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Blood Pressure

	Blood Pressure Article Index Understanding the complications of high blood pressure will help you take charge of your health. In this blood pressure information guide, our index of blood pressure articles will address a range of topics that cover the blood pressure information you're searching for. From blood pressure medication to lowering your blood pressure, this list of articles is your chance to read blood pressure information that will increase your knowledge and help keep your blood pressure under control. Your blood pressure is the force your blood exerts against the walls of your blood vessels. The pressure depends on how forcefully your heart pumps and how wide or relaxed your blood vessels are. The more narrow your vessels are, the higher the blood pressure is inside them. The higher your blood pressure, the harder your heart has to work to pump your blood. Blood pressure goes up and down naturally throughout the day. When you're relaxed or sleeping, your blood pressure goes down. When you're active or exercising, your blood pressure rises. On average, during most of your waking hours, your blood pressure stays about the same. When it goes up to a certain level and stays up, you have high blood pressure or what doctors call hypertension. To lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk for serious health problems, you need to understand what high blood pressure is, how doctors diagnose and treat it, and what steps you might take to prevent it. You've come to the right place to get answers to the questions that you have about high blood pressure. A Quick Overview What is Happening to Me? What Causes High Blood Pressure? What Are the Common Symptoms of High Blood Pressure? How Can I Be Sure I Have High Blood Pressure? How Is High Blood Pressure Treated? How Much Will Treatment Help Me? What Are My Treatment Options and How Do I Choose? What Do I Need to Know About Medicines? How Can I Get the Most From My Medicines? How Long Will I Need Treatment? How Do I Take Charge of My Health? What's the First Step? What Can I Do About Symptoms? How Do I Make Changes to My Diet? How Do I Increase My Exercise? How Do I Lose Weight? How Do I Quit Smoking? What Records Do I Need to Keep? How Can I Make It Easier to Stick With My Treatment? How Do I Know If I'm Better? A Quick Overview What is Happening to Me When I Have High Blood Pressure? Should I See a Doctor About High Blood Pressure? The Effects of Untreated High Blood Pressure How Does High Blood Pressure Feel? How Common Is High Blood Pressure? What Causes High Blood Pressure? How Is My Blood Pressure Normally Regulated? What Causes Essential, or Primary, High Blood Pressure? What Causes Secondary High Blood Pressure? Could a Medical Condition Cause My High Blood Pressure? Could Prescription Medicines Be Raising My Blood Pressure? Could Over-the-Counter Medicines Be Raising My Blood Pressure? Could Alcohol, Caffeine, Nicotine, or Street Drugs Be Raising My Blood Pressure? Could My Exercise Habits or Stress Level Cause High Blood Pressure? Could Eating Too Much Salt Cause High Blood Pressure? What Are the Common Symptoms of High Blood Pressure? What Are the Different Types of High Blood Pressure? How Can I Be Sure I Have High Blood Pressure? How Is Blood Pressure Measured? What Do the Blood Pressure Numbers Mean? What If My Doctor Says I Have High Blood Pressure? What Should I Tell the Doctor About My High Blood Pressure Symptoms? What Should I Tell the Doctor About High Blood Pressure and My Medical History? What Should I Tell the Doctor About High Blood Pressure and My Family's Medical History? What Does My Doctor Check During a Physical Exam? What Blood Pressure Tests Might I Need? Blood Pressure Tests: Urinalysis Blood Pressure Tests: Complete Blood Count Blood Pressure Tests: Blood Chemistry Blood Pressure Tests: Electrocardiogram Other Blood Pressure Tests How Is High Blood Pressure Treated? How Much Will High Blood Pressure Treatment Help Me? What Are My High Blood Pressure Treatment Options and How Do I Choose? How Does My Blood Pressure Level Determine My Treatment Plan? What Other Risk Factors for Heart Disease Could Affect My Treatment? How Could Other Health Problems Affect My Treatment? How Does My Risk for Other Health Problems Affect My Treatment? Do I Need to Make Lifestyle Changes? Do I Need to Lose Weight? Do I Need to Eat Less Fat? Do I Need to Eat Less Salt? Do I Need to Drink Less Alcohol? Do