Pressure (Hypertension)
 |
print the page |  |
email the page |  |
|
- What is high blood pressure?
- Symptoms of high blood pressure
- Causes of high blood pressure
- Prevention of high blood pressure
- Risk factors for high blood pressure
- Complications of high blood pressure
- When to see a doctor about high blood pressure
- Diagnosis of high blood pressure
- Conventional treatment of high blood pressure
- Alternative/complementary treatment of high blood pressure
- Living with high blood pressure
- Caregiving for someone with high blood pressure
Conventional treatment of high blood pressure
Conventional treatment for high blood pressure that is recommended today uses a combination of a number of different types of therapies. The combination of therapies used will depend on each case of high blood pressure:
Regular monitoring of blood pressure
Blood pressure monitors can be purchased at pharmacies to enable close monitoring of blood pressure in between visits to the doctor
Lifestyle and dietary modifications
Doctors will usually recommend the following lifestyle modifications to assist with lowering blood pressure:
- Exercise - studies show regular exercise is as beneficial as anti-hypertensive medications, which may need to be reduced if they are taken
- Lose weight - people who are overweight or obese put a lot of stress on their heart and losing weight can lower risk for serious complications of high blood pressure
- Reduce alcohol intake - current medical guidelines recommend 1 alcoholic drink for women and 2 for men each day - drink in moderation
- Reduce salt - research shows that limiting sodium intake to 1.5g per day is effective in lowering blood pressure
- Stop smoking - while smoking may not directly cause high blood pressure, it does damage the walls of blood vessels and hardens arteries, it is recommended to quit
Advertisement
Medications
Various medications are prescribed for treating high blood pressure, sometimes more than one medication is prescribed to be taken together:
- ACE inhibitors - angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors block an enzyme that initiates production of aldosterone (a hormone released by the adrenal glands that increases blood pressure). This has the effect of dilating blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. ACE inhibitors are prescribed as a first medication of choice for people with diabetes and kidney damage and for some survivors of heart attack. ACE inhibitors can improve a patient's survival of a heart attack
- Alpha blockers - these drugs block signals from the nervous system to the blood vessels and allow blood flow to be normalised and blood pressure reduced. Alpha blocker also reduce the effects of certain hormones that elevate blood pressure and narrow blood vessels (norepinephrine and epinephrine). Alpha blockers also lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- Alpha beta blockers - these drugs have a similar effect to alpha blockers, but have an added effect in that they slow the heart beat too (in a similar way to beta blockers), so less blood is pumped through the blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure
- Angiotensin antagonists - these drugs prevent angiotensin from working properly, widen blood vessels and reduce blood pressure
- Beta blockers - these drugs block specific nerve signals to the heart to reduce heart rate and force, which means the heart does not have to exert as much force to pump out blood and this reduces pressure. People taking beta blockers have a lowered risk for having a second heart attack or from dying from a first heart attack
- Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) - these drugs prevent calcium from entering the heart and the blood vessels, so they help to relax the smooth muscles surrounding the blood vessels, allowing better blood flow, dilation (widening of the blood vessels) and a reduction in blood pressure. There are two types of CCBs - short acting (for acute cases) and long acting, which work more gradually over a longer period. People taking calcium channel blockers should avoid drinking grapefruit juice, as it can boost the effect of the drugs and cause adverse effects
- Diuretics - these drugs flush out and remove sodium and water from the body, which reduces the amount of fluid in the body, reduces pressure on blood vessels and helps to dilate blood vessels back to a normal size and allow blood to flow more freely. Diuretics can be purchased without a prescription
- Nervous system inhibitors - these drugs block signals to the nerves and allow the blood vessels to to widened and allow normal blood flow, thus reducing blood pressure. These drugs are also called central adrenergic inhibitors and are not used as much these days because of the number of side effects they cause
- Vasodilators - these drugs open up arteries by relaxing the smooth muscle around the walls, allowing the blood vessels to be widened to a more normal size so blood can blood more freely through them, thus reducing high blood pressure. Vasodilators are usually prescribed with other drugs (especially beta blockers and diuretics)
All medications have some associated side effects. People who take any sort of medication for high blood pressure and experience any side effects should let their doctor know so that they can modify the dosage or type of medications.
Advertisement
Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
< 8:diagnosis 10:alternative treatment > Last reviewed: 21 August 2007 || Last updated: 10 January 2009
Related Articles
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
