Relaxation Technique

The more I discover about High Blood Pressure as a condition, the more I realise that it has to be controlled by a combination of strategies. In the majority of cases, certainly in the upper bands of Hypertension, medication alone is unlikely to control it, nor diet or exercise in isolation.
I have been experimenting with some relaxation exercises, involving breathing at a steady pace of about 9-10 breaths per minute whilst listening to gentle music. Whilst there is a definite improvement in BP readings immediately after this, I am not sure yet if there is any long-term benefit. However, even temporary reductions are worthwhile if they are taking some pressure off the body. I guess that prayer, meditation, yoga etc would have similar beneficial effects.
I would be very interested in other people's experiences.

Blood Pressure Monitors

When I was re-diagnosed as still having very high blood pressure, my doctor recommended me to buy a home BP monitor. I have found this to be a very useful tool in monitoring my progress. They are not for everyone, particularly if you are going to get paranoid and start taking your BP every 5 minutes! BP varies throughout the day and it is a good idea to take morning and evening reads. A good monitor will have a memory of, perhaps, the last 30 readings so you can chart how you are doing.
I have also found it useful after exercise (I go cycling) to check my pulse rate and recovery rate. However, a word of caution here - do not start a regime of vigorous exercise without first consulting your doctor. You could do more harm than good!
There are a number of different monitors available on the market but I have found the best value can be obtained online. For example, Boots have a range of home monitors starting at under £30 here .

Coping

High Blood Pressure is known as "The Silent Killer", because, in many cases, people are totally unaware that they are suffering from it until it is too late. Often, there are no symptoms to show and the first that they know is when they have a stroke or a heart attack (sadly, sometimes leading to death).
I guess it is a shock for any of us to be diagnosed with Hypertension but I also reckon that, in many ways, we are the lucky ones! Don't do what I did the first time I found out that I had very High Blood Pressure. Because the medication I was first put on didn't agree with me and caused side effects, I buried my head in the sand, stopped taking any medication and hoped it would go away! Of course, it didn't!
This blog and the book I am in the process of writing are designed to help people cope with the news and get on with living.
I would appreciate comments and feedback on the kind of questions that you have about this condition to help me to help you better.

Welcome

Welcome to my new informational site for sufferers of hypertension (High Blood Pressure). As a sufferer myself, I will be adding information from a personal point of view. I am not a doctor, clinician or anything but I hope you are going to find the information useful.