Medications such as hydralazine, diazoxide, or nitroprusside may be required if the blood pressure is very high. Other medications may include reserpine, rauwolfia alkaloids, or guanethidine. Hypertension is controllable with treatment. It requires lifelong monitoring, and the treatment may require adjustments periodically. A sphygmomanometer is used to measure blood pressure, and is the most accurate method.
Blood pressure is measured against the height of a column of mercury.
This is the most accurate method because it can only be made inaccurate by changing the gravitational constant of the earth.