›› Blood Pressure Medication
High blood pressure,
or hypertension, is a serious problem for millions of people around the
world. Because having a high blood pressure doesn’t
normally have noticeable symptoms until serious damage has been done,
and since it is so common, it is for good reason a major concern for
many people. Even though it is most common in people who are
over 50 and/or are 10 or more pounds overweight, even young and slender
people can have dangerously high blood pressure, and may need to be on
blood pressure medication.
Fortunately, blood pressure is extremely easy to gauge and
monitor. If you suffer from high blood pressure,
you’ll usually know just by seeing a doctor for a routine
checkup. Most doctors will take your blood pressure
as a first step during an office visit. Additionally, there
are a number of electronic blood pressure monitors you can buy that are
inexpensive and easy to use. If your blood pressure is
consistently measuring 140/90 or higher, your doctor may want you to
consider blood pressure medication.
Depending on how
high your blood pressure is, how old you are, how much you weigh, and
any history of heart disease you may have, your doctor will decide if
the current blood pressure medications are right for you.
They all have some adverse side effects, and like all medication should
be used as a last resort after things like diet and exercise have been
tried. Your doctor will also want you to quit smoking, limit
alcohol intake, and avoid stimulants such as caffeine, ephedra,
pseudophedrine, or diet pills. If you regularly use any of
these drugs, they may be causing you to have high blood pressure.
If you’ve
tried everything and still have high blood pressure, your doctor will
probably recommend a blood pressure medication. There are a
lot of different blood pressure medications available today that work
by a variety of mechanisms. For this reason, if you have
especially high blood pressure, you may find a combination or two or
more medications to be more effective.
The most important thing to keep in mind when taking blood pressure
medication is that they need to be taken consistently, as instructed by
your doctor. Missing a day or stopping suddenly can lead to
dangerous spikes in your blood pressure.
Even though there are potential side effects for blood pressure
medication, they are certainly better than the potential harm of having
an excessive high blood pressure.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
