10 Remedies for Hypertension

3. Stop Smoking

If you smoke, you are raising your blood pressure. Nicotine increases blood pressure and heart rate, which means long-term smokers are at risk for developing hypertension. That means that smokers should consider joining a cessation program or taking other steps to wean themselves off cigarettes. However, avoid treatments like the nicotine patch unless you talk to your doctor first. Nicotine is the cause of high blood pressure in smokers, so if you use too large of a patch, you may end up making your hypertension worse by accidentally increasing your nicotine intake instead.