I Need to Get More Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium? Do I Need to Exercise? Do I Need to Quit Smoking? Are High Blood Pressure Medicines for Me? What Kinds of Healthcare Professionals Do I Need for High Blood Pressure? What Do I Need to Know About High Blood Pressure Medicines? Will I Have Side Effects from High Blood Pressure Medicine? What About Interactions With Other Drugs I'm Taking? What Is the Specific Type of Medicine I Am Taking? Diuretics Calcium Channel Blockers Beta-Adrenergic Blocking Agents, Also Called Beta-Blockers Beta-Blocker-Diuretic Combinations Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE Inhibitors) Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor-Diuretic Combinations Calcium Channel Blocker-ACE Inhibitor Combinations Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blockers, Also Called Alpha Blockers Alpha Blocker-Diuretic Combinations Alpha-Beta Adrenergic Blockers Centrally Acting Antiadrenergic Agents Centrally Acting Antiadrenergic Agent-Diuretic Combinations Peripherally Acting Antiadrenergic Agents Peripherally Acting Antiadrenergic Agent-Diuretic Combinations Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker-Diuretic Combinations Vasodilators Vasodilator-Diuretic Combinations How Can I Get the Most From My High Blood Pressure Medicines? How Long Will I Need High Blood Pressure Treatment? How Often Should I See My Doctor for Follow-Ups? How Can Blood Pressure Monitoring Help? How Can I Check My Blood Pressure at Home? What If My High Blood Pressure Medicine Is Not Working? How Do I Take Charge of My Health and Blood Pressure? What's the First Step to Lowering My Blood Pressure? What Are the Benefits of Making Intensive Lifestyle Changes? How Do I Follow a Very-Low-Fat Vegetarian Diet? How Do I Make Intensive Changes to My Exercise Program? How Can Emotional Connections Help My Heart? How Do I Make Intensive Changes to Manage Stress? Am I Doing All I Can Do to Lower My Blood Pressure? How Can I Make the Changes I Need to Lower My Blood Pressure? How Can I Get Motivated to Lower My Blood Pressure? How Will My Doctor Help? What Can I Do About Symptoms? What Are the Symptoms of Heart Disease? What Are the Symptoms of Heart Attack? What Are the Warning Signs of Stroke? What Are the Symptoms of Peripheral Vascular Disease? What Can I Do to Prevent a High Blood Pressure Emergency? How Do I Make Changes to My Diet to Lower My Blood Pressure? How Can Salt Affect My Blood Pressure? How Much Salt Is in There? Do I Need to Cut Back on Salt? How Can I Cut Back on Salt? What Do Salt Claims on Food Labels Mean? Which Foods Are Lower in Salt? How Does Potassium Affect My Blood Pressure? Good Sources of Potassium How Does Calcium Affect My Blood Pressure? How Does Magnesium Affect My Blood Pressure? How Can Alcohol Affect My Blood Pressure? What Is the DASH Diet? What Can I Eat on the DASH Diet? How Can I Cook Healthy Meals? How Much Can I Eat on the DASH Diet? How Do I Increase My Exercise? How Can I Overcome Barriers to Exercise? How Can I Get Started on an Exercise Program? What If I Already Have Heart Disease? What Type of Exercise Should I Do? What's My Target Heart Rate? How Much Exercise Is Enough? What's the Talk Test? How Can I Exercise Safely? How Can I Make Exercise More Enjoyable? How Do I Stick With My Exercise Program? How Can I Be More Active Each Day? How Do I Lose Weight? How Do I Know Whether I'm Overweight? What Is My Body Mass Index? What Does My Waist Measurement Mean? How Can I Lose Weight Safely and Keep It Off? How Can I Get Professional Help? What Strategies Can I Use to Lose Weight? How Do I Eat and Exercise to Lose Weight? How Can I Cut Calories Safely? How Many Servings Can I Have and Lose Weight? How Can I Cut the Fat in My Diet? Can I Choose a Healthy Food by Its Label? What Counts as a Serving? How Can I Stay Motivated to Keep Losing? Examine the Emotional Issues Behind Your Weight and Eating How Can I Keep From Regaining? How Do I Quit Smoking? How Do I Get Ready to Quit Smoking? Why Should I Quit Smoking? How Should I Quit? How Can I Keep From Smoking Again? What Records Do I Need to Keep About My Blood Pressure? What Should I Tell My Doctor About What I've Tracked About My Blood Pressure? How Can I Make It Easier to Stick With My High Blood Pressure Treatment? What Strategies Can I Use? How Can I Get the Support I Need to Manage Blood Pressure? How Do I Know If My Blood Pressure Is Better?

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