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Sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough to treat high blood pressure. If not, your health care team may recommend blood pressure medicine. The type of medicine used to treat high blood pressure depends on your overall health and how high your blood pressure is. Two or more blood pressure medicines often work better than one.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is diagnosed if the blood pressure reading is equal to or greater than 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A diagnosis of high blood pressure is usually based on the average of two or more readings taken on separate occasions. Blood pressure is grouped according to how high it is. This is called staging.
Low blood pressure without symptoms or with only mild symptoms rarely requires treatment. If low blood pressure causes symptoms, the treatment depends on the cause. For instance, if medicine causes low blood pressure, your healthcare professional may recommend changing or stopping the medicine. Or the dose of medicine might be lowered.
These medicines, sometimes called water pills, help remove extra fluid from the body. They're often used to lower blood pressure. Learn about the possible side effects.
Weight loss is one of the best ways to control blood pressure. If you're overweight or have obesity, losing even a small amount of weight can help lower blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). In general, blood pressure might go down by about 1 mm Hg with each kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight lost.
How high blood pressure effects women sexually isn't well understood. But it's possible that high blood pressure can affect women's sex lives. High blood pressure can reduce blood flow to the vagina. It also might lower levels of nitric oxide, which helps smooth muscles relax. In some women, this may cause:
These hormones may raise blood pressure by making some blood vessels smaller. This makes it harder for blood to flow. Most birth control pills, patches and other devices carry warnings that high blood pressure may be a side effect. The risk of high blood pressure is higher if you're older than age 35, overweight or a smoker.
This is a sudden drop in blood pressure when standing up after sitting or lying down. Causes include dehydration, long-term bed rest, pregnancy, certain medical conditions and some medicines. This type of low blood pressure is common in older adults. Postprandial hypotension. This drop in blood pressure occurs 1 to 2 hours after eating.
High blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body's arteries. It's also called hypertension. If you have high blood pressure, the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls is consistently too high. The heart has to work harder to pump blood. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
Also ask to have your blood pressure and calcium levels checked regularly. Calcium supplements taken by mouth don't appear to affect other commonly prescribed blood pressure medicines such as: Angiotensin 2 receptor blockers, including losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan) and others.