If you suffer from high or low blood pressure, chances are your doctor will prescribe blood pressure medication to help lower or raise your levels. The type of medication prescribed and the dosage depends on the severity of the hyper or hypotension.
Medication for Hypertension
There are a variety of medications that treat high blood pressure, or hypertension. When a person has Stage One Hypertension, or a blood pressure of 140-59/90-99, the medication will generally not be as strong as someone who has a much higher blood pressure. Many times, a doctor will simply prescribe a diuretic and recommend lifestyle changes. A diuretic, or water pill, will increase the amount of water in the body, cutting down on bloating. Diuretics generally have less side effects than other medications and are also less expensive. In addition to the diuretic, the doctor may prescribe another medication, like a beta blocker or ACE inhibitor, which will lower blood pressure at a faster rate than a diuretic alone.
Stage Two Hypertension is a blood pressure of 160/100 or higher and will require more aggressive treatment. In most cases, a doctor will prescribe at least two different types of medication to lower blood pressure. In addition to a thiazide diuretic, which offers fewer side effects than regular diuretics and helps protect the body against heart disease, the doctor may also prescribe beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, or calcium channel blockers. The combination of the drugs generally results in a faster recovery time.
When patients have high blood pressure in conjunction with other major medical problems, such as a previous heart attack, diabetes, kidney disease, or a previous stroke, a number of medications will be prescribed. If these medications don’t work at lowering blood pressure when other medical conditions are present, the doctor may take a more aggressive approach as a last resort and prescribe older medications, such as alpha blockers and central-acting agents. These blood pressure medications are usually reserved as a last-ditch effort as they have more severe side effects than beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers.
Beta blockers work to relieve stress on the heart by slowing the heart beat, which in turn lowers the force at which the heart contracts and pushes blood against the arteries. ACE inhibitors produce a chemical that opens narrowed arteries, thereby allowing more blood to flow through the arteries and throughout the body. Calcium channel blockers block the entry of calcium into the arteries, as calcium contributes to the narrowing and hardening of arteries.
Common side effects for blood pressure medications include dry mouth, swollen feet, impotence, and nausea.
Medication for Hypotension
While low blood pressure, or hypotension, is not as common or generally as serious as high blood pressure, it should still be treated. There are a number of medications available today that doctors will prescribe to treat low blood pressure.
In some cases, medication for high blood pressure can result in low blood pressure, so dosages or medications are stopped completely or altered in order to regulate the blood pressure.
A low blood pressure can sometimes be treated by increasing salt and fluid intake in conjunction with medications called midodrine and mestinon. These medications, however, are said to increase the likelihood of developing a stroke.
When treating high or low blood pressure, there are many options for medications. Many times, several medications or combinations of medication will be required before the right combination is found for the patient’s symptoms and condition. It is important to be involved in your treatment by communicating with your doctor any side effects or adverse reactions towards blood pressure medication you may experience.