modern: Modern approach to treatment is with multiple or combination drugs to affect the various mechanisms.

High: Myth: high blood pressure is temporary. Fact: it is often a lifelong ailment that needs attention!

Magnesium,: Magnesium, and potassium intake helps. Sodium worsens the problem. Weight loss is essential!

Lose: Lose excess weight. Exercise. Reduce salt intake. Reduce stress. Success is very possible!

Keep: Keep your magnesium status high with oral supplementation, epsom salt baths, etc.

Do: Do go for a walk. Walking has been shown to help lower blood pressure. Do lose weight if overweight.

Even: Even if you have family history of high blood pressure, it can be prevented or even reversed.

Try: Try a 10 minute daily walk. Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Learn to relax by breathing deeply.

If: If taking a diuretic please remember to supplement your magnesium, not just your potassium.

Magnesium: Magnesium and potassium supplements have been shown to lower blood pressure!

Diet: Diet and medications. Diet low in sodium and two or more meds in low doses are helpful and tolerable.

Cheap:: Cheap: hctz (hydrochlorothiazide). Preferred: abrs, ace inhibitors, beta-blockers. Talk to doc!

Never: Never miss your anti-hypertensive, and do not double up if you think you missed.

Never: Never miss your meds, and always take at same time daily.

You: You can check your blood pressure at many supermarkets and pharmacies.

When: When checking bp, be relaxed and seated at least 5 minutes to get accurate reading.

Before: Before you use a home blood pressure cuff, bring it to your doctor to have calibrated first.

Make: Make sure you have been relaxed and seated for about 5 minutes prior to the first BP reading.

High: High blood pressure can have long term effects on your heart and blood vessels.

ACE: Ace and arbs confer benefits beyond blood pressure reduction, compared with diuretics & ca-blocker.

Treat: Treat it aggressively. Untreated hypertension puts you at risk for a myriad of complications.

Best: Best to always take anti-hypertensive meds at same time daily. Never miss.

Remember: Remember that modern BP meds can prevent complications, so, do not miss pills.

Take: Take your own blood pressure at home and make sure you take prescribed medications.

Meditation,: Meditation, yoga, and muscular relaxation are particularly effective in treating hypertension.

HBP: Hbp at least doubles the risk of all heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and arterial disease.

Weight: Weight loss, reduced salt, alcohol and fat intake (potassium is good) all lower, & may prevent, bp.

There's: There's a direct relationship between mortality (the risk of death) & the height of one's bp!

Up: Up to 70% of high blood pressure in adults may be directly related to being overweight!

Less: Less salt. More exercise. No smoking. Keep weight down.

A: A healthy lifestyle: 0 cigarettes, 5 fruits & veg., 10 minutes/d relaxation, bmi < 30, exercise 150.

Regular: Regular exercise facilitates weight loss, lowers bp, and reduces cardiovascular risk.

Maintenance: Maintenance of exercise, fitness, and appropriate weight can control BP issues.

Proper: Proper diet, exercise, good dietary approaches, and ability to stress manage provides best outcomes.

Because: Because of our genes, people with hbp will respond more favorably to some drugs than to others.

Drug: Drug therapy is recommended for people with bps of 140/90 and above.

Not: Not all anti-hypertensive meds fit everyone. If tolerance problems, find another until comfortable.

Usually: Usually takes a combination of lifestyle and medication.

Not: Not all meds are tolerated by all people, so, find a med that you can tolerate without side effects.

Medications: Medications for blood pressure can affect other medical issues.

Weight: Weight loss, exercise and dash diet with low sodium, meds, beta blockers, ace, arbs, and calcium channel blockers.

With: With a healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delay, or reduce the need for medication.

Losing: Losing weight not only will decrease your blood pressure, but make your BP meds more effective.

Regular: Regular physical activity 30-60 minutes 4-5 days a week can lower your blood pressure 5-10 points.

Don't: Don't exercise on weekends only - spread your sweating out through the whole week. Injury risk!

