Types of Blood Pressure Medications

And How They Work to Lower Hypertension

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Blood pressure medication and monitor
Blood pressure medication and monitor

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as the “silent killer” because it exhibits no symptoms. Typically people first learn they have it when their doctor tells them during a routine visit. That’s how I found out. I was amazed. I’m an avid runner and walker, my weight is acceptable, and I eat well. But as the doc told me, “You’re doing the right things, but if it’s in your genes, it’s in your genes.” Oh crap.

So. Meds. Nobody likes them. Get over it. Blood pressure meds might be the worst; the one good thing is that even if you don’t have conventional insurance or Medicare Part D, generics are quite affordable. Here are the ones you need to be acquainted with if you are diagnosed with hypertension.

  • Diuretics. Also known as “water pills,” these meds cause your body to produce more urine which in turn causes you to eliminate more salt from your body (and most importantly, your bloodstream). Even if you don’t add salt to your food, most of your sodium intake comes from eating out and packaged foods. Salt’s effect is to act on your kidneys to make your body hold on to more water. Extra stored water raises your blood pressure and puts a strain on your kidneys, arteries, heart, and brain. If you are prescribed a diuretic, stay close to a bathroom.
  • Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). These meds block the effects of a hormone, you guessed it, called ­angiotensin II. This hormone is a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction, and consequently, a rise in your blood pressure. It’s part of the renin-angiotensin system. This system regulates blood pressure. Angiotensin also stimulates the release of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex to promote sodium retention by the kidneys. There’s that salt raising it’s ugly head again.
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. ACE inhibitors are a type of meds used primarily for the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure. The way they work is by causing relaxation of your blood vessels as well as a decrease in blood volume, which leads to lower blood pressure and decreased oxygen demand from the heart. The brand I take is Lisinopril, which luckily, is a generic so it is inexpensive, especially with medical insurance. The main side effects are a persistent dry cough and a feeling of lethargy.
  • Beta-blockers. This type helps in reducing the heart rate thereby decreasing your blood pressure. Your doctor might call them beta-adrenergic blocking agents. Beta-blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. There are some beta-blockers that mainly affect your heart, while others affect both your heart and your blood vessels.
  • Calcium channel blockers. This type reduces the amount of calcium that enters your heart muscles thereby reducing the heart rate and controlling blood pressure.
  • Alpha-blockers: The muscles of your arteries and veins are relaxed with this type thus reducing the blood pressure.

General Considerations for Hypertension Medications

There are some things to know when you are prescribed hypertension meds. The first is that they all have side effects so you may have to work with your doctor to find the one that works best for your lifestyle. When I tried a calcium channel blocker it caused too much ankle swelling. When I switched to lisinopril I found that it affected my running, particularly any long run over 10 miles made me feel wonky and my vision to get weird… after I stopped. My solution? I now take it in the evening rather than in the morning. Despite the side effects, medication drastically lowers the chance of a stroke.

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About the Author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation, financial, and energy-trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

Lower High Blood Pressure Naturally

There Are Many Ways to Treat Hypertension Naturally With Your Doctor’s Approval

Photo of Kelly R. Smith   by Kelly R. Smith

Omron Evolv blood pressure monitor
Omron Evolv blood pressure monitor
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Ads we feature have been independently selected and reviewed. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission, which helps support the site. Thank you for your support.

They call high blood pressure, or hypertension if you will, the silent killer. That’s because there are no outward symptoms. If you have it you’ll only know if your doctor slaps the arm cuff on and tests it. Your dentist might do it before a procedure as well.

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, the first thing your doctor will do is tell you not to smoke, exercise more, and possibly lose weight. And then comes the inevitable hypertension medication. The problem with BP meds is that they all have side effects. The good news is that most of these medications are not all that expensive, even if you don’t have conventional insurance or Medicare Part D.

For example, I take Lisenopril and one of the side effects is that it makes me lethargic. I could tell you a thing or two about blood pressure meds and running. It also gives me a persistent cough. Luckily, there are some non-med things you can do to bring down your BP naturally.

Lower Blood Pressure by Slowing Your Breathing

Sounds like magic, doesn’t it? Well it’s not. The Resperate device has been proven to lower blood pressure. The idea is that using ear buds , a chest sensor strap, and the small device, it guides the user to breathe ever more slowly using guiding tones. The sensor monitors breathing and slows the tones accordingly. This has the effect of relaxing the blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure. Using the device over time has a cumulative effect. It is the only FDA-cleared device on the market to do this.

