Category: General Health

All about Blood Pressure Medication

Have you tried changing your lifestyle to help your blood pressure only to find it isn’t helping very much? Sometimes lifestyle changes alone aren’t as effective as when combined with blood pressure medication.

There are many different kinds of blood pressure medications out there today. Usually two different medications are used rather than one alone. Here are some of the main blood pressure medications:

Alpha-Blockers: This medicine reduces nerve impulses to your blood vessels allowing easier flowing of the blood making your blood pressure decrease.

Alpha-Beta-Blockers: These work just like the alpha-blockers but also slow your heart beat. This means less blood pumps through your vessels making your blood pressure decrease.

Nervous System Inhibitors: This medication relaxes your blood vessels by controlling the nerve impulses making your vessels wider and decreasing blood pressure.

Beta-Blockers: These reduce your nerve impulses to your heart and blood vessels, making your heart beat decrease while dropping your blood pressure.

Diuretics: These are also known as ‘water pills,’ a very common medication. These diuretics work in your kidney, flushing out all excess sodium along with water from your body.

Vasodilators: These open your blood vessels directly by relaxing the muscle in your vessel walls which then causes your blood pressure to decrease.

ACE Inhibitors: ACE stands for ‘Angiotensin converting enzyme.’ These inhibitors prevent a hormone called angiotensin II from forming, which will usually cause your blood vessels to narrow. They help the vessels relax which makes your blood pressure decrease.

Angiotensin Antagonists: These block your blood vessels from angiotensin II. When blocked these vessels can widen letting your blood pressure decrease.

Calcium Channel Blockers: These keep any calcium from entering your heart’s muscle cells and your blood vessels causing your blood pressure to decrease.

An alternate to taking any medication if possible is watching a few lifestyle habits. For instance a healthy diet can help control your blood pressure. Substitute salt for other seasonings and add lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Get at least thirty minutes of physical activity or exercise a day. That doesn’t mean you have to exercise thirty minutes all at once. Ten minutes here and there is just as effective.

Try to keep your stress level at a minimum. High stress can increase your blood pressure so find something that relaxes you and helps you de-stress. Do this whenever you find yourself stressed out beyond your means.

Try to cut back on tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Quitting altogether is more beneficial but isn’t always easy. Remember there are many resources and products available to help you quit either of these habits.

Sometimes these lifestyle changes will not work alone. Your doctor might prescribe you a blood pressure medication if not two. Just talk with your doctor to find out what would be better for you and your blood pressure. Ask any and all questions and if you are taking other medications tell your doctor. Certain medications including oral contraceptives and cold medicines can increase your blood pressure.

All about Blood Pressure

What is blood pressure? Blood pressure is the force of your blood against your artery walls. When you have your blood pressure checked the reading has two numbers; one on top and one on bottom.

The top number is your systolic pressure. This is the force of your blood in your arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number is your diastolic pressure. This is the force of your blood in your arteries when your heart relaxes in-between beats.

Normal blood pressure would be a reading of 120/80 or lower. High blood pressure would be a reading of 140/90 or higher. If you have high blood pressure you are at a greater risk of a stroke or heart and kidney disease.

Many things can cause high blood pressure including physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use, stress and your diet. These are only a few things. Certain medical conditions and medications can also cause high blood pressure.

High blood pressure can cause your body to have certain effects. For instance it can cause a stroke. The high pressure can cause a weakened blood vessel to break causing it to bleed into the brain; thus leaving you with a stroke.

High blood pressure can also sometimes cause your blood vessels in your eyes to bleed or burst. If this happens your vision will be blurred or impaired and might even result in blindness. Another reason it is best to keep control on your blood pressure.

Along with a stroke or kidney disease high blood pressure can also cause a heart attack. Your arteries are what bring blood carrying oxygen to your heart muscle. If your heart is not getting enough oxygen you will experience chest pain. If the blood flow is blocked as well you will experience a heart attack.

Congestive Heart Failure is very common among people with high blood pressure. This is a very serious condition where your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply the needs of your body. It is never too late to start taking control of your health starting with your blood pressure.

Anyone can develop high blood pressure, even children. It is more common for African Americans to develop it. Many Americans will develop high blood pressure as they age but that doesn’t mean it is healthy.

Obesity plays a role in high blood pressure. If you are over weight you are at a higher risk of having high blood pressure as well as a stroke or heart disease. Try to lose at least ten pounds and this will help lower your blood pressure significantly.

Eating a healthy diet is a great way to lower or control your blood pressure. Limit your intake of salt and sodium and introduce more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Once you establish your healthy diet you will have less worry of developing high blood pressure.

You should always have your blood pressure checked at your regular doctor visits. If you have high blood pressure and are concerned you can easily monitor from home. If you do this you want to have your doctor look at your home monitoring device to help ensure it is effective and you are operating it correctly.

