If you have high blood pressure that is not treatable with medication, you may suffer from something called resistant hypertension. What are the causes of it, and how you can help control it?

Hypertension is a usual medical occurrence that can usually be managed with a combination of lifestyle modifications and medications. There are people who find it difficult to control their blood pressure regardless of the medications they take. The condition known as resistant high blood pressure, or resistant hypertension as doctors call it, is when the blood pressure stays out of control in spite of consuming three or more different anti-hypertensive medications [http://www.genuinemedsonline.com/cardio_and_blood-genuine-meds-online-5.php].

As many as one in four people may have resistant hypertension; this can provide a challenge both for the patient as well as his or her physician. Luckily, if you have been diagnosed with resistant high blood pressure, there are procedures you can follow to control your blood pressure more effectively, but you must not ever change your treatment without asking your doctor.

White coat hypertension is a factor to ponder when your blood pressure is always high. Certain individuals have high blood pressure readings when they are at the doctor's office or hospital, which they don't have when they are at home and they get their blood pressure taken in a more relaxed environment. It helps to take your blood pressure readings outside of the doctor's office at different times and in different locations. Available at most pharmacies, blood pressure equipment for the home is easy to use and does not cost a lot. Maintaining accurate records of blood pressure readings taken at home can be invaluable to your doctor in determining if you actually have resistant high blood pressure.

Another thing to consider with resistant high blood pressure has to do with factors in your lifestyle. Even if you follow your medication regimen strictly, a high sodium diet may limit the results. The risk of heart disease can be elevated, and blood pressure can be increased, by the consumption of a diet high in sodium. You have to get used to inspecting labels at the grocery store and becoming more aware of how much your daily intake of sodium is. Sodium intake should be kept under 1500 mg. Minimizing sodium intake can be of help in addressing resistant hypertension. A diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables also helps to decrease resistant high blood pressure since you will be ingesting potassium, an important mineral that assists in controlling blood pressure. If you weigh more than you should, shedding those extra pounds can help lower your blood pressure, as can engaging in daily aerobic exercise.

What would happen if these simple changes in your lifestyle don't bring results? If you are still experiencing resistant high blood pressure despite changes in lifestyle and medication prescribed by your physician, then it is possible that there is an undiagnosed medical problem, for example, kidney disease, which can cause your blood pressure to remain high. Your physician may decide to perform additional testing.