Should prescription medication be your first step when dealing with high blood pressure?
Well, it seems that according to the pharmaceutical companies, and most doctors, it is. Too often, the first thing a doctor does after determining that a patient’s blood pressure reading exceeds the “normal” range is to write him or her a prescription. As a result, 4 of the top 10 most prescribed drugs are high blood pressure medications.
What, Exactly, Can Be Considered High Blood Pressure?
“Normal blood pressure” can vary widely from person to person. It can also vary within an individual depending on that person’s circumstances at the time as well as numerous other factors. Still, it was generally accepted (and still is in most parts of the world) that normal blood pressure ranged up to 140 over 90.
Furthermore, it was considered perfectly normal for blood pressure to rise as one ages. The traditional rule of thumb went that a healthy systolic pressure (the higher figure of the pair) could be up to 100 plus your age. Sustained readings above these levels were usually treated with prescription medicines.
But it seems that the guidelines for high blood pressure have dropped lower and lower in recent years. This puts millions of new people into an illness category that were not there before and results in millions of new prescriptions. In the United States, in fact, it’s not unusual now for doctors to start prescribing blood pressure drugs to patients at readings of 130/80. There are even some calls to maintain blood pressure at no more than 120 over 70: an absurd and impossible ambition!
Together with the dropping of thresholds comes the creation of a new condition called “pre-hypertension”. In other words, it’s not yet high blood pressure but it might develop into hypertension if steps are not taken to prevent it. And what steps might those be? New drugs, of course! The pharmaceutical industry is currently at work developing these new “pre-hypertension” medications, which will surely join the other blood pressure meds in the Top 10. That’s because many in the medical and pharmaceutical industries argue that the best prevention is a prescription.
The Dangers of High Blood Pressure Medications
Many of the medications doctors prescribe have side effects that are even worse than the high blood pressure they are meant to treat. Just a few of these side effects include lethargy, fatigue, shortness of breath, weight gain, nausea and erectile dysfunction. Ironically, some classes of blood pressure drugs actually increase the risk of stroke, diabetes and low blood pressure, which can be just as dangerous as hypertension.
For many people in the nebulous range of “pre-hypertension” or for those who would previously have been considered at normal blood pressure due to age, high blood pressure medications and their side effects just aren’t necessary. In fact, there are plenty of other things they could do to maintain or lower blood pressure naturally without taking drugs. Unfortunately, many doctors have little faith that their patients will make the lifestyle changes needed and so insist on their prescriptions.
While many doctors remain quick to prescribe medications, the truth is that blood pressure drugs should usually be a last result rather than the routine treatment they are.
David O’Hara is a researcher and product developer in the field of natural health and blood pressure control. Click here to learn more about how to treat high blood pressure naturally.
