The weather is getting hotter and blood pressure is getting lower and lower, the antihypertensive drugs should be adjusted, can we stop?

When he got up in the morning, Hua Zi habitually checked the weather forecast and was surprised. Today's highest temperature has exceeded 30°C, and the lowest temperature has also exceeded 20°C. Friends in the south may not think so, but Huazi is located in the northeast. If the temperature exceeds 30°C, it means that it is summer.

Speaking of summer, Hua Zi remembered that someone told Hua Zi not long ago that his blood pressure was high when it was cold and dropped when it was warm. Can the medicine be stopped?

One thing that people with high blood pressure should be aware of is that blood pressure levels in the body fluctuate with the seasons. Specifically, when the temperature is low in winter, blood pressure rises. During high summer temperatures, blood pressure decreases. This seasonal blood pressure fluctuation, some patients blood pressure changes can reach 20mmHg.

This blood pressure change is mainly affected by the ambient temperature. When the temperature is low, the cold will stimulate peripheral vasoconstriction, and the blood pressure will naturally increase. When the temperature rises, peripheral blood vessels dilate and blood pressure drops. And when the temperature is high, people are more likely to sweat, not only expelling water, but also expelling salt. The sodium in salt is one of the main factors that cause high blood pressure, so sodium excretion is equivalent to lowering blood pressure.

Blood pressure drops in summer. Before adjusting antihypertensive drugs, it depends on how far the blood pressure value has dropped. For example, someone's blood pressure is controlled at 135/85mmHg with medication in winter, and it drops to 120/75mmHg in summer. Although this blood pressure has dropped, it is still within the normal range and does not need to be adjusted.

In China, the blood pressure control target is generally below 140/90mmHg. But lower blood pressure values ​​mean that patients can get greater benefits. Therefore, as long as the patient does not have hypotension, or has symptoms of insufficient blood supply such as dizziness, chest tightness, and palpitations, there is no need to reduce the dose.

If the high pressure drops below 110mmHg, the low pressure drops below 60mmHg, or the blood pressure does not drop much, but the symptoms of insufficient blood supply such as tachycardia, dizziness, dizziness and weakness occur, it is necessary to adjust the antihypertensive drugs and reduce the dosage .

Medication adjustment is a "professional job", which needs to be adjusted slowly and gradually according to the comprehensive analysis of the patient's condition, medication status, and physical condition. If the dose of the drug is reduced too quickly, it may cause a "rebound phenomenon", aggravate the condition, and even induce an acute accident. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the drug under the guidance of a doctor, and it is not recommended to reduce the dose on your own.

Many people are concerned that if the blood pressure is still at the normal value after the lowest dose of antihypertensive drugs has been used, can the antihypertensive drugs be stopped directly in the next step? Regarding this matter, what Hua Zi wants to say is that the drug can be stopped, but it is not recommended to stop. why would you said this? Because hypertensive patients benefit from antihypertensive therapy, the blood pressure reduction itself, not antihypertensive drugs. The purpose of taking medicine is to lower blood pressure. If you can lower your blood pressure without taking medicine, you can stop the medicine.

Why does Hua Zi say that it is not recommended to stop? Because we are talking about seasonal blood pressure fluctuations, blood pressure decreases in summer, which is only a temporary situation. When the temperature turns cooler in autumn and winter, blood pressure will rise again, and you need to resume taking medicine.

Antihypertensive drugs themselves will have certain side effects, such as dipine headaches, dry cough and other side effects, which mainly occur in the early stage of medication. It takes a period of time to take the medicine before the human body can tolerate the side effects. After stopping the drug and then re-taking the drug, it is necessary to re-tolerate the side effects. Therefore, in order to reduce the impact of drug side effects, it is recommended to maintain the drug at the lowest dose, rather than stop the drug completely.

Another reason is that people are not sensitive to elevated blood pressure. If the drug is stopped in summer, it is likely to forget to resume taking the drug in autumn and winter. When you think about it, your blood pressure has already exceeded the standard, and accidents are prone to occur. Therefore, using the lowest dose of drugs and maintaining regular medication habits is also very beneficial to control blood pressure.

Therefore, blood pressure will drop seasonally in summer, and if the blood pressure is not too low, there is no need to adjust the medication. If you need to adjust the medication, please do it under the guidance of your doctor. When adjusting, try to maintain the lowest dose and do not recommend complete discontinuation. I am Huazi, a pharmacist. Welcome to follow me and let me be a pharmacist by your side.