You're facing a decision: Is it time to start taking medicine for your high blood pressure?
Or do you want to see if making healthy lifestyle changes will bring your blood pressure down, without medicine?
It really is your choice ...
and it's important to consider both the medical facts and your personal feelings.
Now, for people who have very high blood pressure ...
or certain other health problems ... the medical facts make the choice pretty clear.
In those people, blood pressure medicine reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke and saves lives.
If your blood pressure is very high, experts recommend that you take medicine.
If your blood pressure isn't too high, the choice may not be as clear.
I'll give you some information that can help you compare your options ...
so you can make a decision that's right for you.
Okay, let's look at your options.
It's important for everyone with high blood pressure to adopt healthy habits ...
like losing weight, eating healthy, getting more active, and quitting smoking.
These lifestyle changes help lower heart attack and stroke risk.
And ... for some people ... lifestyle changes alone ... without pills ...
are all that's needed to bring blood pressure down.
But ... it may be hard to permanently change your habits.
And lifestyle changes might not be enough to lower your blood pressure to your goal.
Your other option is to start taking blood pressure medicine.
Some people like this choice because ... well ... it's easy.
And medicine can help control your blood pressure and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.
But ... you may not want to take a pill every day.
And ... blood pressure pills sometimes cause side effects ...
like dry mouth, a cough, or dizziness.
Plus, even if you take medicine, it's still important to make healthy lifestyle changes.
So ... would you like to try lifestyle changes for a few months to see if they help?
Or would you rather start taking blood pressure pills every day, and maybe have side effects?
When you've answered those questions, your next step is to tell your doctor which way you're leaning.
Now ... it can be hard sometimes to talk to doctors, especially if you're not used to it.
But your thoughts and feelings are important ...
and your doctor wants to hear them ...
so that by working together, you can decide which option is best for you.
