If you are diagnosed with hypertension, or high blood pressure, you might be prescribed beta blockers. You can get a variety of prescription or nonprescription beta blockers in pharmacies. Here are some tips on what to look for in these drugs.
Beta blockers are generally used to lower your blood pressure by relaxing the heart muscle. Beta-blockers actually lower your heart rate and thereby reduce your pressure. Beta-blockers help open up your vessels and arteries for better blood circulation. Beta-blockers should not be taken by pregnant women or those taking sedatives or tranquilizers. If you do not feel well, take them as directed.
These drugs are available in two forms: pills or various drugs that constrict blood vessels
Most often, the nitrate form is prescribed. This type is taken orally and has fewer side effects than the oral form. The nitrate forms should only be taken for short periods of time.
Nitrates help open up blood vessels. This helps the blood carry more oxygen to the heart. They are sometimes given along with an injection of calcium to dilate blood vessels and thereby reduce hypertension.
Some of the common side effects of nitrates include headache, nausea, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and increased blood pressure (hypertension). Some studies also show that kidney problems are common in patients taking nitrates.
Non-nitrate beta-blockers have fewer side effects. They can be used longer than nitrates. They can cause less liver problems. Some studies also show that non-nitrate beta blockers are less effective than nitrates in maintaining blood pressure control.
Blood vessels must remain open to receive the blood supplied to the heart. When blood supply is cut off, blood pressure is affected. Many times, the cause of this is too much stress on the artery walls. Other causes include high blood sugar levels, too much alcohol intake, lack of exercise, obesity, too little physical activity, and not enough dietary fiber. All these factors affect blood circulation and reduce the blood supply to the heart.
In some cases, you may be able to prevent hypertension by controlling these things, but it is important that you check with your doctor first. If not, using a beta blocker will help control your hypertension and prevent further damage to your arteries.
Blockers can also be used if the damage is extensive and blocking the blood vessels is not helping. In such cases, surgery may be necessary. This type of surgery can cause several side effects.
One of the more serious side effects of nitrates is that they can enlarge the size of the blood vessels and reduce the size of the coronary arteries (the vessels that supply blood to the heart). As well, they can cause permanent scarring.
Beta blockers can be used with other drugs or in combination
Sometimes they are used in combination with drugs to block specific heart diseases such as congestive heart failure, heart attack, and heart valve disease. For example, the beta-blocker loratadine can be combined with clonidine or amiodarone. to treat angina pectoris, a condition that causes chest pains, chest pain, and fatigue.
They can also be used with aspirin to treat heart attack, and with diuretics to treat hypercholesterolemia, a condition that causes elevated cholesterol in the blood. It can also be used with diuretics to treat hypercholesterolemia, a condition that causes high cholesterol in the blood. It can also be used with metformin, which is used to treat diabetes.
In the case of congestive heart failure, beta blockers are sometimes used along with drugs such as a calcium channel blocker called ACE inhibitors. This type of treatment increases the function of the PLCs, the potassium pumps that keep salt in the arteries.