High blood pressure is a chronic condition that requires long-term management, and for many patients, taking antihypertensive drugs is an important means of controlling blood pressure. However, medication alone is not enough, and dietary control is equally important. Some foods may affect the effectiveness of blood pressure medications and even cause blood pressure to rise instead of falling.
Dangers and complications of high blood pressure
What are they
1. Heart disease:
Long-term high blood pressure increases the resistance the heart encounters when pumping blood, leading to hypertrophy and enlargement of the left ventricle. This increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and coronary heart disease.
2. Cerebrovascular diseases:
High blood pressure can damage the walls of blood vessels, increase the risk of rupture of blood vessels in the brain, and may lead to bleeding in the brain.
At the same time, high blood pressure can also cause cerebral infarction because narrowing of blood vessels or blood clots can block the blood supply to the brain.
3. Kidney disease:
High blood pressure can lead to renal arteriosclerosis, reducing the blood supply to the kidneys, and long-term damage can lead to kidney failure.
4. Retinopathy:
High blood pressure can cause damage to the blood vessels in the retina, leading to vision loss and in severe cases, even blindness.
5. Vascular diseases:
High blood pressure accelerates the progression of arteriosclerosis and increases the risk of aortic aneurysm, a potentially fatal condition because a ruptured aortic aneurysm can cause massive internal bleeding.
6. Peripheral arterial disease:
High blood pressure can also affect arteries in other parts of the body, such as the arteries in the legs, leading to peripheral artery disease, causing pain and discomfort when walking.
7. Sexual dysfunction:
High blood pressure can lead to sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction.
People who have been taking "antihypertensive drugs" for a long time
It is best to eat 3 foods less
1. High-salt food
Foods high in salt significantly increase the risk of high blood pressure because the sodium in table salt can lead to water retention in the body, increasing blood volume, which can raise blood pressure.
Therefore, foods high in salt should be avoided, such as pickles, cured meats, sausages, ham, bacon, etc.
2. High-fat foods
High-fat foods, especially saturated and trans fats, can increase blood cholesterol levels, promote atherosclerosis, increase the burden on the heart and blood vessels, and may also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Therefore, high-fat foods should be limited, such as burgers, fried chicken, chips, fried cakes, fatty meats, offal, pastries, etc.
3. Grapefruit (grapefruit)
Some compounds contained in grapefruit (grapefruit), such as furanocoumarin, may affect the metabolism of certain drugs in the liver.
This is especially important for patients taking antihypertensive drugs, which may need to be metabolized through the liver's enzymatic system. Grapefruit may cause the concentration of the drug in the body to rise, increasing the risk of side effects of the drug, including low blood pressure.
Therefore, people with high blood pressure should avoid or limit their grapefruit intake while taking antihypertensive medications.
There are 3 symptoms of taking antihypertensive drugs for a long time
Ten million caution required
1. Persistent dry cough:
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) sometimes cause a persistent dry cough, which is usually not accompanied by sputum or fever.
If the patient develops an intolerable dry cough, the doctor should be consulted promptly, and the medication may need to be changed.
2. Dizziness or vertigo:
Some antihypertensive medications, such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARBs), β-blockers, or α-blockers, may cause dizziness or vertigo, especially after starting or increasing doses. This can be caused by a rapid drop in blood pressure.
3. Heart palpitations or chest pain:
Feeling your heart beating fast or irregular, or having chest pain. This is because certain antihypertensive medications may affect heart function, especially if they are not in the right dose or interact with other medications.
These symptoms can be a sign of heart problems and should seek immediate medical attention.