How I Got My High Blood Pressure Under Control Without Drugs

Even though high blood pressure runs in my family (including both of my parents) and never really assumed I was immune to it, I had always hoped that I would be at least in my mid-40s before I had to worry about it.

However, that turned out not to be the case and, when went in for my physical this past summer, I was diagnosed with it. In fact, it was actually much higher than I was expecting it to be.

My first thought when I learned this was I was going to end up like my parents and stuck taking some sort of drug for the rest of my life. This was an option I wasn't too interested in, mostly because I have seen how many times my parents have had to switch their medication over the years. However, my doctor actually ended up surprising me when it came to this and instead suggested a few lifestyle changes. And, even though I was reluctant to at first, I listened to his advice.

The first thing he suggested to me was taking my vitamins. Well, to be exact, he told me to start taking Vitamin D. I'm not a doctor and don't fully understand the science behind this (or know if this is an option for everyone). And, to be honest, I had some doubts about this. But, within two weeks, I saw an immediate change. My blood pressure was still a bit high. But, it wasn't nearly as high as it was when I had my physical and follow up appointment.

The second piece of advice I followed was losing weight. This part was actually something I planned on doing anyway after stepping on the scale a few weeks before and being surprised at what I saw. The high blood pressure was just an added incentive. I started out by taking long walks every day. Once the weather got colder, I joined a gym and started watching what I ate a bit more (though I have never reached the point of actually dieting). All it took was five pounds and my blood pressure went from slightly high to normal.

The third thing I did was cut back on my caffeine. To tell you the truth, this wasn't something my doctor actually recommended and I haven't been able to find any proof either way about whether or not caffeine affects blood pressure. But, I did the math and figured, at nearly 200 calories per can, my Mountain Dew addiction was probably not helping my efforts to drop weight.

Since I knew I wouldn't be able to kick my habit completely, I simply changed how I purchased it; in 2-liter bottles rather than in cans (I found I drank less of it that way) and stopped taking soda to work with me. I have no way of proving it but I'm convinced this is a major reason I was able to drop an additional 5 pounds.

I check my own blood pressure a couple times each week (usually when I'm out shopping and have access to one of those cool machines you sit down in) and, so far, I have not had a problem with high blood pressure since making these three simple lifestyle changes. I can't say this is something that will keep it under control forever because, again, I'm not a doctor and I know I can't fight genetics. But, if it keeps me from needing to pop daily meds for at least a few more years, I will be very happy with the results.