This article about treatment for blood pressure was written by Doctor Gordon Cameron

High blood pressure is a very common problem and many millions of people world wide struggle with both their blood pressure and the consequences for their lives.

Many doctors believe that high blood pressure follows what they call the "rule of thirds" - only one third of those with high blood pressure actually know they have it, of that third only a third are on treatment - and of those on treatment for blood pressure, only a third obtain good control.

The issue is massive and the consequences of poorly treated blood pressure are horrific. Inadequate treatment for blood pressure leads to a higher risk of stroke and a higher risk of heart attack - and of course, ultimately, a higher risk of early death.

The best approach is for treatment for blood pressure to be tailored to meet the needs of the individual who has it.

The first priority is to properly establish the diagnosis. One issue is that of so called white coat high blood pressure - the phenomenon that causes someone's blood pressure to become higher just because a doctor or a nurse is measuring it. No doctor would ever label you as having high blood pressure on the basis of only one reading. The usual minimum is three high readings over a number of days or weeks.

The best way to figure out if you really do have high blood pressure is to buy a home blood pressure monitor. By taking the readings at home you will get a much better idea if you truly do have high blood pressure or not. The "gold standard" is to be fitted with a device that measures your blood pressure over the course of a whole 24 hour period and then uses a computer to analyse the results.

Here's how I begin the process of working out the best way of treating someone's high blood pressure:

• Assess lifestyle, fitness and body weight - increasing your level of aerobic activity will improve the function of your heart and help to lower your blood pressure. You can expect your blood pressure to come down by about ten points on the scales for every ten kilograms body weight you lose. Many obese people have high blood pressure problems

• Reduce alcohol intake

• Reduce salt intake

• Check for other medications that might be causing the blood pressure to rise - the common culprits are anti-inflammatory medications and some painkillers. In women the contraceptive pill or HRT can lead to a higher than normal blood pressure.

• If you smoke then stop right now

Once I've achieved all that with a patient I reassess their blood pressure levels. If the level is still high then it's time to figure out if blood pressure medication is needed.

I'll discuss how your doctor chooses blood pressure medication for you in another article but it's important to realise that the side effects of blood pressure medications can be very problematic - and also to remember that blood pressure medication treatment is usually lifelong once it is started.

If you have high blood pressure then you really must do all you can do to avoid or reduce the need for blood pressure medication.

Learn more about lowering your blood pressure without medication - click here now

Gordon CameronFamily Doctor and Blood Pressure Specialist