Therefore, the recommended schedule for a routine blood pressure check is every five years, if you do not have high blood pressure, and more frequently after the age of forty. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or are taking oral contraceptives, routine blood pressure screenings are especially important. Follow your doctors advice as to a blood pressure screening schedule that is appropriate for you. If high blood pressure is diagnosed, a treatment program will be prescribed. There is no cure for high blood pressure.
Treatment focuses on controlling the disease.
First, lowering the blood pressure without medication may be tried. This will include losing weight if you are overweight, reducing salt and alcohol consumption, and quitting smoking, if you are a smoker. Blood pressure may be reduced by 6 points for every 10 pounds of weight lost. If these steps are not effective in controlling high blood pressure, blood pressure lowering drugs may be prescribed. These drugs act by either widening the blood vessels so blood can pass through them with less resistance or by reducing fluid volume in the body.