Tag: Blood pressure medications

The New Normal Blood Pressure Range: Are You Normal?

For some individuals, blood pressure control is a challenge. Studies show that most people do not have their blood pressure within the normal range even though they take blood pressure medication. One reason can be due to the recent changes made by the American Heart Association. With the new changes more and more people are being diagnosed with elevated blood pressure or high blood pressure.

This means they are also required to start taking medications as well and make adjustment to their lifestyle such as being more active.

It can be very frustrating that you are doing all the right but even with three blood pressure medication your blood pressure remains elevated. There might be a good explanation that can be easily corrected. Continue reading to find out what might be preventing you from reaching your blood pressure goals.

Blood Pressure Range

AHA Blood Pressure Range

Back in 2017 AHA decrease the ranges for blood pressure. The new normal blood pressure is a systolic blood pressure of less than 120 and diastolic blood pressure less than 80. Some experts say this is too low. But as of now, they have not changed their recommendation.

It can take up to 3 medication to meet this new goal. But it is worth every effort. High blood pressure kills and disables individuals. It is the leading causes of stroke and the leading cause of cardiovascular-related death.

Whatever steps you can take to diminish your risk of developing complication from high blood pressure, take it and take it now. Not later.

It does not have to be major changes. Small changes here and there can make a big difference. All your small incremental efforts will lead to success.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Besides lifestyle modification and taking your prescribed blood pressure medication another way you can help control your blood pressure is by examining some of you other recreational habits that might be interfering with you reaching your target blood pressure.

Many of the substances that we indulge in on a regular basis can be harmful to us. We know recreational drugs and alcohol is bad for us, but too much coffee can also be bad for your blood pressure causing it to be worse. This can make it seems like the blood pressure medications are not working.

Do you drink coffee every day? How much coffee do you drink daily? Do you know how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee? You should keep track of this information. Cut back on the amount of coffee you drink and see what happens to your blood pressure.

Also, some prescribe medication might also be affecting your blood pressure. What’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

The goal of this post is to bring awareness and make you think about the possible causes of your persistent high blood pressure. Put your detective hat on and start investing your habits.

However, do not stop taking your medication without first talking to your doctor.

Even if you do not have any of the risk factors associated with high blood pressure, this information may still apply to you.

Prescribe Medications that Increases Blood Pressure

✔ Systemic corticosteroids – This class of prescription medication is used to treat autoimmune conditions, inflammatory conditions, and sometimes allergic reaction. Some examples are prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, or fludrocortisone.

✔ Ketoconazole – This class of medication is used to treat fungal skin infections. An example is Nioral.

✔ Erythropoietin -This class of prescription medication is used to treat anemia. An example is Procrit or Epogen.

✔ Antiemetics -This class of medication is used to treat nausea. Examples are Reglan and Litican

✔ Angiogenesis inhibitors – This class of medication is prescribed by physician to shrink tumors. An example is bevacizumab.

✔ Tyrosine kinase inhibitors – This class of medication also fights tumors. Two examples are Sunitinib and sorafenib.

✔ Immunosuppressants – This class of prescribed medication is used to suppress the immune system and is given to post organ transplant patient. It can also be used to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis. An example is a cyclosporine.

✔ NSAIDs – This class of the drug can be purchased with or without a prescription. It can be used to treat pain, fever or prevent a blood clot. Nonprescription examples are aspirin, and Ibuprofen. Prescription option is Celebrex.

✔ Antidepressants – This class of medication is prescribed to treat depression. Examples are Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Marplan) and Tricyclic Antidepressants (Doxepin)

✔ Oral contraceptives – this class of medication is prescribed to women to prevent pregnancy.

✔ Atypical antipsychotics -This class of medication is used to treat psychosis. Examples are Clozapine and Olanzapine.

✔ Amphetamines – Conditions like ADHD and narcolepsy are often treated by amphetamines such as dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate or dextroamphetamine.

 

The items listed in this category can be elimated without discussing with your doctor. Furthermore, none will not improve your health so why not just stop consuming it .But if you must continue, a few have substitution. For instance , instead of drinking regular cofee drink decaf.

