In Reply to: what to do about HBP posted by Amy on December 10, 2000 at 13:19:10:
: My fiance who is 33 has had very high blood pressure for sometime. I am american, but we live in England and i have not been happy with his treatment here. He has an appointment in the USA in 2 weeks. I wanted to educate ourselves on the various medical options before seeing the doctor. Is there a prefered or better drug to take? Is sweating on the head and forehead a symptom of HBP? Please help us learn more.
There are three (3) classes of drugs to treat high blood pressure, namely, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and ace inhibitors. The class of drug your doctor selects may depend on other medical conditions the patient might have. There are many named drugs under each class. At first, there may be a trial and error period until the doctor finds a drug that does the job and does not produce adverse side effects. It can also take up to about two weeks for your body to ajust to a newly prescribed medication, but if you are still having advserse side effects after about two weeks, you should contact your doctor for a change in medication. The other two things related to keeping high blood pressure under control is a regular exercise program cleared with your doctor and limiting salt in your diet even if you are not salt sensitive. If you are obese (20% or more over your recommended highest ideal weight), it is also suggested that you get that extra weight off if at all possible. Many doctors will recommend a low fat diet coupled with an exercise program to help get rid of extra weight and maintain the weight loss.
Sweating, other than being very warm due to exercise or exertion, is usually due to weakness or a low blood sugar level. The next time he has a sweating episode, he should dring at least 5-6 ounces of orange juice, apple juice or regular soda pop. If the sweating stops within 15 minutes, it could be the result of low blood sugar and should be investigated by a doctor.
Remember, no one, not even a doctor, cannot make any proper diagnosis without knowing your medical history, knowing what prescription or over-the-counter drugs you are taking, and most of all examining you in person.
By the way, information on high blood pressure is available on the web site of The American Heart Assn. at http://www.americanheart.org. Use their Heart & Stroke A-Z Guide found on the left side of the home page and look up high blood pressure or the medical term hypertension.
Ken