Foods to Lower High Blood Pressure

  • Watermelon. The important component here is citrulline . Once consumed, it’s converted to  L-arginine which is the precursor to nitric oxide. In the body nitric-oxide relaxes the blood vessels which causes the blood pressure to decrease.
  • Ginger- Cinnamon – Cardamom Tea. Ginger and cinnamon are both warming spices that improve circulation. Cardamom is an herb used to treat many conditions. In addition to high blood pressure, it is also effective with liver and gallbladder issues, bronchitis, urinary issues, and more.
  • Onions. The key ingredient is a powerful antioxidant known as quercetin. Quercetin helps lower blood pressure. It also helps to treat chest pain, and angina. It effectively lowers the risk of stroke and heart attack. The best way to get as much of this enzyme as possible is eating your onions raw or lightly cooked.
  • Hibiscus Tea. And you thought it was just a pretty flower! Tufts University conducted a study during which participants sipped three cups of a hibiscus tea daily. They lowered systolic blood pressure by 7 points in a 6 week period on average. These results are on par with many prescription medications.
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  • Pomegranate Juice. This fruit contains natural ACE inhibitors. These prevent those enzymes from damaging your circulatory system. The juice of the pomegranate performs like the medications doctors prescribe for high blood pressure.
  • Dark Chocolate. Good news for me and perhaps for you too! A Harvard study found that consuming just one small square of dark chocolate daily can assist in lowering blood pressure. The higher the cacao percentage the better. Look for over 70%. This study concurs with the growing body of research into the heart-healthy benefits of flavonoids. These compounds present in unsweetened chocolate cause dilation of the blood vessels.
  • Flaxseed. In 2013 a study was published in Hypertension that reported that flaxseed consumption lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Over 100 patients that had been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease were in the study. This condition is associated with hypertension. The patients were assigned to either the flaxseed group or the placebo group. The former ate 30 grams of flaxseed every day for 6 months. There are many ways to add flaxseed to your diet. I even add it (milled of course) to my homemade hot sauce. Omelets? Oatmeal? Salad dressing? Yes, yes, yes.
  • Beetroot Juice. Although some of pressure-lowering effects are due to the minerals it contains, like potassium and magnesium, the real powerhouse here is the high concentration of nitrates. Consuming beetroot juice results in these nitrates being rapidly converted into nitrites by bacteria that live on the surface of the tongue, and in saliva. Next the nitrites are absorbed into the circulation system. Here they make a gas called nitric oxide (NO). This is a cell-signaling molecule which has a powerful relaxing effect on the small muscle fibers in your blood vessels. Consequently, the blood vessels dilate and your blood pressure falls.
  • Nuts. Who doesn’t like nuts? Pistachio nuts seem to have the strongest effect when it comes to reducing high blood pressure. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 21 clinical trials, all carried out between 1958 and 2013 bore out this conclusion.

This list will get you started on a delicious way to control your high blood pressure. If you have been diagnosed with it (or just are interested in tracking your health, like you do your weight), it’s a good idea to monitor it on a regular basis. Personally, I use the Omron Evolv Blood Pressure Monitor

It is very accurate and eliminates all the hoses and units. It’s just the cuff that has its own readout. It communicates to your phone by a Bluetooth app if you want to keep a running record of your results.

I hope you enjoyed this article on lowering high blood pressure naturally and found it helpful. If so, please share the link with friends and social media. And if you have some related ideas please share them with our readers in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting!

Further Reading


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Visit Kelly’s profile on Pinterest.


About the author:

Photo of Kelly R. SmithKelly R. Smith is an Air Force veteran and was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation and financial and energy trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.


Omron Evolv Blood Pressure Monitor Review

Omron Evolv Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron Evolv Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor
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If you are like me, have high blood pressure (hypertension), and have a doctor that wants you to keep records, you really need a blood pressure monitor. My old one was a typical Omron with the cuff, electronic unit, and the associated tube and wires. 

All that made it a bit unwieldy to use or take out of town. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the flood that Hurricane Harvey bestowed on me. So it was time for a replacement.

Enter the Omron Evolve

I knew that I wanted an Omron. Omron blood pressure monitors are the #1 recommended brand by doctors and pharmacists for clinically-accurate home blood pressure monitoring, and the #1 selling manufacturer of blood pressure monitors for over 40 years.

