Should You Take Hypertension Medicines to Lower Blood Pressure?
Only lifestyle changes will not get you the desired result when you are trying to lower your high blood pressure. If your BP has increased to a severe level, your doctor will recommend some blood pressure medicines in addition to lifestyle changes. How do these hypertension medicines work, and for what purpose are they given to HBP patients?
How Do Medicines Lower Blood Pressure?
It depends on what types of drugs have been prescribed to you to lower your blood pressure. BP medicines are recommended based on your diagnostic reports, and work in different ways and do different things even when they all are prescribed with the same goal of lowering blood pressure.
- If your body has been retaining water and salt that should be released through urine, you will receive a prescription for a medicine that helps get rid of these unwanted substances from the body. These medicines are formulated to make it easy for the body to avoid retaining water, and will decrease salt and water retention and bring them to their normal level.
- Stiff blood vessels are the one reason for an increase in blood pressure. If this is the case with you, your doctor will prescribe medicines that relax the arteries that transport blood to different body organs. Relaxed blood vessels can move the blood easily and normally, lowering blood pressure.
- When you suffer from high blood pressure, your blood vessels are constricted, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood. Your doctor will advise drugs that make your heart beat normally – when the heart has to use less force to pump blood, you will have lower blood pressure.
- Sometimes the blood vessels are constricted due to some hormonal and nerve activities. If these issues are noticed after the diagnostic tests, you will receive a recommendation for nerve-blocking medicines. The effects of these drugs will prevent the blood vessels from restricting blood flow.
Consult your doctor, who will advise you on the best treatment plan. If you would like to consult a specialist hypertension doctor online, you can contact Dr. Shimon Storch here – he will help you understand your present HBP condition, and you will receive suggestions for lifestyle changes and other solutions that will prove helpful in reducing your blood pressure numbers.
Never stop taking the recommended medicines for HBP without consulting your doctor. Failure to complete the medicine course can cause serious health consequences that can lead to other health problems, including chronic kidney disease. You will avoid such issues if you follow your doctor’s advice and continue with the recommended medicines as long as recommended. Effective hypertension management is the key to keeping your BP lower.
The Benefits and Risks of BP Medicines
All medicines pose some risks, and BP medicines are no exception. However, as long as you follow the prescription guidelines and usage instructions, you don’t have to worry about most of these drawbacks. If you can control your blood pressure and keep it within the normal range, you will also avoid the risks of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
You should consult your doctor about the side effects of these medicines. Some of them can include headache, dizziness, stomach upset, and swelling in the feet or legs. If you experience any such side effects, consult your doctor immediately and remember that some other medicines can counteract with blood pressure medicines.
If you are already taking other medicines, inform your doctor when consulting for high blood pressure. If you are under medication for HBP and have to take any drugs for other illnesses, again, you should inform your doctor that you are currently under medication for HBP.
These preventative steps will help you avoid any side effects of BP medicines. You should inform your HBP doctor even if you are taking some supplements, as some of them have ingredients that can counteract blood pressure medication.
Are You the Right Candidate for Hypertension Treatment?
You will generally not receive any drug prescription for high blood pressure during the initial visits for this health complication. The treatment is recommended in the later stages of HBP when lifestyle changes fail to lower blood pressure.
These medicines will be prescribed based on your blood pressure readings taken over several weeks or months. Very important to keep a record of your blood pressure readings – your healthcare service provider will suggest how to take your BP readings regularly. You will learn at what point your BP readings are too high and when you should consult your doctor immediately.
Dr. Storch, with 40 years of experience in nephrology and hypertension, can help you make the right decisions in managing your blood pressure. Fill out a simple questionnaire here to book an online appointment.
