Hypertension guide

There are many types of high blood pressure medications being produced by pharmaceutical companies. Two very popular types are diuretics and beta blockers.

For mild cases of hypertension, diuretics can be quite effective. The problem, however, is that they can deplete potassium from the body. And, with more serious cases of hypertension, they often have to be combined with another type of medication to be most effective. As a result, the first choice of many doctors are beta blockers.

Beta blockers fundamentally work by reducing the heart rate. The effect of this is to decrease the amount of blood that it is pumping through the arteries. And this lowers the blood pressure. This type of medication is especially popular for people who have already had a heart attack or stroke. It lowers the risk of another one.

Finding the right combinations of medicines is basically a trial by error affair. As a result, beta blocker medications are usually used in combination with diuretics, ACE inhibitors, or other types of medicines.

Beta blockers, as do most medications, will usually cause some side effects. One of the most common is cold hands and feet, especially in the winter time. Since blood is flowing through your arteries slower, your body will not warm up as fast. A simple solution is to either raise the temperature in your home or add clothing layers. If the cold really gets too extreme, however, let your doctor know and he will probably be able to adjust your medications.

Other common symptoms are swelling in various parts of your body such as your face, arms, legs, etc. Some patients, who are especially sensitive to beta blockers, will experience a severe, and potentially dangerous, slow down in their heart rate. Unfortunately, many people with high blood pressure have diabetes as well. If you have diabetes, beta blockers can raise your blood sugar levels. So you may have to monitor your glucose levels as well. The key thing is to not be shy about calling your doctor if your body starts to experience any radical changes.

Another important fact to note is that beta blocker based medications can often interact with foods. Especially acidic ones such as grapefruit juice. Your doctor can let you know which foods you should avoid.

To ensure that your heart rate and blood pressure stays within normal parameters, your doctor may suggest that you purchase a home blood pressure monitor and take period readings. Don't be intimidated by these machines as many of the modern ones practically run themselves once you get the cuff around your arm.

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Hypertension is the medical name given to the condition in which our systolic and diastolic pressures are persistently elevated. The World Health Organization has set levels for these pressures that are considered "normal". These are 120/80. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor will try to control it by using certain types of medication. This only manages your condition, it does not get to the cause of it. It has not gone away and it will come back if you stop taking the medication, but it need not be like that.

There are some simple things you can do to reduce your high BP readings and maybe also wean yourself of the medication you have been prescribed.

Do you need to take high blood pressure medication for the rest of your life?

This is a common question asked of doctors to which the answer usually is: it depends. It depends on you!

Whether you are condemned to taking hypertension medication in ever-increasing dosages for the rest of your life or you are successfully weaned of these drugs depends on whether or not you take responsibility for doing something positive about your condition.

If you just want to take the pill the doctor gave you and get on with your life as it is now, then you have chosen to take pressure medication for the rest of your life.

On the other hand, you must take effective action if you want to reduce your hypertension to normal levels and be successfully weaned off medication.

How to be successfully weaned of hypertension medication

The first step in this process is to understand that your condition is not an illness. It is a vital sign telling you there is something wrong inside your body. Fortunately, most of the conditions that cause hypertension respond to some simple, but important lifestyle changes.

The Top 2 lifestyle changes to reduce hypertension are:

#1. Adopt a healthy balanced diet

A healthy balanced diet is:

Your body need about two litres of water a day to function properly and to be properly hydrated. Green tea, which has been shown to reduce hypertension, can form some of this fluid requirement. Sugar sweetened carbonated drinks should be avoided as these have been shown to contribute to high blood pressure.

#2. Become more active

Many studies have shown that 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each day can lower high blood pressure. The best form of exercise is walking at a fast pace so that your heart rate is elevated. If you cannot manage to exercise for this period of time, two 20 minute sessions will be beneficial.

Diet and exercise are the two most important factors in reducing hypertension. Combined they lead to the next most important factor, which is:

#3. Lose weight

There is a direct correlation between being overweight and your high blood pressure. A healthy diet and regular exercise will help you lose weight and thereby reduce your hypertension.

#4. Quit smoking

If you are a smoker and you are trying to lower your high blood pressure, you are effectively tying one arm behind your back. Each time you smoke, your body releases adrenalin. This hormone causes a short-term rise in blood pressure. This response was developed by our ancestors to give the boost of energy they needed to escape from a dangerous situation or to defend themselves.

There are other health risks associated with smoking that also cause hypertension. Smoking causes your arteries and blood vessels to be "furred up". This makes it harder for your blood to flow and causes hypertension.

Smoking is also linked with atherosclerosis in which the lining and smooth muscles in your blood vessels are damaged causing them to lose their elasticity. In turn, that causes high blood pressure.

#5. Reduce alcohol consumption

There is some evidence to support the view that limited alcohol consumption reduces hypertension by relaxing us. The bar is set very low. It is just one unit of alcohol a day for women and two units a day for men. Consumption high than this can cause weight gain and contribute to hypertension.

#6. Relax

Relaxation can be active or passive. It could be as simple as reading a book or listening to some suitable music. Quieting your mind or simple meditation are also effective ways to lower high blood pressure

With these simple lifestyle changes, you will not have to take high blood pressure medication for the rest of your life - but only if you choose to take effective action to reduce your hypertension.

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High blood pressure medications fall into various categories. And, each category is designed to tackle a specific symptom of hypertension.

One of the more popular categories of hypertension medications is diuretics. Some people refer to diuretics as water pills. This is because when you take them, they help the body to rid itself of the excess water, along with salt, in the body. It is the getting rid of the salt that helps to lower the blood pressure.

There are various types of diuretics. One of the problems of diuretics is that, although they are very successful in eliminating excess salt from the body, many will also eliminate potassium. And, potassium is very successful in helping the body to manage the blood pressure. When you lose potassium, your blood pressure levels generally go up. Fortunately, there are some diuretics that will not force the body to excrete potassium. If you have a choice, it's often better to use this type.

Even though they can be effective, diuretics are not for everyone. In some patients, they will trigger dizziness or disorientation. A more serious side effect can be arrhythmia. So, if this is the first time you are taking a diuretic, you need to monitor your symptoms carefully and notify your doctor of any troubling reactions.

Another common symptom is muscle cramps. This is primarily due to the loss of potassium through frequent urination. Normally, this can be resolved by either switching to a medication that does not drain potassium from your body, or by simply increasing the number of high potassium foods in your diet.

A percentage of people are actually allergic to most diuretics. This is because many of them are sulfa based and a large percentage of the population has sulfa allergies.

The trickiest thing about diuretic based hypertension drugs is getting the dose right. Your doctor will probably start you on a lower dosage and adjust it based on feedback from blood pressure tests. In addition, except in mild hypertension cases, diuretics will often be combined with other types of medications.

Since this type of medication relies on removing salt from the body, you can often hasten its effectiveness by simply limiting the salt in your diet.

Medications used to control high blood pressure are highly individualized. And, not all medications work for all patients. Because of this, you should never stop taking your medication or change it on your own. Always talk any changes over with your doctor first.

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