How can you keep your blood pressure down

Q: How can I quickly get my blood pressure down?

Theres no quick and safe way to lower blood pressure outside of a medical setting. Lifestyle changes that incorporate exercise, diet, and stress-reducing techniques can naturally lower blood pressure over time.

High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking.

Table of Contents Show

Healthy diet
Limit your alcohol intake
Lose weight
Cut down on caffeine
Stop smoking
What Are the Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
When to Call 911
Your Partner in Heart Health
How can I quickly get my blood pressure down?
Can drinking water lower blood pressure?

Healthy diet

Cut down on the amount of salt in your food and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

The Eatwell Guide highlights the different types of food that make up our diet, and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have a well-balanced and healthy diet.

Salt raises your blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure. Aim to eat less than 6g (0.2oz) of salt a day, which is about a teaspoonful.

Find out how to cut down on salt

Eating a low-fat diet that includes lots of fibre, such as wholegrain rice, bread and pasta, and plenty of fruit and vegetables also helps lower blood pressure.

Aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

Find out how to get your 5 A Day

Limit your alcohol intake

Regularly drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure over time.

Staying within the recommended levels is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure:

men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week

Find out how many units are in your favourite drink and get tips on cutting down.

Alcohol is also high in calories, which will make you gain weight and can further increase your blood pressure.

Lose weight

Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.

Find out if you need to lose weight with the BMI healthy weight calculator

If you do need to lose some weight, it's worth remembering that just losing a few pounds will make a big difference to your blood pressure and overall health.

Get advice on losing weight safely

Get active

Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition.

Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.

Adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

Physical activity can include anything from sport to walking and gardening.

Cut down on caffeine

Drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day may increase your blood pressure.

If you're a big fan of coffee, tea or other caffeine-rich drinks, such as cola and some energy drinks, consider cutting down.

It's fine to drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet, but it's important that these drinks are not your main or only source of fluid.

Stop smoking

Smoking does not directly cause high blood pressure, but it puts you at much higher risk of a heart attack and stroke.

Smoking, like high blood pressure, will cause your arteries to narrow.

If you smoke and have high blood pressure, your arteries will narrow much more quickly, and your risk of heart or lung disease in the future is dramatically increased.

Get help to stop smoking

Page last reviewed: 23 October 2019
Next review due: 23 October 2022

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a dangerous condition that impacts nearly half of adults in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2018, close to half a million deaths in the country had high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause. Occurring when the force of blood pressing against artery walls is consistently too high, high blood pressure requires a long-term care approach. However, there are several ways to temporarily lower your blood pressure in just a matter of minutes—give these methods a try if you’d like to lower your blood pressure immediately:

Take a warm bath or shower. Stay in your shower or bath for at least 15 minutes and enjoy the warm water. This can also help reduce muscle tension.
Do a breathing exercise. Take a deep breath from your core, hold your breath for about two seconds, then slowly exhale. Pause for a few moments and repeat.
Relax! Stress is a key contributor to high blood pressure, so do whatever you can to relax. This may be as simple as sitting in a quiet room for a few moments, doing a few stretching exercises, reading a good book, or meditating.

These techniques can provide a quick fix, but it’s important to implement a long-term care plan to successfully manage your high blood pressure. Some of the most effective ways to lower blood pressure include:

Losing excess weight
Quitting smoking
Reducing alcohol and caffeine intake
Prioritizing sleep
Avoiding stressful situations, if possible
Eating less sodium, sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods
Regularly engaging in low-impact exercise (about 30 minutes every day)
Taking medication to lower blood pressure

What Are the Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?

Perhaps you’re not sure if you have high blood pressure. If it has been a while since you’ve had your blood pressure taken, consider scheduling a wellness visit with your medical provider. In the meantime, here are some of the key signs of high blood pressure to watch out for:

Headaches
Nosebleeds
Dizziness
Skin flushing (redness)
Bloody urine

When to Call 911

High blood pressure may warrant emergency care. If your blood pressure is 180/120 or greater, or if you experience any of the following symptoms, call 911 immediately:

Sudden changes in vision
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Trouble speaking
Sudden back pain
Numbness or weakness

Your Partner in Heart Health

Tufts Medical Center Community Care is here to help you achieve your best heart health. Our multispecialty medical group features a growing team of internists, family medicine physicians and cardiologists who collaborate to provide comprehensive care to patients with high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions.

To schedule an appointment with a cardiologist or primary care physician at Tufts Medical Center Community Care, contact our friendly professionals today or reserve an appointment online. Telemedicine services are also available—give us a call to learn if this type of appointment is right for you.

How can I quickly get my blood pressure down?

There's no quick and safe way to lower blood pressure outside of a medical setting. Lifestyle changes that incorporate exercise, diet, and stress-reducing techniques can naturally lower blood pressure over time.

Can drinking water lower blood pressure?

Something as simple as keeping yourself hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water every day improves blood pressure. Water makes up 73% of the human heart,¹ so no other liquid is better at controlling blood pressure.

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