Buying good medicine for high blood pressure is not easy. A pharmacist at a pharmacy will rarely help; he will immediately send you to a doctor. Is it really so difficult to recommend a reliable drug at an affordable price? Let's try to understand the types of drugs and the principles of taking them.
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Hypertension
Few people in our time have not heard anything about hypertension, or high blood pressure. This is not surprising - after all, in the modern world, every third adult is faced with this problem and is forced to look for ways to solve it.
Blood pressure is considered elevated if its value is 140/90 mmHg. Art. or higher, regardless of the person's age. Most often, high blood pressure is an independent disease called hypertension. But sometimes hypertension is a symptom of some other disease (for example, kidney disease, thyroid disease, adrenal gland disease). In this case, in addition to reducing the numbers, the underlying disease must be treated.
The mechanism of malaise with high blood pressure
Why does a change in blood pressure from normal cause headaches? The vessels of a healthy person are able to change the diameter of the lumen under the influence of blood pressure during movement. This allows the body to adapt to the effects of various unfavorable factors.
When elasticity and elasticity are lost, the vessels narrow and the pressure surge becomes permanent. Lack of oxygen and nutrients affects the functioning of all brain structures. There are many symptoms, including headache.
The cause of increased blood pressure can be stress, disruption of rest and work schedules, bad habits, excess weight or poor diet, hypothermia or excessive physical activity. Diseases of the internal organs are a common cause of hypertension or hypotension.
Everyone can determine at what pressure a headache begins. It is enough to keep a diary and note measurements when a headache occurs. It is also important to identify the reasons that led to this condition.
Only your doctor can tell you what medications you can take for high and low blood pressure. Taking into account the nature of the pain, he will select the drug and prescribe the optimal dose and duration of treatment.
For headaches caused by hypertension, you should not take medications that increase blood pressure. For example, you should not drink Citramon for pain with high blood pressure. It contains caffeine, which further increases blood pressure.
Symptoms
Symptoms that may indicate increased blood pressure include:
- headache;
- dizziness;
- “flies” before the eyes;
- discomfort in the heart area.
If any of them appear, you should measure your blood pressure. If it is higher than normal, you need to take care of reducing it.
Does it happen that nothing bothers a person, but his blood pressure is elevated? Unfortunately, such cases are not uncommon. This is why it is so important to control your blood pressure even when you feel normal. Many people mistakenly think that if there are no symptoms, then there is no need to reduce blood pressure. Indeed, why take pills if you feel good? Alas, the frequency of complications of hypertension does not depend on whether you feel it or not.
Hypertension can cause serious complications.
Dangerous complications:
- myocardial infarction;
- stroke;
- renal failure.
The higher the pressure, the greater the risk of their development.
What can you take at home?
If the pressure increases, move horizontally with several pillows under your head. It is necessary to ensure a flow of fresh air into the room.
Traditional medicine can also help lower blood pressure:
- Performing a hot foot bath. The feet are placed in water at a temperature of 40 degrees for 15 minutes.
- You can stick mustard plaster on your neck.
- Acupressure may also help reduce pain. Start at your earlobes and slowly move towards the back of your head in smooth, circular motions.
- Chamomile and lemon tea helps relax muscles and the nervous system. Pour boiling water over the herb, let it brew for 30 minutes, then add lemon zest and sugar.
- For headaches, you can drink tincture of celandine herb. Dissolve 40 drops of tincture in 100 ml of water.
- Valerian tablets help relieve attacks of dizziness and pain. They need to be drunk twice a day.
- Clover tincture is easy to prepare. The dried flowers of the plant are poured with vodka and left for two weeks. Drink the drug at the first sign of pain in the amount of 30 ml.
Traditional medicine can be used as independent therapy only in the initial stages of the development of the problem. In other cases, it must be combined with the main treatment. Only a specialist can prescribe good and effective drugs.
It is forbidden to drink strong tea or coffee, take a hot bath, or smoke cigarettes. It is dangerous to take medications (especially caffeine-based ones) on your own in an attempt to relieve pain symptoms.
