Is medicine the best solution to high blood pressure? Try looking at the alternative to medication, a perspective that your doctor will easily appreciate: a healthy lifestyle.
That means a balanced diet and exercise. If your blood pressure (or cholesterol, triglycerides or blood sugar) stays above normal despite lifestyle changes, you must consult a doctor and be happy that medical science can treat you. After all, modern medicine and healthy living should work together, not in opposition.
Your doctor may not feel comfortable suggesting that you stop your medicines to give lifestyle changes a try. This stance makes sense as sudden rises in blood pressure can be dangerous.
Instead of just dropping your medication, you should ask your doctor how the two of you can work together to monitor your blood pressure while you make changes. That way you can see if your drug doses can be lowered.
This process may mean more frequent trips to the doctor's office or buying and learning to use a home blood pressure monitor.
First, understand that many people with high cholesterol never have heart attacks, principally because high cholesterol is only one of many risk factors. If you only have one risk factor, you are at less risk than someone who has others, such as high blood pressure. But whether you have one risk factor or a few, the best way to manage your fears is with facts.
When it comes to cholesterol, the most important thing is to make sure that it is properly assessed and do your utmost to reduce all other risk factors. This, in itself, will help you to reduce your overall risk. Then, discuss the pros and cons of taking a cholesterol-lowering drug.
You should also discuss creating treatment goals with your doctor.
Having specific, numerical health targets to work toward can help to make heart health a less intimidating, more achievable goal.
Finally, ask your doctor how often your cholesterol needs to be rechecked to be sure it's dropping into a healthy range and staying there.
Even if you're taking cholesterol-lowering medication, create a healthy diet and exercise program for yourself. To get some ideas for what kinds of exercise are best for you, ask your doctor.
Some of your fears will dissipate when you start living more healthily, and more will go away as you start to experience the benefits of greater energy, fewer colds, better sleep and lower weight — without heavy reliance on medication.
