Learn What Works For You
If you have high blood pressure, educate yourself before you decide to take over-the-counter medication:
- Read labels
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Many over-the-counter medicines are labeled safe for people with high blood pressurekeep a watchful eye out for these labels. Also be sure to look out for medications that having a warning label such as Do not use this product if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.
- Avoid excess salt
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One reason many over-the-counter meds increase blood pressure is due to large amounts of salt . If you have high blood pressure, aim for 1,500 mg of sodium or less per day, including sodium found in many over-the-counter medicines.
- Keep an eye on your blood pressure
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When you begin taking an over-the-counter medication, make sure to monitor your blood pressure if you have or are at risk for high blood pressure.
- Play it safe
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Talk with your doctor about any over-the-counter medications you take or plan to take if you have high blood pressure.
Others Who Are At Risk
Beyond the concerns for people with cardiovascular issues, DePalma said the 2017 guidelines also outlined that even otherwise healthy people could be at risk for heart attacks and strokes from these medications.
She said that about 5 percent of people on these drugs experienced higher blood pressure even if they had no past history.
People who dont have known problems should use caution if they have other risk factors, she explained. This could include people who are diabetic, people who are smokers, people who have a family history or are older in age.
Nissen added that colds are self-limited. He said sometimes it might be better to just ride out a cold rather than doing any additional, unnecessary harm to yourself by taking drugs that could impact your heart health.
DePalma stressed that cold prevention is the best way to go.
To prevent getting sick in the first place, she recommended that everyone practice good measures to avoid transmitting viruses.
Get your flu vaccination, limit contact with people who are sick, wash your hands, avoid touching your nose eyes or mouth, she said. Theres a lot to say about the effectiveness of starting with prevention in the first place.
What Can You Do Without Taking Cold And Flu Medicines
For your fever, take acetaminophen. Medicines like ibuprofen or naproxen can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease.
For your congestion, try a humidifier. Moist, warm or cool air can help break up the mucous and ease your swollen nasal passages.
Get plenty of rest so your bodys immune system can fight the virus. Drink plenty of fluid.
With or without a decongestant or antihistamine your cold or flu is likely to last about 5-7days.
Wash your hands, especially after being out in public. When you are in public or havent washed your hands recently, avoid touching your face . And finally, please get your flu shot each year!
For more information about managing a cold or the flu with high blood pressure, please contact us at www.medsmash.com.
For further application, check out my personal blog.
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What You Should Use
If youre reading this and are concerned about what options are there for you when you head to the pharmacy, DePalma said that you should look for alternative treatments like an intranasal steroid or oral antihistamines to lessen your congestion.
Also, instead of medications with ibuprofen, go with cold and flu medications that have acetaminophen, which wont have that cardiovascular risk, she said.
Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic, who was not affiliated with the AHAs guidelines, told Healthline that the heart risks with these kinds of drugs have long been known.
We used to see these kinds of drugs in weight-loss products where people whose blood pressure was spiking from taking them. The risks are there not just for nasal congestion, he said. Anything that constricts the blood vessels and raises blood pressure is never a good idea.
Nissen echoed DePalma that the best alternatives are to take a decongestant nasal spray that will have much less effect on blood pressure.
He added that the best thing you could do is to just not take these drugs at all.
Since concerns originally surfaced regarding these medications, Nissen said they have become less of a go-to for people searching for relief from their colds than they used to be.
Over the years, theyve moved away from the easy availability of store shelves to behind the pharmacists counter.
Can You Get High Blood Pressure From Drinking Alcohol
Content
People who are light or moderate drinkers sometimes have lower rates of hypertension and heart attacks, which previously led many doctors to start recommending that people have one drink per day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that moderate alcohol consumption for healthy adults may be characterized as up to one drink per day for women, and up to two drinks per day for men. One drink is defined as a 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 Sobriety oz spirits. Heavy alcohol consumption is considered more than two drinks per day. In this study, alcohol consumption was categorized as none light moderate and heavy . One alcoholic beverage was equivalent to a 12-ounce beer, 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. The number of drinks per week were self-reported by each participant via a questionnaire when they enrolled in the study.
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How Does Illness Cause Blood Pressure To Rise
There are a number of ways in which a severe cold or flu, particularly if you are running a fever, can cause a higher blood pressure reading. Anytime you get a fever, your body is working to fight off an infection. Fever raises your temperature, speeds up your heart rate and raises your blood pressure levels. This increased blood pressure is due to “vasoconstriction” a narrowing of blood vessels. If you have a fever, a blood pressure exam is likely to show that your blood pressure is elevated.
