I was placed on blood pressure tablets six years or so ago after my routine medical checkup indicated that my blood pressure was alarmingly high at 165/105. I was given a prescription by my doctor and told that I would have to take the tablets for the rest of my life.
Of course, aside from my personal frustration over the diagnosis, whether or not you really need medication forever would depend on what is actually causing your high blood pressure to begin with. If it is genetics, kidney diseases, or damage to organs, then indeed, it would require long-term medication. If it is lifestyle changes, if it is your obesity, your lack of exercise, or your drinking habits, you could actually manage to lower your blood pressure enough to successfully stop your medication, under medical supervision, of course. By the way, it is absolutely not advisable to stop your blood pressure medication on your own, as the rebound effect is quite dangerous.
I have been made aware of different ways in which one can address the real causes of hypertension with the help of an article that was recommended to me by a functional medicine doctor. This article has literally enabled me to decrease my medication by seventy-five percent and to get my blood pressure completely into normal range with lifestyle changes alone.
Well, I no longer just accept the fact that I am on these medications for good or that medications are the only answer to hypertension, etc. And instead, I have made it a point to address this issue or condition through various facets while, at the same time, working hand-in-hand with my doctor. This is in addition to losing some weight, which is known to greatly lower blood pressure in most people, eating a healthy diet full of potassium and magnesium while avoiding sodium, as well as regular exercise, which is good for the cardiovascular system, reducing stress through meditation and adequate sleep, giving up drinking, which was a huge contributor to my hypertension, getting regular blood pressure monitoring, etc. In addition to all this, there is still a big difference between understanding that, sometimes, medication is a lifesaver when you need it, but it doesn’t have to be a lifelong sentence if you are willing to really make some significant lifestyle changes. Work with your doctor, really, and you would be amazed at just how your body heals itself.
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