Keep track of your blood pressure readings so you can see what is helping and what isn’t. Sometimes regular lifestyle changes alone won’t help as much as they would combined with blood pressure medication. Your doctor will be able to tell you what the best option for your needs would be.

Your Child’s Blood Pressure

You may not realize that your child can develop high blood pressure. While it may not always be the case, it isn’t uncommon by any means. You can take control of your child’s blood pressure while they are young and help them live a healthier life.

Obesity is the main cause for children to have high blood pressure. Researchers say that obesity is increasing every year in children. This might be due to video games and other activities that require no physical activity. You can easily prevent this luckily.

Start by getting your child active. You can exercise with them everyday for thirty minutes. Take a walk, ride your bikes, go swimming. Whatever physical activity you choose will benefit you both.

By involving your child in physical activities at a young age, you are increasing their chance of staying active as they get older. Limit their video game time, etc. You don’t want to banish all ‘fun’ things but they should know that sports, etc, can be fun as well.

Also watching your child’s diet and eating habits can be beneficial in controlling their blood pressure as well as your own. By starting a diet for the entire family, your child will not feel ‘cornered’ or ‘picked-on’. The entire family will be doing it so it will not be just for them.

When starting a new diet for controlling your blood pressure there are many things you will want to do.

Limit your sodium and salt intake. Substitute salt for other seasonings.

Introduce more fresh fruits and vegetables. By early introduction of fruits and vegetables in your child’s diet, you can ensure they will continue to eat these as they age.

Monitor Fiber Intake – For children one to three they should have 19 grams of fiber a day. For children four to eight they should have 25 grams of fiber daily. For female children nine to thirteen they should have 26 grams of fiber and for males 31 grams. For females fourteen to eighteen they should have 29 grams and for males 38 grams of fiber.

You as an adult also want to consume 14 grams of fiber per thousand calories consumed. You can easily read the nutrition labels to make sure you are getting the recommended amount.

You also want to watch the amount of fat intake. This of course will cause obesity along with physical inactivity. Which both of these will raise blood pressure. Try to have balanced healthy meals and send your child to school with a balanced lunch. You can find things they will like that has the appropriate nutrition.

Children should have the opportunity to be children and eat some junk food as well. Choose a day or time that your child can eat something like this. After all, this is probably the only time they’ll be able to enjoy eating something like that. Let them be a kid but also have a healthier lifestyle. You will both be thankful and grateful further down the road.

Why Do We Develop High Blood Pressure?

You might wonder why you and everyone else develop high blood pressure. While you might develop it you can easily lower or control it. The best way to prevent developing it is to keep a close eye on it from the beginning.

Older adults may be more prone to developing high blood pressure but if you start at a young age you can prevent it easier. There are a few things you want to watch for that cause high blood pressure. This is why we develop high blood pressure because we are not aware of what is causing it.

Weight plays a major role in developing high blood pressure. Overweight people are more likely to develop high blood pressure but do not be discouraged. Losing as little as ten pounds can help your blood pressure significantly.

Once you lose a measly ten pounds just imagine how much easier it will be to lose even more. A great way to keep losing and maintain a healthy weight is by a healthy diet. Your diet factors in to developing high blood pressure as well.

High amounts of salt and sodium intake can cause high blood pressure. Try to limit your meals on salt and opt for other seasonings instead. There is a wide variety of seasonings available so you are sure to find something you really like.

Also try to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Eating more of these will help your blood pressure not to mention you will feel healthier as well.

Do you use tobacco or drink large amounts of alcohol? If so, this could be why you have developed high blood pressure. Both of these can raise your blood pressure so if possible try to quit or at least cut back on your use and consumption. This will significantly help lower or maintain a normal level of blood pressure.

African Americans are more prone to develop high blood pressure. It starts at an early age and can be more severe. African Americans also have a higher death rate from kidney disease and stroke than white Americans. Even so, you can still treat high blood pressure effectively.

Do you exercise regularly? If not you might be at risk for developing high blood pressure than those that do regular exercise. Luckily you can easily fix this by doing physical activity for at least thirty minutes a day. You might say, “I don’t have thirty minutes a day to set aside.” While you may not have thirty minutes all at once to set aside, you could probably find it easier to set aside ten minutes at a time.

If you find yourself stressed very easily over anything and everything you could easily develop high blood pressure. Yes, stress is a factor of high blood pressure. Stress is very common for many people but easily treatable. Is there something you enjoy doing that relaxes you?

Consider picking up a hobby that you find relaxing and lets you de-stress. Do this whenever you feel stressed to the max and do it often. Keeping your stress level low will help keep your blood pressure low as well.

Last but not least, certain medications can cause you to develop high blood pressure. Are you on medications? You might consider talking with your doctor about their side effects and if they cause high blood pressure. Every time you start a new medication you want to ask your doctor about this.

It is never too late to take better care of your health so consider starting today. Keeping control of your blood pressure will help lower your risk of a stroke or heart and kidney disease. Talk with your doctor about any concerns or ask any questions you might have.