By comprehensively taking modern medications for hypertension, you can get rid of its symptoms not only at the initial, but also at an advanced stage of development. Doctors, when prescribing treatment for high blood pressure to their patients, do not limit themselves to just 1-2 drugs. They prescribe several medications that complement and enhance each other’s effects, making therapy more effective.
Why do you take multiple medications at once for hypertension?
Those who have had to fight hypertension know that to defeat it, you need to regularly take a whole range of drugs belonging to various pharmaceutical groups. For each patient, an individual list of medications that combine well with each other is selected. The correct treatment regimen allows you to eliminate not only the symptoms of the pathological process, but also the reason due to which it began.
For hypertensive patients, a medication must be selected that should help lower high blood pressure. But its effect is usually short-lived. This medicine must be taken in the following cases:
- If blood pressure rises and stops at a level not exceeding 180 mmHg. Art. To eliminate the problem and prevent the development of serious complications, you need to take a drug that will gradually lower blood pressure. It's good if this process takes about two hours. Usually, in this condition, there is no need to call an ambulance for a hypertensive patient;
- If a person whose blood pressure regularly rises becomes unwell and his blood pressure rises to 210 mmHg. Art. You need to take a medicine that will urgently reduce its values to normal in 30-40 minutes. At this time, you need to call an ambulance. This measure cannot be avoided if a sharp rise in blood pressure occurs in an elderly person.
A person with hypertension should definitely find out in advance from the attending physician about which medication should be taken in an emergency and which is required to gradually reduce blood pressure.
Medications with a short-term effect can only relieve attacks of the disease. Treatment of hypertension in men and women with modern medications should be systematic. Only in this case can a person count on recovery and retreat of the disease for a long period of time.
If the medications prescribed by the cardiologist are taken systematically, the patient will be protected from new surges in blood pressure. This is due to the fact that most of them have a prolonged action. This means that for at least 24 hours after taking the pills, the patient is protected from the manifestations of hypertension. In some cases, such therapy can even reverse all the pathological changes that the disease caused.
Different groups of medications have different effects on the human body and disease. Only taking several medications at once can achieve the best treatment results. In addition, we must not forget that many drugs for combating high blood pressure can enhance the effect of each other.
Main groups of drugs
Hypertension is treated with modern antihypertensive drugs. It is best to combat such diseases of the cardiovascular system with the help of several medications belonging to different groups. For hypertension, the medications listed below are used.
Beta blockers
For hypertension, medications that belong to the group of beta-blockers are prescribed. Thanks to them, it is possible to reduce the negative impact of an excess of hormones on the heart. Due to this action, the rhythm of the internal organ becomes slower, and the pressure returns to normal.
Taking beta-blockers is prohibited for people who have a low pulse, bronchial asthma or blockade of the conduction system. Women who are breastfeeding should not take these pills.
Most often, these medications can be seen in prescriptions from cardiologists prescribed to young hypertensive patients. They are taken within 2-4 weeks. Afterwards, patients switch to combination treatment.
If blood pressure values are elevated, then it will be difficult to do without this medicine.
A noticeable result of lowering blood pressure becomes noticeable after about 2-4 hours. These drugs are taken only once a day, as they have a prolonged effect.
After taking beta blockers, the patient sometimes experiences side effects. They are limited to such conditions as impaired digestion, weakness in the body, bradycardia and a noticeable slowing of the pulse.
Alpha blockers
Cardiologists recommend that men take vascular drugs of the alpha-blocker group, as they additionally eliminate problems associated with the prostate gland. This medicine lowers blood pressure well and also improves urination.
Alpha blockers will not be prescribed to patients who have been diagnosed with tachycardia, heart failure, or a tendency to experience frequent nasal congestion.
After taking alpha-blockers, some patients report side effects such as dizziness and temporary impotence.
Inhibitors
Hypertension requires taking medications that act on blood vessels and cause them to dilate. They are inhibitors. Modern drugs of this group, presented in tablets for blood pressure, should not be taken by pregnant women and young children. They can also harm the health of people who have kidney problems.
