When is nutrition counselling recommended for hypertension?

A dietitian can review salt in home cooking, packaged foods and restaurant meals, as well as alcohol, potassium-rich foods, weight, kidney health and diabetes. The right advice depends on your medical history: increasing potassium, for example, may not be suitable with some kidney problems or medicines. Counselling provides a plan that is more specific than simply being told to eat less salt.

Bring home blood-pressure readings if you have them, your medicine list, and a record of meals, snacks and drinks. Ask how to compare food labels, season meals without relying on salt, and choose suitable options when eating out. Take medicines as prescribed and make changes steadily. Do not use potassium-based salt substitutes or stop treatment without checking with your clinician.

Seek urgent medical help for very high readings accompanied by chest pain, severe breathlessness, confusion, weakness on one side, trouble speaking, or a sudden severe headache. Arrange review when readings repeatedly remain above your agreed target, or when dizziness, fainting or swelling develops after a medicine change. Nutrition counselling cannot assess these problems on its own.

Ask what blood-pressure target applies to you, whether kidney function changes your food advice, which medicines interact with salt substitutes, and when readings should be reviewed.