Can you lower your blood pressure without taking medication? Many people do not believe this. In fact, this is what is often called “non-pharmacological therapy” for hypertension, which is a very basic but very important part of hypertension treatment! Patients with critical hypertension often have their blood pressure reduced to normal through non-pharmacologic therapy; many patients with intractable hypertension find that the cause is not the wrong medication, but the non-pharmacologic measures have not kept up. Generally speaking, for patients with mild hypertension, the first treatment method is non-pharmacological therapy, while patients with moderate or severe hypertension should select certain medications on the basis of non-pharmacological therapy, and reduce the dose of medication as much as possible to achieve a more desirable therapeutic effect, which is the general principle of treating hypertension. So, what are the non-pharmacological treatments for hypertension? (1) Weight control: Weight reduction can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, which is due to calorie restriction and a reduction in salt intake. Weight loss, which is unrelated to salt restriction, can also lead to a decrease in blood pressure. Therefore, for obese patients with hypertension, it is important to lose weight carefully. A national survey in the United States showed that overweight people make efforts to lose weight, which is the best way to lower blood pressure. Japanese research data also concluded that obesity is the main causative factor of hypertension, and 80% of hypertensive patients can make their blood pressure drop by losing weight. Our medical doctors point out that whether it is a hypertensive patient or a normal blood pressure obese person, reducing weight can make blood pressure drop, heart rate slow down, plasma uric acid, cholesterol and blood sugar decrease, and can reduce the dose of medication. The mechanism by which weight loss lowers blood pressure may be related to the reduction of insulin, sympathetic inhibition and renin-aldosterone inhibition. (2) Appropriate exercise: Studies have confirmed that exercise therapy is almost always effective for patients with mild and moderate hypertension. Activities such as gymnastics, brisk walking, jogging, and tai chi are beneficial to patients with hypertension. A research result from Harvard University in the United States showed that doing gymnastics or exercise at least three times a day for 20 minutes each time can improve the blood pressure situation. Chinese scholars advocate that qigong and taijiquan exercises for middle-aged and elderly patients, with attention to a quiet mind, relaxed body, qi and persistence, can help hypertension recovery. However, it must be noted that before implementing exercise therapy in hypertensive patients, they should be checked in detail for abnormal cardiovascular sensations and symptoms. Blood pressure should be measured at least once a month. Also, participation in competitive or strenuous sports programs should be avoided. (3) Limit salt: According to the survey: where the daily intake of salt more than 20 grams of people, the prevalence of hypertension reached 30%, the incidence of hypertension in northeast and north China is significantly higher than in the south, and the general taste of the population in these areas is related to the heavier. It is reported that the prevalence of hypertension among Tibetans in the Lhasa region of Tibet in China is the highest in the country, reaching 17%, which is due to the high salt intake of people who drink salt tea for years and years. It has also been found clinically that blood pressure is easily reduced in some patients with primary hypertension after salt restriction. stage I hypertension patients, even if they reduce salt by only a few grams per day, can see the effect of lowering blood pressure. Under normal circumstances, the human body’s physiological need for sodium is only 0.5 grams per day, but the actual diet contains up to 10-15 grams of salt, hypertensive patients with no more than 5 grams of salt per day is appropriate, too low is difficult for patients to accept. (4) appropriate supplementation of potassium: the current study that potassium, magnesium has a protective effect on cardiovascular, someone reported daily intake of 5-7 grams of potassium, blood pressure can be reduced by 4-9mmHg. another person in animal experiments found that increased potassium intake even if it does not show the effect of lowering blood pressure, can also prevent stroke, ventricular hypertrophy, the occurrence of renal hypofunction, reduce the mortality caused by hypertension, so hypertension Patients should take appropriate potassium and magnesium supplements. Fruits, vegetables, beans, etc. are foods containing more potassium, hypertensive patients can eat more appropriately. Magnesium-rich foods are: fish, lean meat, seaweed, green leafy vegetables, peas, dairy products, walnuts and a variety of fruits. (5) Quit smoking and limit alcohol: smoking is harmful, can induce vasospasm, aggravate hypertension and coronary heart disease, increase the risk of lung cancer, and therefore must be quit. Alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure by elevating catecholamines and affecting the effects of angiotensin, vasopressin and aldosterone. Therefore, patients with hypertension should limit alcohol consumption, preferably to less than 25 grams per day (1 tael of white wine), or preferably no alcohol, and low-alcohol beer should also be controlled. In addition, the caffeine in coffee can also raise blood pressure. So hypertensive patients should try to avoid or limit these hobbies. (6) The right amount of calcium: research shows that hypertensive patients generally have a low intake of calcium, the right amount of calcium or increase the amount of hard water and milk consumption, blood pressure can be reduced to varying degrees. (7) maintain emotional optimism: modern medical research has proved that all sadness, grief, anxiety, irritability and other adverse mental stimuli can increase the secretion of vasoactive substances such as catecholamines in the blood and increase blood pressure. The normal function of the nerve center is beneficial to lowering blood pressure.