DentoPedia

By: Rachel Willson
Hypertension medications have made improvements over the past years and that’s good news.  Some drugs have increased potency so now lower doses can be prescribed.  Lower doses may mean lower incidents of side effects and may even mean a savings in the cost of the medication. Other medications work in ways that did not exist several years ago allowing them to more easily and effectively combine with other drugs to control hypertension.

So with all those marvelous improvements in pharmaceuticals, why do you feel so lousy?

Antihypertensive drugs still come with side effects.  Understand that hypertension treatment is often times a numbers game.  Your doctor will start with a low dosage on one or two medicines and will continue to adjust both type of drugs and dosages until a combination is found that controls your condition.  At least it controls it for now.  If you condition changes, and if you don’t make changes in your lifestyle it will, the medicines will lose their effectiveness and the mix and match process begins again.

Here’s a sample of what you can expect in the way of side effects for a few of the classes of drugs:

Diuretics are the oldest and least expensive form of treatment for high blood pressure.  These drugs flush sodium and excess fluids from the body reducing blood volume.  The less blood in the system, the less pressure required to pump it.  Thiazide diuretics can also prevent sodium from being reabsorbed in the body.  Side effects can include:

Thirst, potassium depletion, frequent urination, weakness, impotence, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, constipation and confusion.

ACE Inhibitors.  This class is one of the most effective in controlling blood pressure.  This drug works by deactivating angiotensin-converting enzyme which prevents the kidney from absorbing sodium and retaining water.  Left unchecked, these enzymes can stiffen blood vessels and increase pressure.  Side effects include:

Cough, rash, fluid retention and loss of taste.  May also cause fetal abnormalities.

Anti-adrenergics work by limiting the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine which have a hardening effect on the blood vessels causing them to lose elasticity.  Without this effect both the vessels and heart are more relaxed and less pressure is required to pump blood through the vascular system.   Side effects can include

Depression, fatigue, wheezing, insomnia, impotence and a decrease in good cholesterol HDL can occur as a result of taking this class of drug.  The very scary part is do not miss taking your pill as prescribed.  Sudden withdrawal can trigger an angina or heart attack.

So that’s the popular line up of hypertension medications and their side effects.  Is there an alternative to these?

The answer is yes. If you are willing to make some changes in the way you live your life you can make a significant reduction in blood pressure without the use of drugs.

The American Heart Association endorses changes in diet, exercise and stress management as the best way to control hypertension.  If you are fed up with the side effects, the expense, or simply the fact that you will be reliant on daily medication for the rest of your life, then you need to learn about the alternatives.

Holistic approaches can not only control your high blood pressure, it can cure it.  Thanks to the restorative power of antioxidants found in fresh food, much of the damage that has already been done can be repaired.  Take responsibility for your health and learn how to live without the drugs.

If you are ready to take responsibility for your health and you want off hypertension medication, visit http:MyNaturalCures.info for a step by step realistic guide to lowering blood pressure naturally.