An Overview of Various Types of Hypertension Medications
There are quite a variety of hypertension medications available, and these drugs are referred to as antihypertensive agents.
They are of course used to counteract high blood pressure (hypertension).
Determining which hypertension medication is right for you can be a bit tricky and will depend on 3 main things: how easy is it to use, how it will react with other drugs or medical conditions and what side effects it might produce.
It is most likely that your doctor will start you on one particular hypertension medication at a low dose and assess how it is working over a week or two.
If things are going well, he may slowly increase the dose, or perhaps switch you to a different antihypertensive agent should you develop any side effects.
There are several different types of medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure, each of them producing results in a different way.
- Diuretics assist in the kidney's ability to extract salt and water, thus decreasing the total amount of fluid in the bloodstream and hence also reducing overall pressure in the arteries.
- Beta blockers work directly on the heart itself, reducing the intensity of the heart's contractions which in turn reduces the amount of blood being pumped into the arteries.
Beta blockers can have some rather nasty side effects including: excessively slowing the heart rate and in some rare cases confusion, depression and impotence.
- Calcium channel blockers are a class of antihypertensive agents that lower the blood pressure in a couple of ways.
They will work like the beta blockers and reduce how hard the heart is working to pump blood, and they will also dilate arteries which will allow for a higher volume of blood to be pumped through them, thereby reducing the blood pressure.
- ACE inhibitors help dilate the arteries in a similar way to calcium channel blockers.
They are some added benefits as well such as a reduction in the risk of heart failure.
It is also worth mentioning that about 10% of people taking ACE inhibitors also seem to develop a chronic dry cough, so they may not suit everyone.
- Angiotensin-reseptor blockers are commonly referred to as ARBs.
These are fairly new hypertension medications which are similar in many aspects to ACE inhibitors by dilating the arteries.
Unlike the ACEs however, they produce far fewer side effects and generally only need to be taken once per day.
- Direct-acting vasodilators are designed to directly dilate the arteries and are sometimes used in conjunction with other medications in the treatment of congestive heart failure - Centrally acting agents work by affecting the central nervous system to help decrease blood pressure.
As these types of hypertension medications work on the brain, they can sometimes produce side effects such as drowsiness and depression.
It is entirely possible that your doctor may prescribe 2 or more of the above antihypertensive agents as they can work together to reduce blood pressure in different ways.
It is also worth noting that the majority of the newer medications can be taken only once or twice per day thus reducing the risk of missing a dose.
They are of course used to counteract high blood pressure (hypertension).
Determining which hypertension medication is right for you can be a bit tricky and will depend on 3 main things: how easy is it to use, how it will react with other drugs or medical conditions and what side effects it might produce.
It is most likely that your doctor will start you on one particular hypertension medication at a low dose and assess how it is working over a week or two.
If things are going well, he may slowly increase the dose, or perhaps switch you to a different antihypertensive agent should you develop any side effects.
There are several different types of medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure, each of them producing results in a different way.
- Diuretics assist in the kidney's ability to extract salt and water, thus decreasing the total amount of fluid in the bloodstream and hence also reducing overall pressure in the arteries.
- Beta blockers work directly on the heart itself, reducing the intensity of the heart's contractions which in turn reduces the amount of blood being pumped into the arteries.
Beta blockers can have some rather nasty side effects including: excessively slowing the heart rate and in some rare cases confusion, depression and impotence.
- Calcium channel blockers are a class of antihypertensive agents that lower the blood pressure in a couple of ways.
They will work like the beta blockers and reduce how hard the heart is working to pump blood, and they will also dilate arteries which will allow for a higher volume of blood to be pumped through them, thereby reducing the blood pressure.
- ACE inhibitors help dilate the arteries in a similar way to calcium channel blockers.
They are some added benefits as well such as a reduction in the risk of heart failure.
It is also worth mentioning that about 10% of people taking ACE inhibitors also seem to develop a chronic dry cough, so they may not suit everyone.
- Angiotensin-reseptor blockers are commonly referred to as ARBs.
These are fairly new hypertension medications which are similar in many aspects to ACE inhibitors by dilating the arteries.
Unlike the ACEs however, they produce far fewer side effects and generally only need to be taken once per day.
- Direct-acting vasodilators are designed to directly dilate the arteries and are sometimes used in conjunction with other medications in the treatment of congestive heart failure - Centrally acting agents work by affecting the central nervous system to help decrease blood pressure.
As these types of hypertension medications work on the brain, they can sometimes produce side effects such as drowsiness and depression.
It is entirely possible that your doctor may prescribe 2 or more of the above antihypertensive agents as they can work together to reduce blood pressure in different ways.
It is also worth noting that the majority of the newer medications can be taken only once or twice per day thus reducing the risk of missing a dose.