✔ Recreational drugs – This class of drug is used recreationally and strictly for fun. Examples are MDPV which is known as bath salts,  methamphetamine, and cocaine.

✔ Caffeine – This substance is found in coffee, tea and chocolate. Amount over 300mg /day can cause high blood pressure.

✔ Alcohol – This substance is also consumed socially and found in beer, wine, rum.

✔ Herbal supplements – This substance can be plant or herb based and found in many foods, drinks and pills Example Ma Huang, St John’s  Worth.

✔ Decongestants – These substances can be purchased without a prescription and are used to treat sinus congestion. Examples are pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine

Always keep a current medication list of all prescription, over the counter and herbal supplements and make it available to your doctor.

As for the non-prescribed substance, avoid the ones that might potentially increase your blood pressure. For instance, if you have a cold or sinus problems ask the pharmacist about other options that are available to help  alleviate your symptoms.

 

Got High Blood Pressure? How To Lower Blood Pressure Without Medication

Did you know that exercising can help you reduce your blood pressure by 4 – 9 points? Research suggests that participating in moderate physical activity for 30 minutes most days of the week can help lower your blood pressure by 4-9 points. While that might not seem like a lot, think again . You will soon  realize that 9 points can be the difference between normal blood pressure and high blood pressure, taking no pills, one, two or three pills. Exercising is one way you can lower your blood pressure naturally. Continue reading and discover other proven ways to control your high blood pressure.

Over half of Americans 18 and older and one-third of adults worldwide have blood pressure above normal range or hypertension. 7.5 million death occurs every year due to the complications of high blood pressure. The most common reason why Americans visit their doctor is to manage their high blood pressure. But still only approximately only 50% have their blood pressure under control.

Staying Alive With Good Blood Pressure !!!

 

 

 

 

 

Your blood pressure is the measurement of the  pressure of blood against the wall of  your blood vessels (arteries) that occurs when the heart contracts and relax. In the right amount, the pressure keeps you alive. Adequate blood flow and blood pressure are vital for the survival of your organs and you. It is one of the “vital signs” that tells us you are alive. But it can also indicate that you are not doing so well and might die without timely and proper treatment. Too high or too low blood is not good for you.

High blood pressure also known as hypertension (HTN), is sustained elevated blood pressure at rest. The testing for high blood pressure  is a routine test done on your visit to your doctor. Its very simple and quick and usually does not hurt.  Although any trained personnel can take your blood pressure , your doctor is the only one that can give you a final diagnosis. He will also discuss a treatment plan with you.

At your visit  to the doctor, clinic or hospital, they connect you to a machine and take your “vital signs.” Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature are taken.  Although  not full proof, it is one of the quickest ways they check what is going on in your body. It is one of the first things we do in an emergency.

Measure Up

Sphygmomanometers is medical device used to measure your blood pressure.

One way to measure your blood pressure is to wrap a cuff attached to a machine around your arm, leg or wrist. The cuff inflates and displays  number. There are other internal ways, but at home, you will be using a cuff attached to a device. While some people uses the cuff wrapped around the wrist the American College of Cardiology (ACC)  and America Heart Association (AHA)  recommends using the upper  arm because it is more accurate.

The manual method, although  not popular, it is still used by some healthcare professional. This method uses a stethoscope and an inflatable pumping device attached to the cuff. It takes more time and effort and good hearing and not recommended for home use.

Depending on the situation in the hospital or clinic you might see one of the other ways listed below:

  • Electronic
  • Manual
  • Arterial
  • Palpable

Your blood pressure measurement is written or displayed on the machine with a top number and bottom, i.e., 125/72. Some device has other numeric values, but we will only focus on the two numbers that reports your blood pressure. The top number is called systolic blood pressure (SBP), and the bottom number is called diastolic blood pressure (DBP).

SBP (top number) is a measurement of the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts.
DBP (bottom number ) is a measurement of the pressure in your arteries when the heart relaxes between each contraction..

