If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure there are a few activities you might want to avoid-- like that hot dog eating competition or riding the fastest roller coaster. Certain lifestyle precautions come along with a diagnosis of hypertension, even if you're successfully managing it with medications. For starters, you'll need to revamp your eating habits. Foods high in fat, cholesterol and sodium should now be off limits. Fat and cholesterol can result in plaque buildup in the blood vessels causing them to harden and narrow. The sodium draws excess water into the blood, increasing blood volume, which raises pressure. Even a small increase in the sodium in your diet can push up your blood pressure by 2 to 8 points. As for that morning cup of coffee-it seems to affect some people's blood pressure more than others. To see if you are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, check your pressure before AND within 30 minutes AFTER drinking a caffeinated beverage. If your blood pressure increases by five to 10 points, you may want cut out the caffeine. Exercise IS helpful for preventing high blood pressure, but if yours is ALREADY high, you need to exercise appropriately. An intense workout can raise blood pressure, so start slow and steady, monitoring your heart rate as you go. Your doctor can help design a safe exercise routine for you. Smoking and excessive alcohol drinking can also raise blood pressure and reduce the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications. Now let's take a look at your leisure time activities. Hypertension symptoms worsen in very high altitudes, due to a decrease in oxygen in the blood. If you're headed to the mountains, ask your doctor about possible medication changes.And at any elevation, you'll need to steer away from high-thrill activities, such as roller coasters, rides with extreme g-force, water slides with plunging drops, strong wave pools, bungee jumping, base-jumping, scuba diving or skydiving. They can all increase your heart rate suddenly, which can raise your blood pressure and cause an irregular heart beat or heart attack. Although sex can get your heart pounding pretty hard it is not risky for those with high blood pressure. Unfortunately, however, high blood pressure does damage blood vessels and can lead to erectile dysfunction in men, and problems with orgasm for women. High blood pressure medicine can also cause such problems.To learn about ways to lower and manage your blood pressure, check out other videos on this site.