The objective of the treatment of hypertension is blood pressure reduction and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The reduction of pressure should be obtained gradually to prevent weakness which in the first days can compromise tsome organs (brain, heart, kidneys, etc.).
Pressure reduction can be obtained with appropriate dietary and hygiene measures and medications.
These measures reduce blood pressure ,it requires constant effort and a strong individual motivation. Adopting these dietary and hygiene measures have long term beneficial effects in some diseases related with hypertension, including obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes . These non-pharmacological treatment should be a must in your effort to lower blood pressure .
The antihypertensive drugs are very numerous and well-known and act through different mechanisms. The most important categories are diuretics, blockers of the renin – angiotensin, a hormone mechanism that regulates blood pressure (ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II AT1 receptor inhibitors), calcium channel blockers, which block the entry of calcium into cells muscle arterioles and reduces excessive arteriolar constriction, beta-blockers, alpha blockers and antiadrenergic plants, which reduce to various degrees the circulatory response to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The antihypertensive drugs are usually effective and well tolerated.
It must be said that it is not always sufficient to go just with one drug to be able to succesfully control your pressure . Certain combinations of antihypertensive drugs are already present in the commercial preparation, others are to be made using the combination of tablets.
The patient will often start with one drug, which in the event of unsatisfactory response after a few weeks , doctors will recommend to use another one , and then another until reaching the optimum pressure control. In case of side effects, it will change the type of antihypertensive. These side effects are usually infrequent and are not dangerous, but they must be reported to the doctor to change medications to choose an appropriate therapy .
The choice of initial antihypertensive medication depends on the experience of the person and the patient’s past and present illnesses. For many medical conditions are recommended certain specific categories of drugs to initiate the treatment .