Back in 2017 the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and America Heart Association published new guidelines for the prevent, diagnosis and treatment of blood pressure as follows:

Normal        Systolic    120

Diastolic  80

Elevated      Systolic    120 – 129

Diastolic   80

High Stage 1 Systolic  130 – 139

Diastolic     80 -89

High Stage 2  Systolic 140

Diastolic  90

High blood pressure is referred as  the silent killer because you might not have any symptoms in the early stages. Many people are not diagnosed until the later stages because they do not get regular check-ups. They usually present to the emergency room with dizziness, headaches, feeling tired amongst other symptoms. Some individuals present with a stroke, aneurysm or heart attack. Often times this is too late, and they can not be saved.

Complications of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure if not controlled can slowly cause havoc in your body. The high pressure gradually causes severe damage to both small and large blood vessels throughout the body. The body compensates, but this also leads to other changes in structures that cause further damage. Small and large arteries become occluded, or hemorrhage (major bleeding) occurs over time and can cause permanent damage to the brain, heart, kidney, and eyes.

The most common complications are listed below. Some are life-threatening.

  • Cerebral Vascular Disease can cause a stroke leading to death or disability
  • Chronic Kidney Disease can cause permanent kidney damage requiring dialysis and kidney transplant.
  • Congestive Heart Failure can cause heart damage requiring a heart transplant.
  • An aortic Aneurysm can break/rupture causing death
  • Peripheral Artery Disease causes poor circulation to your legs. Sometimes amputation is necessary.

 

Can You Take Some Pills, Can You Take Some More Pills

Unfortunately, the blood pressure medication prescribed by your physician will not cure your high blood pressure. The purpose of the medicine is to control your blood pressure and keep it within the normal range, therefore reducing the chances of complication. This means if you stop taking your medication your blood pressure will increase. Unless you made some changes to your lifestyle, without medication your blood pressure would remain high.

When you are the hospitalized, your blood pressure gets checked every four hours by the nursing staff. It is not necessary for you to check it this often at home. The stress of being sick can affect your blood pressure and this is the reason it checked so often. Furthermore, you will not have a nurse to give you your medication on schedule and check your blood pressure therefore just like exercise you have to the find a way to include it in your daily routine until it becomes a habit.

The pills that are given to you in the hospital to treat your blood pressure  are the same ones you will continue at home. They will not discharge you with medication that you were not given in the hospital. They make changes until they find the right combination and dose that fits you. Getting it right can take several attempts. The doctor reviews your blood pressure trends and changes either the medication, the dosage or the frequency.

In contrast, since the doctor has less control of you in an outpatient setting , i.e the clinic, finding the right therapy  might take longer. He will rely on you , instead of the nurse to keep track of your blood pressure and how you feel. The best way to do this is to keep a BP journal .

It can take up to the three different combinations of blood pressure medication to get your blood pressure in an acceptable range. However, whenever changes are made  to your medicine ask your doctor when should you expect improvement. Blood pressure medications are not like antidepressant that takes up the two weeks to start working. Most blood pressure medication starts to work in a few hours. Therefore, plan to  have your blood pressure checked soon after starting a new drug or changing doses. Whenever you have stressful situation in your life you should check you blood pressure at a minimum of daily and report unusual values to your physician.

Noncompliance with prescribe medication, and lifestyle modification is very common among individuals diagnose with high blood pressure. Although proven to be effective, very few people change their lifestyle . Two common reasons for non-compliance with prescribed medication are cost and side effects. The side effects that you feel might be because your blood pressure went down low too quickly or because it went down too low. Too low blood pressure can cause similar symptoms like high blood pressure such as dizziness. If you check your blood pressure and it’s too low, you should call your doctor before taking the next dose.

Do it Now Not Later

Achieving and maintaining healthy blood pressure requires lifestyle modifications as follows:

  • Ideal Body Weight – depends on your age and height. You already know if you need to lose weight.
  • Sodium (Salt) Restriction – 1500mg per day
  • Regular aerobic activity – 30 minutes moderate exercise 5 days a week
  • Moderate alcohol consumption – 2 drinks per day for men, one drink per day for women
  • Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension Eating Plan (DASH) – Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, low fat, and nonfat dairy

Take a good look at the list. Adjusting any of these areas can start you on the road to successfully managing your high blood pressure. Which one can you change today?