High Blood Pressure (hypertension) Drugs - What They Are And How They Work

Blood pressure can be controlled with a change in lifestyle such as eating healthy, adding moderate exercise daily, losing weight if necessary and using stress management techniques. There are times, however, when a physician may determine that there is a need for blood pressure medication along with the lifestyle change. To many people making all these changes can be confusing and a little frightening trying to keep it all straight. Listed below are the main blood pressure medications used by physicians and a brief description of how they work within the body. The physician may prescribe more than one type of drug in order to lower and control your blood pressure:

Diuretics - These are sometimes called "water pills" because they flush sodium and excess water from the body, they work in the kidney.

Beta-blockers - The job of the Beta-blockers is to reduce the nerve impulses to heart and blood vessels. The reduced nerve impulses make the heart beat slower and with less force. The blood pressure drops and when that happens, the heart doesn't have to work as hard.

ACE Inhibitors - Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, this hormone normally causes blood vessels to narrow. The ACE inhibitors cause the blood vessels to relax and with that, the blood pressure goes down.

Angiotensin antagonists - Angiotensin antagonists shield the blood vessels from angiotensin II which allows the blood vessels to become wider causing the blood pressure to come down.

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) - CCBs keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels causing the blood vessels to relax and blood pressure to come down.

Alpha-blockers - Alpha-blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels which then allows the blood to pass more easily, causing the blood pressure to go down.

Alpha-beta-blockers - Alpha-beta-blockers work the same was as the Alpha-blockers but also slow the heartbeat, as Beta-blockers do. The result is less blood is pumped through the blood vessels and the blood pressure does down.

Nervous system inhibitors - Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses. This will cause the blood vessels to become wider so the blood pressure will come down.

Vasodilators - Vasodilators directly open blood vessels by relaxing the muscle in the blood vessel walls which causes the blood pressure to come down.

Taking blood pressure medication daily is extremely important since high blood pressure (hypertension) can cause heart disease, kidney disease, even blindness. However, some people have so many different types of medication to keep up with, they forget. To help keep medications straight, especially hypertension medication, below are some tips to help remember:

1. If you are supposed to take your medication with food, take your pills with your meal each day.
2. Put your pills with your toothpaste and toothbruth - link it to something you do on a regular basis every day.
3. Buy a pillbox organizer at your discount store of pharmacy.
4. Have a friend who also takes blood medication, family member or grandchild call everyday to remind you.
5. If you use a telephone company's voice mail service, record a reminder and the service can call everyday at the sametime.
6. If you use a personal computer, program a start-up reminder to take your medication.
7. Sign-up with a free computer service that will send you a reminder email everyday.
8. Always make sure you refill the prescription at least a week before it runs out, mark your calendar when to order and when to pick it up.

Being diagnosed with high blood pressure is the first step, making lifestyle changes is the second, but if your physician has prescribed medication then he or she believes your high blood pressure is dangerous enough to warrant putting you on the medication to lower it. Take this seriously, the quality of your life depends upon you working with your physician to lower or control the blood pressure.

By: Therese B

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Therese has been writing articles online for the past several years. Not only does this author specialize in health and wellness information, you can also check out her latest website at Tankless Water Heater Cost which provides information on electric tankless water heaters for homeowners.