Drugs are an important means to control hypertension, but many people have many scruples about medication, especially young patients, who look at [lifelong medication] too seriously, such as worrying about the side effects of drugs, not wanting to take drugs, eating and stopping. This is not conducive to the control of blood pressure, long-term such, but affects the long-term quality of life.
Now I would like to tell you the common misunderstandings and the correct methods, hoping to remove the misunderstanding and help you control your blood pressure.
Error 1: Not willing to take medicine too early Correct Way: The earlier you treat, the greater the benefit.
This is very common in young patients. After being diagnosed with hypertension, they are unwilling to take drugs, fearing that antihypertensive drugs will produce drug resistance. If they are used too early, they will be ineffective in the future. They will not take drugs while the symptoms are not serious.
These are all very wrong and dangerous ideas.
For some early mild hypertension, blood pressure can be controlled within the normal range by strictly adhering to a healthy lifestyle. These patients can adhere to healthy living habits without drug treatment.
For patients whose quality of life adjustment cannot effectively control blood pressure, the earlier standardized drug therapy starts, the greater the benefits.
The main harm of rising blood pressure is not the symptoms caused by rising blood pressure, but unconsciously damaging the large, medium and small blood vessels of the whole body and damaging the functions of many organs such as heart, brain and kidney. The earlier the blood pressure is controlled, the earlier the blood vessels can be protected and the heart, brain and kidney damage can be prevented.
If you wait until the heart, brain and kidney organs are damaged and there are obvious symptoms before taking drugs, the best treatment opportunity has been lost.
Error 2: Stop taking drugs when your blood pressure is normal. The correct way is to stick to taking drugs and keep your blood pressure stable.
After taking the medicine, some patients think that hypertension has been cured when their blood pressure drops to normal, and stop taking the medicine on their own.
This is a very harmful practice.
Hypertension cannot be cured and can only be controlled through comprehensive treatment.
This requires long-term or even lifelong antihypertensive drugs.
After drug withdrawal, the blood pressure will rise again, and the blood pressure fluctuates too much, causing more serious damage to organs such as heart, brain and kidney.
The correct approach is to control the blood pressure to reach the standard and stabilize for a long time (half a year to one year). Under the guidance of doctors, carefully and gradually reduce the dosage and type of drugs. In the process of drug reduction, we should strictly adhere to a healthy lifestyle and monitor the changes of blood pressure more closely.
Error 3: Overreliance on Drugs Correct Approach: Adhere to Healthy Life
Some patients think that after suffering from hypertension, it is only necessary to take medicine regularly for a long time, ignoring the improvement of lifestyle.
In fact, drug therapy should be based on a healthy lifestyle, both of which are indispensable.
- Reasonable diet, moderate exercise, smoking cessation and alcohol restriction, and mental health are the four cornerstones of human health. Smoking, excessive drinking, high salt diet and other bad habits are not controlled, and no matter how good the drug is, it is difficult to have good effects.
It is for this reason that many people take a kind of antihypertensive drug and their blood pressure is still difficult to reach the standard.
The correct approach is to adhere to a healthy lifestyle in addition to rational drug use.
Error 4: Take only medicine but not the effect. The correct way is to monitor blood pressure regularly.
Some people think that as long as they take medicine, everything will be all right. They don’t have to worry any more and don’t pay attention to their blood pressure.
This cannot guarantee the long-term stable blood pressure to reach the standard. In addition, the principle of lowering blood pressure emphasizes individualized medication. One of the important measures is to insist on regular monitoring and recording of blood pressure. In order to master the relationship between medication and blood pressure changes, and to understand how much dose or how combination is needed to stabilize blood pressure at the ideal level.