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Can drinking water lower blood pressure?

Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS

Not meaningfully. Staying hydrated keeps blood pressure stable, but extra water does not treat high blood pressure, and dehydration can actually make some readings swing higher or lower.

What reliably moves the number: less salt from packets and restaurants, more potassium from fruit and beans, regular walking, less alcohol, better sleep, and weight loss if weight is up. Each is worth real millimeters of mercury.

If your readings run 140/90 or above across a week, that is a doctor conversation, not a hydration project.

If you are buying a monitor

Get an upper-arm cuff, not a wrist one, from a validated brand like Omron. Expect $30 to $60. Check the cuff size fits your arm; a too-small cuff reads high.

See validated upper-arm monitors

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General answers only go so far. A doctor can look at your numbers and history and give you a written answer about you.

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