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Important information about blood pressure medications

How important is blood pressure medicine?

How important is blood pressure medicine?

The benefits of blood pressure medicines are clear: Blood pressure medicines can help you keep your blood pressure at healthy levels and therefore greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. In general, the risks of taking blood pressure medicines are low. However, all medicines have risks.

Important information about blood pressure medications

In the following, we will help you learn about blood pressure medications and learn the most important information about them:

What are pressure medications?

Common options for high blood pressure medications include:

1. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

The angiotensin chemical substance that causes narrowing of the arteries in all aspects of the special body in the kidneys, so work inhibitors converting enzyme inhibitors, such as: captopril (Captopril), and enalapril (Enalapril), and ramipril (Ramipril), and lisinopril  (Lisinopril) to reduce the production of angiotensin, which Helps expand and dilate blood vessels and this leads to lowering blood pressure

  • Side effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

Side effects of this type of blood pressure medication include:

  1. A dry cough that usually clears up with continued use of the medication, but may take weeks.
  2. These medications may lower blood pressure dramatically, leading to hypotension that can cause headache, dizziness, fainting, and decreased kidney function.
  3. It may pose a risk to the mother and child during pregnancy, and may cause low blood pressure in pregnant women, acute kidney failure, hyperkalemia and even death of the newborn, so the woman should avoid pregnancy while taking this drug.

2. Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

Narrows angiotensin hormone blood vessels, but to perform the job needs to be the future of the associated, so based role blockers angiotensin 2 receptor, such as: candesartan (Candesartan), and irbesartan  (Irbesartan), and Tilmasartan (Telmisartan) to prevent angiotensin link to receptors in the blood vessels and thus reduce pressure.

  • Angiotensin II receptor blocker side effects

Which consist of the following:

  1. Increased level of potassium in the blood.
  2. dizziness;
  3. Fatigue.

It may also cause upper respiratory infections as well as digestive problems, such as: stomach upset, diarrhea, and angiotensin receptor blockers should not be used during pregnancy, as it may cause harm to the fetus or even death.

3. Calcium channel blockers

Calcium increases the force of contractions of the heart and blood vessels, and reduces its entry into smooth muscle tissue. Therefore, calcium channel blockers reduce blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and reducing heart rate. These include:  Amlodipine  , Diltiazem, and Nifedipine ( Nifedipine and nicardipine.

  • Calcium channel blockers side effects

Side effects may include the following:

  1. swollen ankles;
  2. Constipation.
  3. headache.
  4. Dizziness.

4. Diuretics

Diuretics increase urination, which reduces sodium and fluid in the body, and reduce blood volume, which helps lower pressure. Mild hypertension can sometimes be treated with diuretics alone, but they are often used in combination with additional treatments.

Examples of diuretics include the following: thiazide diuretics: hydrochlorothiazide and indapamide, potassium-sparing diuretics: amiloride and spironolactone, and loop diuretics: furosemide and bumetanide.

  • Diuretics side effects

This type of blood pressure medication may include all of the following side effects:

  1. Hypokalemia, causing fatigue, leg cramps, and heart problems.
  2. Thirst, dehydration and increased urination.
  3. The possibility of developing gout .
  4. Breast enlargement in men.

5. Beta blockers

Beta blockers work to reduce the pressure by reducing the heart rate, the strength of the pumping, the volume of blood out of the heart, and may include: carvedilol (Carvedilol), and metoprolol (Metoprolol), and propranolol  (Propranolol).

  • Side effects of beta blockers

Which may include:

  1. Insomnia.
  2. Cold hands and feet.
  3. fatigue or depression;
  4. slow heartbeat;
  5. Asthma symptoms.
  6. ED

When is it recommended to use blood pressure medications?

Everyone who suffers from high blood pressure is advised to make healthy lifestyle changes, while the use of pressure medications depends on your blood pressure readings, blood and urine tests, and your risk of developing other problems, such as: heart attack or stroke, as follows:

  • If blood pressure readings are always above 140/90 mmHg and the risk of other problems is low, only some lifestyle changes are recommended.
  • If your blood pressure is always higher than 140/90 mmHg, but your risk of other problems is high, medication to lower your blood pressure is recommended, along with lifestyle changes.
  • If the blood pressure is consistently higher than 160/100 mmHg, then the doctor will prescribe blood pressure medications in conjunction with lifestyle improvement.

Pressure medications to treat other health problems

High blood pressure is often associated with other health problems, but proper treatment may reduce the risk of developing one of the following complications:

  • Chronic renal failure.
  • Diabetes .
  • heart attacks;
  • brain attack.
  • Left ventricular hypertrophy.
  • heart failure;
  • coronary heart disease;

source : wikipedia 

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