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There are a number of different ways to deal with high blood pressure in the longer term.  
 
Lifestyle changes 
It may be possible to keep your blood pressure at a safe level by making a few changes to your everyday life, which you can do whether or not you have been prescribed any medication.  
 
Losing weight and cutting down on salt, for example, can make a big difference to your health. What's more, eating foods rich in potassium – like bananas, spinach, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and potatoes – can have a favourable effect on your blood pressure. 
 
Find out more about the simple dietary changes you can make.

Using medicines 
Your doctor may decide that he/she needs to prescribe medication to bring your blood pressure under control and you may have to continue taking some form of high blood pressure medication for the rest of your life. However, if your blood pressure becomes well controlled your doctor may decide to stop it. You should not stop taking any of your prescribed medication without discussing it with your doctor first. Although this may feel daunting, taking the right medicine can help to ward off many severe complications, like heart problems and stroke.  
 
There is a range of medicines available. Some of them simply reduce the salt and water levels in your body, while others are specially designed to do things like slow down your heart or relax and open your blood vessels.  
 
Find out more about medicines and how they fit in.