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High blood pressure kills over 43,000 Americans annually, and contributes to more than 227,000 other fatalities every year, making it the third most deadly disease. A quarter of all Americans suffer from high blood pressure symptoms today, and roughly one in four of these receive high blood pressure treatment in some form. That still means that tens of millions of Americans need high blood pressure treatment but don’t get it. With patients responding to high blood pressure treatment in 90 to 95% of all cases, these tens of millions are really missing out!
10 Step Stress-Relief and High Blood Pressure Treatment Plan

Daily habits, as well as constantly reacting to situations that are stressful, is a direct cause of hypertension. In the U.S., there is increasing attention on proactive anti-stress techniques as a treatment for high blood pressure symptoms. So, how can we de-stress and lower blood pressure? One way is to follow a 10 Step Stress-Relief and High Blood Pressure Treatment Plan:

1. Accept the fact that life includes a certain amount of stress and always will, and that it is your response to stress that you can learn to control, not always your circumstances.

2. Accept the fact that if your blood pressure goes up under stress, you may need to simplify your life by identifying sources of stress that you can avoid.

3. Daily aerobic walking is proven to reduce the negative effects of stress. It also controls weight, another factor in high blood pressure treatment.

4. Address anxiety by prescription or natural medicine, such as vitamin nutritional supplements.

5. Address stress response by learning and practicing breathing techniques, yoga, tai qi, massage, relaxation music, and prayerful meditation.

6. Cut back on alcohol to less than 1-2 drinks a day. This is not only good for relieving stress, but also as a high blood pressure treatment.

7. Quit Smoking.

8. Make sure you get enough rest, and if you suffer from insomnia, actively address this problem with the help of your doctor.

9. Take time you need to prioritize, anticipate life changes and make decisions. Pace yourself in general.

10. Be kind and patient with yourself.

One controversial inclusion in the 10-step plan above is no. 7: "quit smoking." Many smokers condition themselves to use cigarettes when they are stressed, since nicotine relieves the stress response for a few minutes. To suggest quitting smoking as a means of stress relief would seem crazy! However, since the stress response returns when the nicotine wears off, smokers must reach for another cigarette under the mistaken notion that they are actually dealing with the problem, rather than compounding it. Smoking also leads to high cholesterol, a major cause of hypertension, and certainly not something desirable in a high blood pressure treatment plan! This vicious circle can only be broken through taking active measures to quit smoking. Once free of the addiction, people who suffer from high blood pressure symptoms will then be able to find alternative, long-lasting, and much healthier ways to de-stress.

You might not know when your blood pressure shoots up, unless you monitor it regularly. But you can learn to recognize when things are getting too stressful, and use simple techniques to address the stress response. In this way, you will be addressing your high blood pressure too.