If you’ve been diagnosed with prehypertension or high blood pressure, like millions of others, adopt these changes to help prevent, or lower, high blood pressure to a healthy level. Doing these things may prevent the harmful effects of high blood pressure:
Make sure you definitely have high blood pressure by checking it several times.
Look for the cause of the high blood pressure.
Adopt the DASH diet.
Reduce salt in your diet.
Quit smoking.
If you drink, limit alcohol intake.
Cut down or eliminate your caffeine intake.
Start an exercise program and stick with it.
Use mind-body techniques such as yoga and meditation.
Avoid medications that raise blood pressure like steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and certain diet pills.
Take blood pressure medications without fail.