How to control your blood pressure

Alcohol

Heavy alcohol ingestion makes blood pressure difficult to control. Usually, more than 1 or 2 drinks a day is considered heavy in relation to hypertension.

Sleep problems

People who have episodes of not breathing while sleeping (apnea) have been found to have blood pressure control problems. These people also have a tendency to snore heavily and get very sleepy during the day.

Herbal supplements

Certain substances including licorice, and ephedra or ma huang result in high blood pressure control issues.

Excess dietary salt

Taking too much salt causes your body to store too much fluid and causes your blood pressure to rise.

Smoking

This leads to damage to blood vessels and makes controlling blood pressure difficult.

Overweight

Having excess weight usually makes blood pressure more difficult to control.

Stress

This encompasses physical, mental and emotional stress.

Blood vessel abnormalities