Lowering Blood Pressure Article
High Blood Pressure – Treatment
While lifestyle modification does quite well to keep high blood pressure at bay, it will not be completely effective without medications. Treatment for hypertension mostly involves medications and monitoring, usually long-term processes adhering to certain targets and schedules.
When an individual is diagnosed with high blood pressure, the first step is to set a target with his other medical conditions in mind. The ideal or eventual target is usually to reduce the blood pressure to 140/90 mmHg or below. Scheduled medications are prescribed to help the individual reach a certain target within a specified timeframe, and close monitoring is arranged to observe his progress. Depending on the advancement of his condition and the presence of other complications, various kinds of medications can be used, some prescribed individually while others as combinations.
Physicians usually have their first and second line drugs to prescribe depending on the progress and condition of the individual. First line drugs are usually milder and should suffice for cases of hypertension which do not co-exist with other illnesses. One of the primary medications used to reduce high blood pressure is thiazide diuretics. This medication works on the kidneys to lessen the volume of blood by getting rid of salt and water in the body. Diuretics are much preferred by both physicians and patients because they have very little side effects. They are also often used as a combination with other medications.
Other types of medications usually used as first line drugs are beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blocks (ARB). Beta-blockers are prescribed to reduce cardiac output and they do so by slowing down the rate of heartbeats. For individuals with more advanced measures of high blood pressure, beta-blockers are not so effective. It is often used with other medications such as diuretics for better results. Both ACEs and ARBs are used for coronary artery problems, heart diseases and kidney diseases. ACEs work on the arterial tissues to prevent the development of certain chemicals which can cause the arteries to contract, while ARBs clean up the activities of these chemicals.
For second line drugs, physicians usually employ medications such as alpha-blockers, alpha-beta blockers, central-acting agents and vasolidators. Alpha-blockers operate much the same way as ARBs, controlling the activities of the chemicals that narrow the arteries. While performing the same function as alpha-blockers, alpha-beta blockers also work to reduce the speed of heartbeats, thus regulating blood circulation. Central-acting agents, however, are used to limit the tendency of the sympathetic nervous system to increase cardiac output and restrict the arteries. Physicians also prescribe vasolidators to tone arterial muscles so they will be flexible enough to facilitate smooth blood-flow.
Medications are prescribed according to the individual’s progress in achieving the target set by the physician and there is no guarantee that they will help reduce high blood pressure on their own. The quest to fight hypertension is not confined to one method alone. Close monitoring and a healthy lifestyle work hand-in-hand with the right treatment to bring your blood pressure down to a most desirable level.