It is recommended to start taking medications in this group with a minimum dosage and gradually increase it if necessary. It is very important to monitor current blood pressure levels throughout therapy in order to be able to note the results of treatment with inhibitors.
Medicines can cause side effects. After taking them, allergic reactions may occur in the form of swelling, dry cough and also a strong decrease in blood pressure. To prevent the development of negative effects, it is necessary to adhere to the optimal dose of the drug.
Calcium antagonists
Drugs that belong to this group can dilate blood vessels. They prevent calcium ions from entering the blood vessels and heart. This is their difference from other similar medications.
It is strictly forbidden to take calcium antagonists to people who have arrhythmia, a rare pulse, or a blockade of the conduction system. Contraindications include pregnancy.
Blood pressure begins to decrease within 1-2 hours after taking the drug. Its effect is observed on average within 24 hours.
Before prescribing the drug, the doctor must inform the patient about the presence of side effects such as sudden hot flashes and dizziness.
Diuretics
Patients over 50-60 years of age are prescribed modern medications such as diuretics for hypertension. They can be included in prescriptions not only for the elderly, but also for young people with complaints of high blood pressure.
Diuretics have a diuretic effect. With their help, you can lower blood pressure by removing unnecessary fluid from the body. If the patient does not have gout and diabetes mellitus, it is with this medication that his treatment of hypertension begins. In addition, drugs from other pharmaceutical groups are prescribed.
The drugs differ from each other in how quickly they achieve the desired effect and how long they last. For example, a loop diuretic begins to act within 15 minutes after its active components enter the body. The pressure is normalized for up to 6 hours. A thiazide diuretic has a longer lasting effect. Thanks to him, hypertensive patients are not bothered by the symptoms of the disease for the next 12 hours.
Diuretics, like drugs from other pharmaceutical groups, can cause side effects. They are usually limited to the development of dizziness, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, muscle cramps, weakness in the body, a feeling of extreme thirst and interruptions in the functioning of the heart.
Dietary supplements
When drawing up a treatment regimen for high blood pressure, preference is given not only to modern drugs that are based on synthetic components. For many patients, the best treatment is dietary supplements. This is truly the best medicine for hypertension, as it is herbal based. Therefore, such treatment does not cause any particular harm to the body. The only drawback of dietary supplements is their weak effect, so they alone are not able to completely eliminate the signs of hypertension.
Dietary supplements that are recommended for hypertension differ significantly from more traditional means for lowering blood pressure, for example, tincture of motherwort or hawthorn. They are not addictive to the body and do not affect the functioning of the reproductive system. In some cases, dietary supplements are allowed even for pregnant and lactating women.
Experts may recommend dietary supplements with antihypertensive effects to a patient complaining of high blood pressure.
These drugs are available in the form of tablets, drops or tinctures. They should be used as an auxiliary method of treating hypertension along with synthetic medications.
Particular caution is required when taking herbal preparations to patients who may have an allergic reaction to the substances contained in their composition.
Emergency drugs
If blood pressure rises too much and begins to reach critical values, the person begins to be in serious danger. In this condition, a stroke may develop. This can be prevented with the help of quick-acting medications.
These are potent drugs that can only be taken in emergency situations. In other situations, it is best to limit yourself to other medications that have a milder effect on the human body.
Fast-acting drugs really help in critical situations. However, their abuse can be hazardous to health. They are able to influence a person’s mental state, as well as interfere with the processes of the pancreas. If a patient constantly takes such a drug, then after stopping it, blood pressure may rise significantly. The development of withdrawal syndrome is also possible.
Typically, doctors advise people who may have high blood pressure to always have emergency medications on hand.
They quickly lower blood pressure levels. To enhance the effect of the medication, place the tablet under the tongue and gradually dissolve. Then you need to call an ambulance. You should not ignore this advice, since if blood pressure increases excessively, consultation with a doctor is mandatory.