Eating: Eating whole grains, fruits, veggies, and low-fat food/dairy can lower BP by up to 14 points.

Make: Make the dash diet a lifetime plan and eating guide. Short-term diets for anything don't work.

Read: Read labels and keep a food diary: limit daily sodium intake to 2000mg per day to reduce bp.

Eat: Eat fewer processed foods (chips, frozen dinners, bacon, balogna, etc.) to reduce sodium intake & bp.

Use: Use only pepper, herbs, or spices to add flavor to food! salt and sodium increase blood pressure!

If: If you drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol, it can raise blood pressure by several points.

If: If you're a heavy alcohol drinker, gradually taper off your intake in order to lower blood pressure.

Don't: Don't binge drink alcohol (>3 drinks in a row)! this causes large and sudden increases in bp!

Avoid: Avoid tobacco products: they raise BP by >10 points for an hour. Regular smokers elevate bps all day.

To: To keep blood pressures lower, limit coffee to 2 cups per day (about 200mg per 24 hour).

Stress: Stress and anxiety can increase blood pressure: identify sources of these and eliminate them!

Monitor: Monitor your blood pressures at home and take your blood pressure diary to doctor visits for review.

Visit: Visit your fp monthly for BP and med reviews until pressures are stable; then go to quarterly visits.

To: To help improve your BP control, get support from family and friends to keep you motivated!

Minimize: Minimize salt, caffeine, & stress/get enough rest & exercise/maintain BP below 130/80. Take deep breaths.

Salt: Salt food after cooking, not during your cooking. Try and avoid salty condiments!

Use: Use spices instead of salt to season your foods.

If: If you must use salt, use sea salt, a blend of salts, or kosher salt and add it just before eating.

Medications: Medications alone won't control your bp. Help yourself by dieting, exercising & attaining ideal weight!

Diets: Diets rich in fresh foods that contain potassium are as important as low sodium for prevention.

If: If on a "water" pill, spironolactone is better than hctz (hydrochlorothiazide) and definitely better than lasix!

Don't: Don't add salt to food before cooking. Add it afterwards. You'll really cut down on salt intake!

The: The only exercise that may worsen hypertension is regular swimming. If BP is high switch exercises.

Consider: Consider yourself somewhat lucky if you can tell when your blood pressure is up. Most people can't!

ALL: All patients with high BP must have a yearly dilated eye exam with an ophthalmologist!

It's: It's better to take 2-3 low-dose meds, not 1 high-dose pill: more benefit, fewer side-effects.

Most: Most people with hypertension benefit from a low salt diet but not below 2, 300 mg of sodium.

People: People whose diets are rich in potassium may be less prone to high blood pressure.

DO: Do take blood pressure medications as usual on appointment days!

If: If you are having headaches get your blood pressure checked as that can be a sign of poor BP control.

Blood: Do blood pressure checks on regular basis, cut down salt intake, make life style changes.

Do: Do buy a blood pressure machine for your house. Buy an expensive one. Use it. Monitor your pressure.

Eating: Eating fish (not fried) once per week may help control your blood pressure better.

Swollen: Swollen ankles? Cut your salt intake and consider getting a water pill from your doctor.

Dietary: Dietary sodium & potassium affect blood pressure. Sodium raises, potassium lowers it.

Sleeping: Sleeping well, eating healthy, and exercising regularly can control high blood pressure.

For: For uncontrolled hypertension, despite medication and low sodium, get evaluated for sleep apnea.

Be: Be sure to see your eye doctor regularly to look for hypertensive retinopathy.

Most: Most BP meds do 2 things. Pick a med that will assist with other conditions that you have!

Chelation: Chelation can be of benefit in helping to control treatment resistant high blood pressure.

Even: even occasional high blood pressure reading in childhood predict high BP as adults.

Don't: Don't think that because you can't feel symptoms that hypertension is not dangerous - get treatment!

Don't: Don't take diuretics to treat high blood pressure if you have gout - they increase uric acid levels.