The weather is hot in summer, and the blood pressure of hypertensive patients has dropped. Do you need to stop using antihypertensive drugs or reduce the dose?
Unknowingly, summer has come quietly, and the temperature will be higher and higher. This is another difficult problem for hypertensive patients. If blood pressure drops in summer, do antihypertensive drugs need to be stopped or reduced? ?
Generally speaking, climate change will also affect blood pressure. Blood pressure is usually higher in cold winter and lower in hot summer. This is why cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents often occur in winter in elderly hypertensive patients . Although the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents is relatively low in hot summer, it should not be taken lightly, because elderly hypertensive patients often have hypotension at this time, so that syncope and falls occur from time to time. Today let’s talk about how hypertensive patients adjust antihypertensive drugs in summer.
The blood pressure of hypertensive patients drops in summer, do they need to stop using antihypertensive drugs or reduce the dose?
Blood pressure is not constant and will fluctuate with day and night and seasons, but as long as the fluctuation range is not large and is still within the normal range, the impact on the body is usually small. Due to excessive sweating in summer, blood volume decreases, and blood vessels are easy to expand due to heat expansion and cold contraction, and blood pressure will drop at this time. For long-term use of antihypertensive drugs, blood pressure is stable and controlled at the low level of the normal range, or high blood pressure 1- Level 2 patients are very prone to hypotension, so these patients can adjust the antihypertensive drug regimen according to the blood pressure level.
If it is a hypertensive patient who is using one antihypertensive drug, it can be adjusted by reducing the dose; if it is a combination drug, it can be adjusted by suspending one of the drugs in the combination drug. Due to individual differences and everyone's response to antihypertensive drugs is different, the specific adjustment plan should be consulted with a doctor and carried out under the guidance of a doctor.
People with Hypertension Don't Make These Mistakes
1. Stop the drug if the blood pressure is low, and take the medicine if the blood pressure is high
An occasional high or low blood pressure does not mean anything. As long as there is no discomfort, the blood pressure level can be comprehensively evaluated by taking multiple measurements at different time periods. Do not decide whether to take antihypertensive drugs based on a certain blood pressure level, such as some patients If the blood pressure is found to be low, stop the medicine, and take the medicine again if the blood pressure is high. In this way, blood pressure will fluctuate like a roller coaster, making cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents more likely to occur.
2. Too frequent adjustment of antihypertensive drug regimen
It is normal for the blood pressure to fluctuate in a small range within a short period of time after each adjustment of the antihypertensive drug regimen. Generally speaking, it takes about 7 days to observe the blood pressure before it is considered stable. The adjustment of the plan is unreasonable, and then you are eager to adjust it again, so the gain outweighs the loss.
3. Excessive reliance on drugs to control blood pressure
Hypertension requires comprehensive treatment. In addition to drug treatment, non-drug treatment should also be emphasized. The non-drug treatment of hypertension is mainly lifestyle intervention, such as sodium restriction, regular exercise, weight control, restriction of alcohol intake, and elimination of behaviors and habits that are not conducive to mental and physical health.
In summary, patients with hypertension are advised to do two things in the hot summer: monitor blood pressure more diligently, and have closer contact with the attending doctor. Only in this way can the blood pressure be kept stable to the greatest extent and avoid hypotension.
references:
[1] "Guidelines for Primary Management of Hypertension in China" (Revised Edition in 2014)
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