High Blood Pressure
Use Combination Medication To Reduce Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. A condition of high
blood pressure creates more risk of heart strokes, heart failure along
with various other disorders that may threaten your life. Ask any doctor
and he will tell you how to maintain your normal blood pressure with the
help of various medicines. But unfortunately none of these medicines
function effectively when taken individually. Some are very strong while
others have slow effect. So the best possible way out to treat blood
pressure is a combination of all these.
Combination medication
means the use of various medicines together to lower blood pressure. The
medicines used to lower blood pressure fall broadly in four main
categories. They are: Angiotensin Receptors Blockers (ARBs), Angiotensin
Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors, Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs) and
Diuretics.
But before discussing about these group of medicines,
there is something very important for you to understand. Why do you get
abnormal blood pressure? What triggers the blood flow to get high? The
answer to this question is enzyme Angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a
chemical that contracts the muscles around the blood vessels. As the
muscles contract the blood vessels starts narrowing down. As a result
the pressure of the blood in the vessels increases, thereby causing high
blood pressure or what is also called hypertension.
So to counter
the effects of the chemical Angiotensin, some external chemicals are
required, which come in the from of these medicines. They are:
ACE:
ACE inhibitors slow down the activity of the Angiotensin II enzyme. The
blood vessels enlarges, thereby reducing the blood pressure. Some of the
common ACE inhibitors used are are Accupril, Altace, Zestril and Mavik.
ARB:
As its name suggests, Angiotensin Receptors Blockers, block the action
of the enzyme Angiotensin in the blood. Some of the commonly used ARBs
are Atacand, Hyzaar, Benicar, Micardis and Diovan.
CCB: Calcium
after entering the muscle cells of the arteries and the heart inhibits
the process of muscle contraction, thereby increasing the pressure of
the blood flow. These Calcium Channel Blockers function by blocking the
entry of calcium in the muscles of the arteries and heart. Some of the
commonly prescribed CCBs are Tiazac, Adalat and Cardizem LA.
Diuretics:
They are used as a treatment against the accumulation of excess fluid in
the body. The problem of excess fluid can take place due to medical
conditions like heart failure, liver and kidney problems. Diuretics
reduce the amount of fluid in the blood, thereby lowering the blood
pressure. To get better results diuretics are often prescribed in
combination with some of the other medicines used to control blood
pressure. Some of the commonly used diuretics are Dyazide, Avalide and
Benicar HCT.
Although these medicines help you to maintain your
normal blood pressure, but there are times when they fail to perform
their function in your body. So follow all the do-s and don't-s by your
doctor with heart.