Treatment of High Blood Pressure
At one time the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension), followed a very rigid approach. Nowadays doctors are much more relaxed about the way they approach the treatment of high blood pressure in their patients, preferring a much more patient centred approach.
Patients with high blood pressure often have a mix of pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular damage, kidney disease or stroke and so each person needs individual diagnosis and treatment considering their full state of health. Any medical or drug treatment has to be carefully tailored to the patient.
The first treatment of choice for those suffering purely with high blood pressure is usually a lifestyle change.
If you are overweight, smoke, lead a very stressful life or don’t exercise, a high blood pressure diagnosis may be the wake up call you need to modify your lifestyle. If you manage to do this, after consultation with your doctor, you may find you can lower your blood pressure without resorting to more invasive treatment.
If you then manage to keep up your lifestyle changes, you should be able to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level, though of course it should be carefully monitored on a regular basis. If lifestyle changes are not enough, your doctor may prescribe medication to lower your blood pressure. Some medications used to treat high blood pressure include
- Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers
- Beta-blockers
- Diuretics
- Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)
- Alpha-blockers
- Clonidine
- Minoxidil
Unfortunately it’s often found that one drug which treats a particular disease, has an adverse effect on another drug treating a different medical problem, so getting the balance right when prescribing medication to those suffering a variety of different illnesses can be difficult.
New drugs do become available and you may have the opportunity to try these as they become available if the correct medication for you has not yet been found.
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