Controlling High Blood Pressure
At one time controlling your high blood pressure (Hypertension) required following a very rigid regiment. Fortunately, doctors today tend to be less stringent in how they approach the treatment of high blood pressure in their patients, often preferring a patient-centred approach.
Even with this relaxed approach, those people who have pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular damage, kidney disease or stroke present their own set of individual problems, which require a patient-specific treatment plan. Therefore, it's important that any medical or drug treatment be carefully tailored around their unique situation.
The first treatment of choice for controlling high blood pressure is usually a change in lifestyle. For those who are overweight, who smoke, who lead stressful lives or don't exercise, high blood pressure can serve as a wake up call for potential disaster down the road. With a few lifestyle modifications, you will often find your blood pressure will naturally fall into a healthier range, and your overall health will improve as well.
As long as you maintain these lifestyle changes, there often isn't any reason to worry about your blood pressure as long as you continue to carefully monitor it on a regular basis. For those cases when controlling your high blood pressure can't be done with simple liftestyle changes, then your doctor may recommend medication.
Some medications used to treat high blood pressure include:
- Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers
- Beta-blockers
- Diuretics
- Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)
- Alpha-blockers
- Clonidine
- Minoxidil
Unfortunately it's often found that one drug which treats a particular disease, has an adverse effect on another drug treating a different medical problem. Achieving the right balance when prescribing medications to those suffering from a variety of different illnesses can often be difficult.
Clinical trials can prove useful for some people who find the drug regiment they've been on is unsuitable. Many doctors will ask specific patients who are having difficulty with conventional drugs, if they'll participate in clinical trials for new drugs. These drugs are not available to the general public (sometimes not for another year or so, assuming the trials prove effective and worthwhile), and the temptation to try a new treatment can be an irresistible lure, especially to someone who isn't responding to standard treatments.
Recent drugs that have been proved effective in the reduction of blood pressure include calcium channel blockers and drugs to take care of side effects such as vomiting. Omeprazole for example is a drug that helps in tackling the ulcerative changes caused by anti-inflammatory drugs given to tackle side effects of some drugs related to the management of hypertension.
Alternate approaches to controlling high blood pressure, such as herbs or onions and garlic, have been found to be helpful in reducing high blood pressure. Herbs containing L-arginine, which is an amino acid, are also very helpful in controlling high blood pressure. However it's important that if you suffer from high blood pressure that you discuss taking alternative medications with your doctor first, to help ensure you're not susceptible to any side effects.
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