Most people with raised blood pressure feel completely well. That is exactly why the numbers matter — damage to the heart, kidneys and eyes accumulates silently for years before any symptom appears.
Bring salt under five grams a day
Packaged snacks, pickles, instant noodles and restaurant curries carry far more sodium than home cooking. Cutting added salt alone typically lowers systolic pressure by 4–6 mmHg within a month.
- Taste before you salt, not while cooking
- Rinse canned foods before use
- Read labels for sodium above 400 mg per serving
Walk thirty minutes, five days a week
Brisk walking is enough. What matters is consistency rather than intensity — three ten-minute walks in a day count the same as one continuous half hour.
Protect seven hours of sleep
Short and broken sleep raises overnight pressure and morning readings. Untreated snoring with daytime sleepiness deserves a sleep study before medication is escalated.
Measure at the same time each morning
Sit quietly for five minutes, feet flat, arm supported at heart level. Record two readings a minute apart and bring the log to your consultation.
- Same arm every time
- Before morning tea or medication
- Log the numbers, not an average from memory
Treat alcohol and tobacco as medical issues
Both raise pressure directly and blunt the effect of medication. Support for stopping is part of routine cardiology follow-up here, not an afterthought.
Key takeaways
- Under 5g salt daily is the single highest-yield change
- Consistency beats intensity in exercise
- Home readings guide treatment better than clinic readings
