Tips to bring your blood pressure down quickly
High blood pressure is diagnosed when the force of your blood pressing against the artery wall is too high for an extended period of time. Bring your blood pressure down immediately by taking a hot shower or bath and practicing deep breathing and relaxation techniques.
High blood pressure is diagnosed when the force of your blood pressing against the artery wall is too high for an extended period of time. Some people have high blood pressure due to genetics, while others get hypertension (high blood pressure) as a side effect of another condition or medication.
Regardless, addressing high blood pressure is important. People with high blood pressure are at greater risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and more.
If you use a home blood pressure monitor to keep track of your blood pressure, you might be more likely to notice when your blood pressure is too high. You also might notice when it is too high due to symptoms like:
However, many people have no symptoms when their blood pressure is too high.
When your blood pressure numbers are higher than what your doctor recommends, try these techniques to bring it down quickly:
Take a bath or shower
Taking a hot bath or shower for 15 minutes can help your mind and muscles relax. If you have access to a sauna or steam room, it can have the same effect. These heated environments help your blood vessels to dilate, or open up, which lowers your blood pressure.
Breathing exercises
Doing breathing exercises may help to lower your blood pressure quickly. One simple exercise you can try is to inhale and count to four. Then, exhale while counting to four. Once you get comfortable with this length of breath, you can length the count of your inhales and exhales to six or eight.
You can also try a device called RESPeRATE. This is the only non-medication treatment approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to lower blood pressure. It uses sounds to guide breathing exercises, with the goal of lowering your respiratory rate to fewer than ten breaths per minute.
Studies show that this device works at least as well as some blood pressure medications. These studies also showed that the benefits of lower blood pressure lasted after using the device.
Relaxation techniques
In general, relaxing can help to lower your blood pressure. You can try meditation, curling up with a good book, or just sitting down and taking a few moments for yourself. Some gentle movement practices like yoga or stretching may also help to lower your blood pressure.