The one I bought and use daily is the Evolv Bluetooth Wireless model. It is affordable and offers many benefits:

Since it is basically just a cuff with all the electronics built in, it’s convenient and portable.

No power wires, just 4 AAA batteries.

It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa.

The free Omron Connect app allows you to upload your readings immediately and wirelessly. The app also features a graph and stores an unlimited number of readings.

Why it’s Important to Monitor Often

If you have hypertension and you are on medication (I’m on Lisinopril), you know that your dosage has to be right. It may not be an issue for many people but I run a lot, sometimes long distances and the meds can affect me in a goofy way.

Another reason to monitor your blood pressure and keep accurate records is that it can vary wildly throughout the day depending on many factors. If you only check in with your doctor every 3 months, what he measures at that one sitting may not even be your normal. But with the Omron Evolv you can just whip out your phone, open the app, and show him your stored data.

So play it safe and take care of yourself so the “silent killer” won’t trip you up.


Looking for more great content? Visit our partner sites:

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How Blood Pressure Medication Affects Your Running

Middle-of-the-pack marathon runners
Middle-of-the-pack marathon runners
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It’s a popular misconception that being a regular runner can get high blood pressure down into the normal range. Certainly it can help by keeping you at a favorable weight, but most experts agree that exercise alone can only drop the blood pressure 10 or so mm Hg in most people. If you are genetically programmed for high blood pressure, this alone may not be enough to do the trick.

I didn’t realize this. When my doctor told me I had hypertension I said, “But doc, that can’t be; I run almost every day and at least one marathon a year.”

He said, “You have been misinformed, my friend. That kind of exercise can help but it’s not a panacea. If it is in your genes, it’s in your genes. Wer’e going to try medication.

Lisinopril is My Hypertension Drug

Lisinopril tablet, 40 Mg
Lisinopril tablet, 40 Mg

There are many high blood pressure drugs on the market. Many of these are now generic which is a good thing because once you are on them, you are likely on them for the long haul and generic-ness reduces the cost. Since it is generic, you might have also heard the brand names Zestril, Prinivil, and Qbrelis. Same stuff, different Big Pharma company.

Different meds may work differently. This one is classified as an ACE inhibitor. It does its deed by reducing the production of angiotensin II, which relaxes arterial muscles and enlarging arteries. When your blood pressure lowers, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood.

 The arteries supplying your heart with blood also enlarge while being treated with ACE inhibitors. This increases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart which further improves the ability of your heart to pump blood.

How Lisinopril Affects My Running

Beginning this treatment was a tough pill to swallow (excuse the pun). One of the side effects is a persistent cough which I’ve gotten used to but during races or on the trails I get some odd looks like, are you contagious with something?

It also makes me lethargic all day which translates to a slower pace. Well, that excuse certainly takes the pressure off, doesn’t it? Also, larger, more flexible arteries make for more more blood flow making for a lower heart rate. This is fine for a run of three miles or less but over that it’s not good — once I stop.

I found out just how bad this could be after doing a 10K in the Texas Bridge Series. It was a hot day and I felt fine while running. But a couple of minutes after the (thank God) finish line I was standing in line for food and something cold to slug down.

I began to feel really woozy. Not sick, not nauseous, just light-headed. My vision began to go in and out. It was just the amount and rate of blood still pumping while my muscles had stopped crying out for all that oxygen-toting flow. I see it as meds being an artificial way to regulate the body they just don’t allow adjustment as quickly as “normal” feedback. But I held my place in line and after sitting on the grass and chowing down for about 15 minutes I was OK again. Lesson learned? I now take my meds after a workout, not before. And immediately following a run I walk for up to a mile instead of just standing still as part of my running recovery routine.

Other Blood Pressure Meds Side Effects

Besides the cough and feeling lethargic, I also get these odd but unimportant fleeting back pain. After even a short run my shoulders feel tired and a bit sore. Some people develop headaches, insomnia, anxiety,  and nasal congestion. I have been spared those but chalk it up to still running, recovering, and stretching. Almost every freakin’ day.

So am I happy with how blood pressure medication affects my running? No, not at all. But as my doctor told me, “Young man, it beats the hell out of having a stroke or a cardiac event.” My BP yesterday was 91/67. Maybe too low.


Looking for more great content? Visit our partner sites:

The Green Frugal

Running Across Texas


As Featured On Ezine Articles

I offer article and blog-writing services. Interested? Hire Me!


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Visit Kelly’s profile on Pinterest.


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