subject: An Overview Of Hypertension Treatments [print this page] Hypertension (high blood pressure) is an extremely serious condition because it can cause heart attacks and heart failure, renal failure, worsening of diabetes, strokes, kidney diseases, and vision loss, among other diseases. A person is diagnosed with hypertension when their blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher. Pre-hypertension is classified when blood pressure is at 120-139/80-89 mmHg. If someone is diagnosed with hypertension they must make serious changes to their diet and lifestyle. Below is a broad guideline on how to treat hypertension with both lifestyle changes and drug therapy.
First, it is essential to start eating a healthier diet. The consumption of more fruits, vegetables, low, non-fat and less saturated fat products is obligatory. Decreasing your regular sodium intake to 1,500mg a day is necessary as well. Second, those with hypertension need to formulate a daily exercise routine. At least 30 minutes a day of exercise that gets your heart rate up can definitely help those with high blood pressure. Third, someone with hypertension who is also a smoker is unquestionably increasing the risk to their health. They must quit smoking immediately. If they cannot quit by themselves it's recommended to consult their primary care physician. Lastly, alcohol consumption needs to limited to two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.
If these steps fail to lower your blood pressure, or if your doctor feels that medicine, combined with a change in diet and lifestyle, will be more effective, there are a variety of drugs available that can be used to treat hypertension. These types of drugs include, but are not limited to, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, beta blockers, alpha blockers and renin inhibitors. Most drugs are meant to work on changing the renal secretion of salts and fluid. To ensure that your doctor prescribes the most effective medicine, you must tell him or her all the other medications that you take. If one drug fails to lower your blood pressure, you can always try a different one or a combination of them.
If you indeed start drug treatment therapy for hypertension, it is advisable to schedule a visit to your primary care physician at least once a month to ensure that the medication is working. If your blood pressure indeed goes down after a period of months, you ought to continue to see your doctor to make should other medical conditions or illnesses contacted to hypertension are not present. This will help to ensure that you live a long and healthy life.
by: Maria Gonzales
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