Managing high blood pressure typically involves the same goals and treatment strategies regardless of whether you have MS. “The recommendations are not different due to MS,” says Mary Rensel, MD, the director of pediatric multiple sclerosis and wellness at the Mellen Center of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Depending on how high your blood pressure is and other individual factors, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following lifestyle measures.
- Dietary changes, including reducing sodium (salt)
- Regular physical activity
- Enough sleep
- Weight loss
- Limiting alcohol
- Quitting tobacco
One especially helpful dietary approach, called the DASH diet, has been shown in studies to help lower blood pressure. What’s more, “This diet has been studied to lessen neurodegeneration, or brain damage,” says Dr. Rensel, which means it could be especially beneficial for people with MS.
“Which lifestyle measures are most effective, and which medications are best, are things that a physician would want to tailor to a person’s cardiovascular health and lifestyle,” says Orlando.
For example, Orlando says, someone with MS might not be able to exercise or even prepare meals in the same way as a person without MS. Some blood pressure drugs can also cause dizziness or fatigue as side effects, so if someone already has those problems because of MS, other drugs may be better options.
Your doctor may recommend that you take regular readings with a home blood pressure monitor. “The most accurate readings we get are actually when somebody does it in their home, as long as they’re doing it the right way,” says Orlando — so be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions for when and how to use your monitor.
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