An increase in your heart rate can also occur during other kinds of bacterial or viral infection, including bronchitis, pneumonia and strep throat. This happens in response to your heart’s extra oxygen demands, so your system can fight off the infection. A heart-rate increase can also raise your blood pressure. Dehydration from fever or infection can raise your blood pressure, too.
- There are a number of ways in which a severe cold or flu, particularly if you are running a fever, can cause a higher blood pressure reading.
Humann Superbeets Heart Chews
as of December 27, 2021 2:38 am
Features
- Grape seed extract: earned its place in SuperBeets Heart Chews because of its clinically-researched ability to help promote normal blood pressure as part of health lifestyle. Plus, grapes are a fixture of the Mediterranean Diet
- Heart-friendly: grape seed extract and beets, each serving contains 150mg clinically-researched study grape seed extract boosted with 500mg of our premium non-GMO beet powder. Now together to help support heart health and improved natural energy
- Great tasting: SuperBeets Heart Chews has a natural, pomegranate berry flavor with no artificial sweeteners for a tasty, guilt-free, candy-like chew
- Fun, portable power-up: Best of all, SuperBeets Heart Chews combine heart-supporting benefits into a fun, portable chew without having to mix into water each day. Imagine energizing support, on-the-go
- Easy to use: Simply take two soft chews, each day. Thats it! Each package comes with 30 servings to last you a full month
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Which Medications To Take And Which To Avoid
People with diabetes are at increased risk of being infected with the cold or flu virus because their immune systems can be weaker than someone who does not have diabetes. To complicate matters, it can be hard to keep blood sugars controlled when you get sick.
While the body tries to fight the illness, hormones are released that cause blood sugars to rise and interfere with the blood-glucose lowering effects of insulin, making diabetes harder to control . How you manage your diabetes when you are sick is an important part of managing your condition overall.
Solutions For How To Lower Blood Pressure: Regular Exercise Intake Of Sodium Limit Alcohol Consumption Eat Foods Rich In Potassium Stress Loss Cut Out Sugar Eat Lots Of Berries
$ as of December 27, 2021 2:38 am
Features
- The OMRON Silver Upper Arm Monitor provides unlimited memory and stores 80 total blood pressure readings for 1 user. The OMRON Silver Upper Arm Monitor also works with the OMRON Connect free app .
- With Advanced Accuracy, an exclusive OMRON technology, this monitor measures five times more data points for consistent, precise readings
- Easy-Wrap ComFit a pre-formed cuff that inflates 360° around the arm to help reduce measurement errors and help ensure inflation over your brachial artery. The Easy-Wrap ComFit cuff comfortably fits adult arms ranging from 9 to 17 in circumference
- Backed with a 3- year warranty, OMRON stands behind the accuracy and quality of our products, and believes in the longevity of our blood pressure monitors
- Blood pressure varies constantly and the following factors including stress, time of day, and how you wrap the cuff may affect your blood pressure
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Active Ingredients That May Affect Diabetes
Pain and fever reducers: acetaminophen which can be used for minor aches and fevers associated with the cold and flu.
- Acetaminophen can be toxic to liver and kidneys. People with diabetes who also have kidney complications should check with their healthcare provider before using acetaminophen.
- NSAIDS: are used to treat aches, pains, and fevers associated with colds and flu.
- Ibuprofen should be used cautiously by people with liver and kidney problems. It also increases the hypoglycemic effect of insulin and oral diabetes medications when used in high doses.
- Naproxen should not be used for people with severe cardiovascular disease, or kidney or liver problems. It may also increase the risk of hypoglycemia with insulin and oral diabetes medications when used in high doses.
Cough Medications
- Dextromethorphan is an ingredient in many cough preparations and at recommended doses is safe for people with diabetes.
- Guaifenesin is an ingredient that loosens mucus and makes it easier to cough it up. There are no warnings about guaifenesin and diabetes.
If You Have High Blood Pressure Or A Heart Condition
Does it matter which product you choose to treat your symptoms if you have high blood pressure, heart failure, have had a heart attack, or you have some other heart condition? Actually, it does. Most of the products used to treat your cold or flu contain two main ingredients: decongestant and antihistamine.
decrease the swelling of the lining of your nose. When these swell, you feel stuffy and have trouble breathing through your nose. Taking one while you have a cold or flu can help you breath better and relieve that stuffed-up feeling. Decongestants can be found in tablets, capsules, nasal sprays, nose drops, and liquids. They are often found in combination with other medicines for fever, headache, cough, sore throat, and mucous.
If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, this is not helpful. It puts you at risk of worse heart disease or even heart attack or stroke.
