The Side Effects of Taking Ace Inhibitors for High Blood Pressure
- Date: 2006-12-03 - Word Count: 545
Share This!
All forms of medication have downsides if we are really being honest with ourselves. High Blood Pressure Medicine is no different. To be honest as I have covered in other articles with regards to medicine for High Blood Pressure it is very much a case of the lesser of two evils or "damned if you do, damned if you don't."
In fact if you don't take you medication when prescribed the consequences could be extremely high it could kill you, so whatever side effects you suffer from the one thing that you should never do is stop taking them without prior clearance from your Doctor or Medical Practitioner.
With regards to ACE Inhibitors or "Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor" to give it its full name for classification purposes perhaps it might be an idea to briefly cover what they actually do before we get all negative and cover any potential side effects. The major drug that is prescribed under the subject ACE Inhibitor is called Lisinopril.
These drugs block the action (as the name suggests) of an enzyme within the body that is called Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). ACE as a component is heavily involved in the production of another chemical which is called Angiotensin II. So it naturally follows that Lisinopril reduces the amount of Angiotensin II floating about in our blood stream at any one time or another.
The functions of Angiotensin II are two fold. Firstly it narrows the blood vessels and the secondary function is to stop the kidneys passing more urine. As these actions are reversed (as the name suggests) then it naturally follows that the Kidneys are now producing more urine which in turn means that there is less fluid in the blood vessels. These also widen and the overall effect is a drop in the overall blood pressure and this means that the workload on the heart is decreased dramatically.
The major side effects of taking ACE Inhibitors are as follows.
1.A dry cough
2.Rash
3.A faster pulse.
4.An overall dryness in the mouth.
5.An inability for a man to obtain an erection though this is easily reversible.
6.Confusion
7.A potential increase in conditions of the digestive tract such as Abdominal pain, Constipation, Diarrhoea, nausea and Vomiting.
8.Swelling of the eyes, lips or tongue. A condition known as Angioedema.
9.Dizziness
10.An alteration in the taste buds (suddenly you like your Mother in laws cooking).
11.Increased susceptibility to as Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction).
12.12. A noticeable drop in Blood Pressure this is known as Hypotension
13.Stroke
14.A potential increase in disorders of the Blood, Kidney or Liver.
15.The last point could lead to decreased kidney function.
Decision time for you when you get prescribed these drugs? Good or Bad? It all depends whether they keep you alive or not. If they do then it is worth it. If they don't then you won't know about it anyway so why bother?
I was only joking to this last point so please do not take me seriously regarding this. If your Doctor prescribes you with any of the above medication then go with it for the time being and monitor yourself for these side effects very carefully and at the first sign of any of them then get in touch with your Doctor immediately.
It may just be a false alarm; on the other hand it may just keep you alive, who knows?
In fact if you don't take you medication when prescribed the consequences could be extremely high it could kill you, so whatever side effects you suffer from the one thing that you should never do is stop taking them without prior clearance from your Doctor or Medical Practitioner.
With regards to ACE Inhibitors or "Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor" to give it its full name for classification purposes perhaps it might be an idea to briefly cover what they actually do before we get all negative and cover any potential side effects. The major drug that is prescribed under the subject ACE Inhibitor is called Lisinopril.
These drugs block the action (as the name suggests) of an enzyme within the body that is called Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). ACE as a component is heavily involved in the production of another chemical which is called Angiotensin II. So it naturally follows that Lisinopril reduces the amount of Angiotensin II floating about in our blood stream at any one time or another.
The functions of Angiotensin II are two fold. Firstly it narrows the blood vessels and the secondary function is to stop the kidneys passing more urine. As these actions are reversed (as the name suggests) then it naturally follows that the Kidneys are now producing more urine which in turn means that there is less fluid in the blood vessels. These also widen and the overall effect is a drop in the overall blood pressure and this means that the workload on the heart is decreased dramatically.
The major side effects of taking ACE Inhibitors are as follows.
1.A dry cough
2.Rash
3.A faster pulse.
4.An overall dryness in the mouth.
5.An inability for a man to obtain an erection though this is easily reversible.
6.Confusion
7.A potential increase in conditions of the digestive tract such as Abdominal pain, Constipation, Diarrhoea, nausea and Vomiting.
8.Swelling of the eyes, lips or tongue. A condition known as Angioedema.
9.Dizziness
10.An alteration in the taste buds (suddenly you like your Mother in laws cooking).
11.Increased susceptibility to as Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction).
12.12. A noticeable drop in Blood Pressure this is known as Hypotension
13.Stroke
14.A potential increase in disorders of the Blood, Kidney or Liver.
15.The last point could lead to decreased kidney function.
Decision time for you when you get prescribed these drugs? Good or Bad? It all depends whether they keep you alive or not. If they do then it is worth it. If they don't then you won't know about it anyway so why bother?
I was only joking to this last point so please do not take me seriously regarding this. If your Doctor prescribes you with any of the above medication then go with it for the time being and monitor yourself for these side effects very carefully and at the first sign of any of them then get in touch with your Doctor immediately.
It may just be a false alarm; on the other hand it may just keep you alive, who knows?
Related Tags: high blood pressure, hypertension, medicine, medication, eyes, side effects
Stephen Morgan is an independent journalist writing for a
number of websites. His latest projects include
Living with High Blood Pressure,
High Blood Pressure
Pressure and Personal Bankruptcy
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl