High blood pressure or hypertension is a silent killer. If left untreated, it damages the heart, liver, eyes, and brain. High blood pressure is the culprit behind heart attack, kidney failure or chronic kidney disease, brain hemorrhage, eye blindness.

high blood pressure

So when high blood pressure is detected, medication should be started along with some lifestyle changes. There are many doubts and questions about antihypertensive drugs or blood pressure drugs. Like when to take the medicine, to take it for life, or can it be omitted, to take before or after food, what to do if you forget, etc. Let us try to answer these questions.

When to start high blood pressure medication?

As mentioned earlier, high blood pressure causes serious damage to many vital organs. So as soon as the diagnosis is made, if the doctor prescribes, the medicine should be started. Many people think that they will see for a few days, then start. Many people go to the pharmacy and take any medicine if their blood pressure is high or if they feel headache or neck pain.

These cannot be done. Blood pressure medications are different for each person. The doctor looks at many things like the cause of high blood pressure, history, family condition and whether there are any other diseases and then prescribes the medicine. So suddenly taking medicine without understanding it will cause harm instead.

What if you are irregular or forgetful?

Many people forget to take their medicine. If you forget one meal, when you remember, you have to eat. But don't forget. Medicines should be taken at certain times. Because blood pressure is bad. High blood pressure medication should be taken regularly at the same time every day.

Do you have to eat for the rest of your life?

The most common question of hypertension patients is whether to eat for life or not. Many people hesitate to start medication for this reason. If high blood pressure is detected, it is controlled with medication. Doses or doses of drugs are increased or decreased. Never do this by the patient himself. The doctor will decide whether to increase or decrease the medication, or change it.

Any time of day is good for taking medicine

There are some antihypertensive drugs that flush excess water and salt out of the body through urine. It is best to consume them in the morning. There are also some drugs that can cause first dose hypotension or pressure drop, these are given at night.

Relationship with food

Before and after meals have nothing to do with high blood pressure medication. Just follow the time limit. If one takes medicine at seven o'clock in the evening, he should try to eat at seven o'clock.

When will I follow up?

Many do not follow up once they start medication. But like any other chronic disease, a patient with high blood pressure should always be under the supervision of a doctor. Changes in drug dosage, addition of new drugs, side effects of drugs should be seen. Blood pressure should be measured regularly even if it is good.

Along with medications, lifestyle changes are very important in controlling high blood pressure. Regular exercise, not eating too much sugar or salt, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol—these things can be followed.