High blood pressure, also called hypertension, happens when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is too strong. Many people can control it with healthy habits and medicine.
But for some, their blood pressure stays high even after taking several types of medication. This condition is called resistant hypertension.
Resistant hypertension is not just regular high blood pressure. It’s a warning sign from your body. It tells you that your current treatment might not be working well, or there may be other hidden problems affecting your blood pressure.
These could include lifestyle habits, other health issues, or even medications that aren’t doing their job properly.
One of the first steps is making sure the diagnosis is correct. Sometimes, people’s blood pressure only goes up when they visit the doctor’s office due to nervousness. This is known as “white coat hypertension.”
In other cases, the blood pressure might seem high because it wasn’t measured the right way, or the person isn’t taking their medicine regularly. So, it’s important to rule out these reasons first.
If it is true resistant hypertension, doctors usually look at your daily habits. One big change that can help is cutting down on salt. Studies have shown that even a small reduction in salt can lower blood pressure.
Exercise is another key factor. Moving your body regularly helps your heart and blood vessels stay strong and healthy, which can lower blood pressure naturally.
Other health problems can also make blood pressure harder to control. These include being overweight, having sleep apnea (a condition that affects your breathing during sleep), and kidney disease.
If these issues are treated, your blood pressure may get better too. For example, using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea has helped many people lower their blood pressure.
Medicines still play a very important role. Sometimes the problem is not the number of medicines, but whether the right ones are being used together.
Doctors may try adding a medicine called a diuretic, which helps your body get rid of extra salt and water. A specific diuretic called spironolactone has been shown in research to work well for people with resistant hypertension.
If these steps don’t work, doctors might try newer treatments. One new method is called renal denervation. It’s a simple medical procedure that uses radio waves to reduce certain nerve signals from the kidneys, which can help lower blood pressure. Clinical studies show this might be a good option in the future.
Understanding resistant hypertension is very important because it raises the risk of heart disease and stroke—two leading causes of death around the world. If you or someone you know keeps having high blood pressure even with treatment, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor about resistant hypertension.
The good news is that with the right mix of healthy habits, better medicine plans, and sometimes new treatments, people can take control of their blood pressure and live healthier lives.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about why checking blood pressure while lying down is very important and lowering top blood pressure number to less than 120 mm Hg effectively prevents heart disease.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies that turmeric and vitamin D may boost blood pressure control in type 2 diabetes and scientists find link between blood pressure drugs and bowel diseases.
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