Hypertension is otherwise known as high blood pressure, it is very dangerous because it can lead to other more serious problems such as: heart failure, heart attacks, strokes, and even kidney disease.  The aim of hypertension treatment is to lower ones, high blood pressure so we can protect important organs in our body , like the brain, kidneys and heart from damage.  Amazingly, treatment for hypertension has reduced the amount of strokes that occur (reduced on average, 35% to 40%), heart failure (50%) and heart attacks (around 20% to 25%), this according to available research.

If your blood pressure reading is more than 120/80, then you should really consider making lifestyle changes, namely diet and exercise.  A critical step in lowering your blood pressure is your lifestyle.  You should consider: losing weight, if you are carrying excess weight or are obese, quit smoking if you do smoke, eating a balanced diet, which consists of more fruits and vegetables and less fatty compounds, reducing the amount of sodium (salt) to less than 1 teaspoon a day, getting regular exercise (taking a walk for at least 30 minutes a day), limiting your alcohol intake to around two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

There are several types of drugs that we can use for hypertension treatment, these can include:

beta-blockers
diuretics
calcium channel blockers.
receptor blockers
ace inhibitors.

Diuretics are usually the first port of call for hypertension treatment.  If you find this treatment doesn’t agree with you then consult with your doctor as there are other types of diuretics available.

There are cases, however, where your doctor may start you on an ace inhibitor, instead of a diuretic, especially if you have diabetes.

If the doctor finds that your blood pressure is more than 20/10 over what it should be, then your doctor may consider starting you on two drugs instead of one.

After you have taken a course of antihypertensive medications, then you should consult with your doctor at least once a month so he can take regular readings of your blood pressure.  This way, they can diagnose if the medication is being effective or not and whether an alternative form of action is warranted.

After you have reached your blood pressure goal, then you should plan to see your doctor every three to six months.  If you have add hypertension for an extended period of time, then there could be other underlying problems (due to the high blood pressure), which you should also check out.  Make sure you are open and honest with your doctor at all times, and if you are not happy with your hypertension treatment, then tell your doctor this as there are other drugs available and also other hypertension treatments available.

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