Treatment
Almost all patients with hypertension need blood pressure lowering medications. At the initial stage of the disease, with a slight increase in blood pressure, it is sometimes possible to bring the indicators back to normal by changing lifestyle (diet, weight loss, stress management, physical activity). But most patients still require constant medication. If treatment is stopped, high blood pressure, and along with it unpleasant symptoms, and the risk of complications return. During treatment, it is very important to monitor the level of pressure and keep a diary by the patient in which his indicators are recorded. This allows you to select the optimal treatment and accurately assess its effect.
Nowadays, a large number of drugs have been created that reduce blood pressure. Let's look at the main groups of these drugs.
ACE inhibitors
- Enap;
- Diroton;
- Prestarium A;
- Hartil.
They suppress (inhibit) one of the enzymes involved in raising blood pressure and are often used as the first choice drugs when starting treatment for hypertension.
Advantages of this group:
- do not affect the pulse rate (can be prescribed for any pulse rate);
- do not cause an increase in cholesterol and blood sugar levels;
- for diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, they not only reduce blood pressure, but also prevent the development of renal failure;
- these medications are also effective for chronic heart failure.
But this group is not suitable for pregnant (or planning pregnancy) women - it can have a negative effect on the fetus. Also, sometimes, while taking these medications, a dry cough appears. If it greatly bothers the patient, it is necessary to replace it with a drug from another group.
ACE inhibitors are not suitable for pregnant women, because negatively affect the fetus.
Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).
- Lozap;
- Valsacor;
- Aprovel;
- Edarby.
Their mechanism of action is close to the drugs of the previous group, but blocks the process at a different level. In general, they have the same properties as ACE inhibitors. They are often prescribed if a dry cough develops while taking ACE inhibitors, since this group does not have such a side effect.
Beta blockers
- Concor;
- Betalok;
- Nebilet.
They reduce blood pressure by acting on beta-adrenergic receptors of the heart and blood vessels. In addition to lowering blood pressure, these medications slow down the heart rate. They are preferable if you are prone to rapid heartbeats, but if your heart rate is initially low, they are not recommended. When selecting a dose and treatment, pulse control is required (it should be at least 50 beats per minute).
They are also recommended for use when hypertension is combined with coronary heart disease or chronic heart failure. And when combined with bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), they should be used with caution - bronchospasm may increase.
Calcium antagonists
They reduce blood pressure by affecting the calcium channels of cells. They can be used when hypertension is combined with bronchial asthma, COPD, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease.
Diltiazem, Verapamil, Isoptin (extended form) - also reduce heart rate and can be used as an alternative to beta blockers.
Cordaflex, Normodipin, Lerkamen - without reducing the pulse, they have a vasodilating effect. They are especially effective in increasing diastolic (“bottom”) pressure.
Diuretics
- Hypothiazide;
- Indapamide;
- Arifon-retard;
- Indapamide retard.
Remove excess water and sodium from the body. Especially relevant for people with edema or signs of heart failure. Long-acting indapamide has the least pronounced diuretic effect and minimal side effects, but at the same time it stabilizes blood pressure well.
Diuretics are suitable for people with signs of heart failure.
This group should be used with caution if blood sugar and uric acid levels are elevated.
Centrally acting drugs
- Physiotens;
- Albarel.
They reduce blood pressure by acting on receptors in the brain. As a rule, they are added to combinations of other drugs if the desired effect cannot be achieved.
Combined products
When treating hypertension, combinations of several active ingredients are often used. According to research, the use of combinations is more effective than simply increasing the dose of the drug and causes fewer side effects. Many medications, when used together, complement and enhance each other's effect. That is why many combination drugs have been created, when one tablet contains 2, and sometimes three drugs at once. Their use is both effective and very convenient.