Antihistamines block histamine. This helps to dry up a runny nose, tearing of your eyes, sneezing, and itching in your nose and eyes. They are helpful with these symptoms for allergies or for colds/flu. They come in tablets, capsules, liquid, eye drops, and nasal spray. Some of the antihistamines cause you to be sleepy and slow your thinking. The newer, second generation versions have fewer of these side effects, but they can still make you sleepy. Be very careful if you must drive while taking these.
Antihistamines should also be taken with caution with people in high blood pressure or heart disease.
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Brillia Health For High & Low Blood Pressure
Brillia Health is a non-prescription homeopathic medication that uses groundbreaking antibody science to reduce cold and flu symptoms without harsh chemicals or harmful side effects. Active ingredients target the macromolecules in your system responsible for responding to illness, stimulating your immune system and helping you recover faster.
One of Brillia Healths active ingredients is an antibody that targets the exact culprit of inflammationhistamines, registered with the FDA as Lapine Histamine Immune Globulin. This active ingredient targets histamines in the body, and once bound, gently reduces their ability to cause inflammation, thereby relieving symptoms of allergies like nasal congestion. Because Brillia Health uses antibodies instead of harsh chemicals, inflammation is targeted exactly where it occurs without influencing other molecules in the body. Not only does Brillia Health target histamines and reduce inflammation, the other active ingredients help to support the immune system, facilitating a swift and comfortable recovery.
In addition to relieving common symptoms like nasal congestion, sore throat, wet and dry coughs and body aches, Brillia Health products reduce the stress of these symptoms on your body, so you can rest and recover quickly. Find out more about how Brillia Health products work.
How Should I Take Tylenol Cold & Flu Severe
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. This medicine is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up.
Do not take more of this medication than recommended. An acetaminophen overdose can damage your liver or cause death.
Do not give this medication to a child younger than 4 years old. Always ask a doctor before giving cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough or cold medicine in very young children.
Measure liquid medicine with a special dose measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
Dissolve one packet of the powder in at least 8 ounces of hot water. Stir and sip drink immediately while the liquid is hot.
Do not take for longer than 7 days in a row. Stop taking the medicine and call your doctor if you still have a fever after 3 days of use, you still have pain after 7 days , if your symptoms get worse, or if you have a skin rash, ongoing headache, or any redness or swelling.
If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken this medicine within the past few days.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow liquid medicine to freeze.
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Tips For Managing High Blood Pressure During Cold And Flu Season
– Although COVID-19 continues to dominate health news, don’t discount the impact of seasonal colds and flu on health, especially for individuals with high blood pressure.
According to the American Heart Association, heart attacks and strokes increase during the winter months along with the arrival of colds and flu, so it is important for anyone with high blood pressure to treat cold and flu symptoms safely and to take steps to avoid getting sick.
The American Heart Association offers several safety tips for managing high blood pressure, especially for those taking blood pressure medications:
– Check labels. Many over-the-counter decongestant medications, as well as some pain relievers, contain ingredients that are known to raise blood pressure and may make your prescription medication less effective. If you are taking blood pressure medication or have a history of a heart attack or stroke, ask your doctor or pharmacist which options are safe for you before you choose an over-the-counter medication for cold or flu relief. If you must use a decongestant, use it for the shortest time possible.
– Know triggers. Beware of other factors that can raise blood pressure and that may be part of your activities during the long, cold winter, notably alcohol consumption, salt consumption, and the use of hot tubs and saunas.
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The Cold The Cure And High Blood Pressure
One way to decrease your risk of a spike in your blood pressure during illness is to check what drugs or medications you are taking.
In addition to the effects of fever, your blood pressure can also be affected by medications. Over-the-counter cold remedies, ones that contain decongestants, are some of the main culprits.
Decongestants work to narrow blood vessels in your nose, helping you breathe more clearly, but they also narrow other blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Decongestants to avoid if you have hypertension include pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, naphazoline and oxymetazoline 1.
- One way to decrease your risk of a spike in your blood pressure during illness is to check what drugs or medications you are taking.
- In addition to the effects of fever, your blood pressure can also be affected by medications.
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Understanding The Risk Of Otc Meds
Though most labels of OTC cold and flu meds indicate that their products should not be taken by people with certain health conditions, surveys have shown that many people with high blood pressure do not know there are risks.2 This is concerning, considering that the CDC reports that nearly half of adults in the U.S., or 45 percent, have high blood pressure, leaving many opportunities for the misuse of OTC meds.3
Over-the-counter cold and flu remedies specifically decongestants can cause complications for people who have high blood pressure because they work to relieve nasal stuffiness by targeting the complete circulatory system and narrowing blood vessels, thus reducing swelling in the nose. Use of decongestants in individuals with high blood pressure has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, disturbed heart rhythms and other cardiovascular problems.4