Treatment Options
People with high blood pressure are often urged to change their diet, exercise regularly, quit smoking, and generally lead less stressful lives. If changes to your lifestyle aren’t effective enough, your doctor may prescribe a medication like BYSTOLIC to help you manage your hypertension.
Antihypertensive drugs are used if a person’s blood pressure is above 140 (systolic) or 90 (diastolic). There are several different “classes” of blood pressure medication.1 Currently, they include:
- Diuretics. Help the body to flush away water and salt2
- Calcium Channel Blockers. Relax and widen blood vessels3
- ACE Inhibitors. Block hormones that constrict blood vessels4
- Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers. Block blood-vessel–constricting hormones5
- Beta Blockers. A beta blocker is a medication that slows the heart rate and reduces the force with which the heart muscle contracts, thereby lowering blood pressure. Beta blockers do this by blocking beta-adrenergic receptors, which prevents adrenaline (epinephrine) from stimulating these receptors.6
Click here for more information on how beta blockers work.
While medications work well for most people and they can be extremely helpful in certain cases, not all medications work for everyone. If you feel that you are experiencing problems with your current medications, please speak with your doctor.
You should know that even with medication, making healthy lifestyle choices is not only recommended to help lower your blood pressure, it may also help improve your overall health and make you feel better.
Tips for Taking High Blood Pressure Medication
Always take high blood pressure medication as directed, even though there may be no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure. Here are some handy tips to help you and your loved one remember to take BYSTOLIC and other medications as prescribed by your doctor:
- Keep a reminder calendar on the refrigerator or other place you see every day with all medications to be taken and how often they are to be taken. Once taken, mark that day’s entry
- Put reminder “sticky notes” in highly visible places, such as the refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, or inside the front door
- Use a pillbox with separate compartments for each day of the week. Leave it out in a place where it will be seen regularly, such as the kitchen counter or the dining room table
- Set an alarm, a travel alarm clock, or a wristwatch to go off when it is time to take medications
- Ask other household members or friends to help with reminders, such as daily check-in phone calls
Next: Frequently asked questions about hypertension
References: 1. WebMD Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Guide. Hypertension: treatment overview. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/hypertension-treatment-overview. Accessed November 12, 2008. 2. WebMD Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Health Center. Hypertension: diuretic treatment. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/diuretic-treatment. Accessed November 12, 2008. 3. WebMD Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Health Center. Hypertension: treatment with calcium channel blockers. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/treatment-calcium-channel. Accessed November 12, 2008. 4. WebMD Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Health Center. ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/treatment-ace-inhibitors-for-blood-pressure#hw59143. Accessed November 12, 2008. 5. WebMD Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Health Center. Hypertension: treatment with angiotensin II receptor blockers. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/treatment-angiotensin-ii. Accessed November 12, 2008. 6. American Heart Association. Medmovie. Beta blockers. Available at: http://www.medmovie.com/mmdatabase/MediaPlayer.aspx/ClientID=66&TopicID=636. Accessed November 12, 2008.
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