Combinations of 2 drugs:
- ACE inhibitor + diuretic: Enap N, co-diroton, noliprel;
- ACE inhibitor + calcium antagonist: tarka, dalneva, equator;
- angiotensin receptor blocker + diuretic: lozap plus, valsacor N, edarbi clo;
- angiotensin receptor blocker + calcium antagonist: lortenza, vamloset, aprovasc;
- beta blocker + calcium antagonist: Concor AM, Logimax.
Combinations of 3 drugs:
- ACE inhibitor + diuretic + calcium antagonist: co-dalneva, triplixam;
- angiotensin receptor blocker + diuretic + calcium antagonist: co-vamloset, Co-Exforge.
When selecting treatment for hypertension, they usually start with small doses and, if necessary, gradually increase them. You cannot sharply reduce blood pressure to normal if it is initially very high. It is better to first stabilize it at a lower level (for example, if the initial blood pressure is more than 180/100, reach values not exceeding 150-160/90 mm Hg), and after some time try to intensify therapy, taking into account its tolerability.
Finding the optimal treatment is not easy. Even doctors need time for this. The patient's active participation in keeping a diary and taking medications regularly is mandatory. Changing the treatment regimen on your own or stopping it can lead to unpleasant consequences, including complications of hypertension (heart attacks, strokes). If for some reason you change your medication intake, do not hide it from your doctor. Only together can we achieve sustainable results in treatment.
Headache classification
Grading headaches helps professionals choose the right and effective treatment to quickly get rid of symptoms and prevent a recurrence. At what pressure is the type of pain distinguished? Pain is most often observed against the background of arterial hypertension.
Vascular
The vascular variety is characterized by intense throbbing pain in the temples and the back of the head, a feeling of narrowing and heaviness. Every movement (sneezing, bending, coughing) increases the pain.
Pain may be caused by:
- disorders of blood supply to the brain;
- spasm of blood vessels;
- poor tone of blood vessels;
- lack of oxygen supply;
- tightening of the vertebral arteries;
- circulatory disorders.
All these factors contribute to the development of pain syndrome in arterial hypertension. Sedatives and antispasmodics help cope with pain. Aromatherapy, acupuncture and massage are considered effective.
Liquorodynamic
This type of pain develops due to pressure fluctuations. The outflow of cerebrospinal fluid from different parts of the brain is disrupted and intracranial pressure increases at the same time. An unpleasant painful sensation is caused by a large accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid.
The patient experiences dizziness, decreased visual acuity, nausea and general weakness, as well as a decreased heart rate. The pain is dull and excruciating, intensifies with physical activity, movement, and vertical position of the body. This condition is characteristic of a hypertensive crisis, in which vasospasm occurs.
The therapy uses diuretics, antispasmodics, vitamin complexes, and immunomodulators.
Ischemic
The narrowing of blood vessels and a decrease in their resistance lead to hypoxia of internal organs and tissue edema. The pain is dull, pressing, in one area of the skull. Additionally, nausea appears, ending with vomiting, dizziness, loss of orientation and impaired coordination of the body in space. Memory deteriorates, sleep is disturbed, appetite decreases.
Treatment is carried out with antispasmodics, neurotrophic drugs, combination drugs, ACE inhibitors, antioxidants, and beta-blockers are prescribed.
Muscle tension
This type of pain develops as a result of severe fatigue, stress, anxiety and a sedentary lifestyle. As a result, the muscles of the shoulder girdle, neck and head are overloaded. Blood flow in the affected area is disrupted. Compression pain is accompanied by nausea, deterioration of visual acuity, dizziness, tinnitus, and attention problems. The patient's sensitivity to smells, light and noise increases.
Pain can be eliminated with the help of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets and antidepressants. To avoid the return of pain, it is necessary to normalize the emotional state, adjust the diet, and rest regime.
Neuralgic
Head pain can be caused by emotional stress. Depression, stress, and neuroses lead to increased blood and intracranial pressure, as well as compression of the trigeminal nerve. The pain comes on suddenly and affects one side of the head. It is sharp, burning, stitching and cuts the eyeballs and forehead, worse when touching the scalp.
Treatment is based on medication and physical therapy. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and antidepressants help eliminate inflammation.
