Blood Pressure Medication

Medications for Blood Pressure: An Introduction

In addition to lifestyle changes, some people need blood pressure medication to improve their condition. There are many varieties of these medicines; each one works in a slightly different way. Also, people react to medication in different ways, so it's possible that your healthcare provider will need to try a few different types of drugs to find the one that's best for you.

 

If your doctor does prescribe medicine for high blood pressure, remember to take your pills exactly as directed. Even if you feel well, you still need to take your medication because damage can be occurring within your body.

 

Types of High Blood Pressure Medication

There are several categories of medication used to treat high blood pressure. Often, two or more drugs work better than one. The main types of medication for high blood pressure include:

 

Detailed Descriptions of Blood Pressure Medicines

As a whole, the different types of high blood pressure medications are known as "antihypertensives. " In the following sections, each variety of antihypertensive drug is described in more detail.

Beta blockers reduce the heart rate and the heart's output of blood. They do this by reducing nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels. This makes the heart beat slower and with less force. Blood pressure drops, and the heart doesn't need to work as hard.

 

Beta blockers used in the treatment of high blood pressure include:

 

Diuretics rid the body of excess fluids and salt (sodium). Because this high blood pressure medication works in the kidneys and flushes excess water and sodium from the body, diuretics are sometimes called "water pills."

 

Some examples of diuretics include:

 

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) keep your body from making a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow. ACE inhibitors prevent this narrowing, so your blood pressure goes down.

 

ACE inhibitors used to lower blood pressure include:

 

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are a newer type of medication for blood pressure that protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, with this type of medicine, the blood vessels relax and become wider, and your blood pressure goes down.

 

Some examples of ARBs include:

 

Calcium channel blockers keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This reduces the heart rate and causes the blood vessels to relax. In turn, blood pressure goes down.

 

CCBs used as blood pressure medications include:

 

Alpha blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels. This enables blood to pass through the vessels more easily, resulting in lower blood pressure.

 

Alpha blockers used for treatment of high blood pressure include:

 

Alpha-beta blockers work in the same fashion as alpha blockers, but they also slow down the heart rate (they are similar to beta blockers in this regard). This type of blood pressure drug results in less blood being pumped through the blood vessels, so the blood pressure goes down. Carvedilol (Coreg^®) is an alpha-beta blocker used to help manage high blood pressure.

Nervous system inhibitors relax the blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses. This causes the blood vessels to become wider and the blood pressure to go down.

 

Examples of nervous system inhibitors include:

 

Vasodilators directly dilate (widen) blood vessels by relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls. This causes blood pressure to go down.

 

Examples of this form of blood pressure medication include:

 

Blood Pressure Medications: Final Thoughts

Treating high blood pressure can require considerable time and patience -- both for you and your doctor. It can be frustrating to take pills and possibly experience side effects, especially if you felt fine before beginning treatment. Remember that your blood pressure is only lowered while you are taking these medications. That's why medication for blood pressure can't be stopped in most cases, even after blood pressure is lowered. Some treatment must be continued over a lifetime.

 

Try not to get discouraged if you must be treated indefinitely. While some people can reduce their drug dosages after achieving normal blood pressure and maintaining it for a year or more, treatment usually can't be stopped entirely. Coping with the inconvenience of blood pressure medication is still much better than suffering a stroke or heart attack. Most people who are treated successfully usually live a long and healthy life.