If you have hypertension you might think that you are doomed for a litany of medications that you will be taking for the rest of your life. However, this might not be the case. Though some people do need to take medication to keep their blood pressure down, many people can rely on alternative hypertension treatments to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range. Here are some alternative hypertension treatments to discuss with your doctor.

Taking Supplements

Supplements are a great idea for alternative hypertension treatment. Many herbs and naturally occurring plants work wonders in our bodies, and this is also true with hypertension. Instead of taking unnatural chemicals you can feel safe knowing that you are putting natural occurring plants and herbs into your body to help lower your blood pressure. One great supplement is a garlic powder supplement.

Recent research has shown promising effects of garlic powder supplements on lowering blood pressure, so much that the researchers felt confident in saying that garlic will, in the near future, be used clinically to reduce blood pressure. If you have mild hypertension, this might be an option for you.

However, garlic is not a good alternative hypertension treatment if you are on other blood thinners as garlic acts in the same way to thin blood. In addition, if you are taking garlic you must stop taking it at least two weeks before any surgery. Other supplements and herbs that are great are fish oil for the blood pressure lowering component of DHA, and folic acid, traditionally used in pregnant women for optimum fetal development.

Diet and Exercise

Another great alternative hypertension treatment is simply to make some major lifestyle changes in your diet and exercise. If you are eating right and exercising your hypertension treatment options increase. Instead of having to take medication, you can see if other things work first. Your doctor will be able to give you a diet that is approved for people with high blood pressure.

In most cases, this will be an extremely low sodium diet, to the tune of not having more than two milligrams of sodium a day. Many prepared meals that you purchase in a grocery store, like a TV dinner, can have as much as 1,500 milligrams of sodium, so a low sodium diet might not always be easy to maintain. However, in the end it is worth it. You do not need to ingest harsh chemicals to keep your blood pressure down and your body can stay as natural as possible.