High blood pressure (hypertension) treatment available online today

Chronic kidney disease

As the kidneys become diseased, this may lead to excess fluid retention, which exerts more force on artery walls and results in hypertension.

Hormonal conditions

Hypertension can result from problems with hormone producing glands such as the adrenal glands or thyroid gland.

Cushing’s syndrome

This is a disorder where your body makes too much of the hormone cortisol. It is not well understood why Cushing’s causes hypertension, but there are various proposed mechanisms.

Hyperaldosteronism

This is where one or both adrenal glands release too much aldosterone. This causes your kidneys to retain salt and water, resulting in hypertension.

Pheochromocytoma

This is a rare tumor of the adrenal gland that results in excessive production of hormones including epinephrine and norepinephrine. This can similarly cause hypertension.

Hyperthyroidism

Here, an overactive thyroid gland increases systolic blood pressure by increasing the rate and output of blood the heart pumps into the arteries.

Hyperparathyroidism

In this condition, elevated levels of calcium in the blood can impact our blood vessels, kidney function, and central processes that regulate blood pressure. As a result, about 3 out of 4 people with hyperparathyroidism have hypertension.

Obstructive sleep apnea

This condition is where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Associated drops in oxygen levels may cause increases in blood pressure.

Medications and supplements

Some people may develop hypertension or have their existing high blood pressure worsened as a side-effect of various prescription or over-the-counter medications. These include pain relievers, birth control pills, antidepressants, and drugs used after organ transplants. Over-the-counter drugs such as decongestants and certain herbal supplements, including ginseng, licorice and ephedra (ma-huang), as well as illegal drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, may also have the same effect.

Pregnancy

Hypertension may exist prior to pregnancy or may develop as a result of pregnancy. Hypertension during pregnancy can be associated with dangerous complications like preeclampsia. Because of this, you should have your blood pressure monitored while you’re pregnant.

• Shortness of breath

• Nosebleeds

• Headaches

• Confusion or fatigue

• Chest pain

• Vision problems

• Blood in urine

• Irregular heartbeat

• Pounding in your ears, neck, or chest

However, for most people with hypertension, there are no obvious signs or symptoms. This is why hypertension can go undetected for years if people do not have their blood pressure checked. In fact, 17% of Americans with hypertension are undiagnosed.

Unfortunately, the first sign that you have high blood pressure may be when you are already having signs of cardiovascular disease or have suffered a heart attack or stroke. This is why hypertension is known in the medical world as “the silent killer.” Blood pressure tests are simple and quick to perform, so don’t delay in getting yourself checked.

Diuretics

Also known as water pills, diuretics work by helping your kidneys get rid of sodium and water through urination. The decreased amount of fluid flowing through your blood vessels immensely reduces the pressure on vessel walls. Thiazide diuretics are typically used to treat hypertension. These include:

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

ACE inhibitors act to help relax your blood vessels by blocking the formation of a natural chemical (angiotensin) that narrows blood vessels. This relaxes pressure on the blood vessels and vessel walls. Examples of this medication include:

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)

These work by helping to relax your blood vessels by blocking the action of angiotensin that narrows blood vessels. These include:

Calcium channel blockers

Hypertension medications based on calcium channel blockers help relax blood vessel muscle cells and heart cells by blocking the passage of calcium. When calcium cannot enter the heart and blood vessels, blood pressure drops quickly and steadily.

The most common calcium channel blocker hypertension medications are:

Beta-blockers

Beta-blockers are also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents. These hypertension medications lower your heart rate and thus lower blood pressure by blocking the effects of epinephrine. This hormone is also known as adrenaline.

The most commonly prescribed beta-blockers are:

Renin inhibitors

The kidneys produce an enzyme called renin which can cause a chain reaction that steadily worsens hypertension.

The most common renin inhibitor hypertension medications include:

If you are still not reaching your blood pressure goal with the above high blood pressure medicine, your doctor may prescribe other medications. These include alpha blockers, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, or alpha-beta blockers. They work by reducing the nerve impulses to your blood vessels and/or heart to prevent your blood vessels narrowing and your heart overworking. These include:

Your doctor may also consider aldosterone antagonists to prevent salt and fluid retention, or vasodilators which work directly on the muscles in the walls of your arteries, preventing the muscles from tightening and your arteries from narrowing.

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