Question:
I've just been prescribed a drug for high BP but I don't BPS 5 Review really want to take it because hair loss is listed as one of the side effects. Can you suggest an alternative course of treatment?
Answer:
I explain high BP to my patients like this: when you water your garden, you can increase the water pressure by putting a powerful pump on it or by squeezing the nozzle. Similarly, blood pressure increases when the heart (a powerful pump) beats faster or when the arteries are constricted.
BP varies continuously, rising with exercise or anxiety and falling as you relax. The problem comes with persistent high BP (hypertension), which affects ‘about one adult in six in this country and may damage the heart and other organs. BP measurements are given as two numbers: a resting healthy young adult should reach no more than 120/80 mmHg (units of millimeters of mercury). Generally, hypertension is diagnosed with a reading persistently higher than 140/90 mmHg, even at rest.