Blood pressure results may be different in each arm. Environment also can affect blood pressure readings. For example, some people feel anxious when their blood pressure is taken in a doctor's office. Anxiety and stress such as this can cause elevated blood pressure, known as "white coat hypertension."
If necessary, your physician may suggest home monitoring. There are many types of blood pressure monitoring devices available for purchase. Ask your health care provider what type is best for you. Be sure to obtain accurate instruction on how to measure and record your own blood pressure.
Treatment and prevention
Your physician will decide the course of treatment based on the severity of your hypertension, its causes, and your other coexisting medical conditions. Lifestyle modification is important in preventing and treating hypertension. Here are some key preventive and treatment measures recommended in the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure:
- Maintain a healthy body weight and lose weight if needed. Obesity creates undue strain on the heart.
- Eat a well-balanced diet including fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Avoid eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods, which can promote atherosclerosis. Reduce sodium (salt) in your diet -- sodium increases fluid retention and can increase the heart's workload. Be sure to get adequate amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium in your diet.
- Exercise regularly. Be sure that aerobic exercise is included, such as brisk walking for at least 30 minutes per day.
- Stop smoking. Smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict, causing an elevation in blood pressure. It is also one of the most potent cardiovascular disease factors.
- Limit alcohol consumption to no more than 2 drinks per day in most men and no more than 1 drink per day in women and lighter-weight persons.
Medication
Medication therapy often is necessary to control hypertension. There are many classes of medication used in the treatment of high blood pressure, the most effective of which are: diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and peripheral and central vasodilators.
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