I believe many hypertension patients have had such experiences. In summer, hypertension will [improve] and blood pressure will be relatively low.
So, can we stop using or use less antihypertensive drugs in summer? The following are two cases.
Case 1: Summer is coming. Miss Li, who had taken antihypertensive drugs and had better blood pressure control, felt groggy and thought it was due to the hot weather. She didn’t know it was due to her low blood pressure until she almost fell down on the subway.
Case 2: However, Mr. Zhao, who also suffers from hypertension, is extremely daring. After taking his blood pressure several times, he stopped taking the antihypertensive medicine himself. He didn’t think he found it higher than before taking the medicine when taking it again these days.
Why are the two cases so poor, neither eating nor health? How can blood pressure be reasonably stabilized in summer?
First, regular pressure measurement is the key
Whether blood pressure needs to be adjusted or not, the first thing to do is to measure pressure regularly and understand the changes of your blood pressure. Summer is coming, especially when the temperature rises obviously, the frequency of blood pressure measurement can be appropriately increased.
- Blood pressure changes regularly throughout the day, Generally speaking, there are two obvious peaks, one is from 6: 00 a.m. to 10: 00 a.m. and the other is from 4: 00 p.m. to 8: 00 p.m., especially in the morning, when blood pressure rises, it is most closely related to the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Measure twice a day, i.e. Once in the morning and once in the evening when blood pressure peaks. Pay attention to the same time point and the same body position when measuring blood pressure every day. At the same time, pay attention to the relative rest or quiet state, and do not measure blood pressure immediately after going out or eating. For unstable blood pressure, blood pressure should also be measured four times, respectively at morning, about 10 o’clock in the morning, afternoon or evening and before going to bed. Generally, 5 ~ 7 days are continuously measured before adjusting blood pressure, and recorded according to time points. Only by comparing with previous blood pressure can we determine whether blood pressure does fluctuate.
As for sphygmomanometers, it is more convenient to measure pressure at home. Generally, the upper arm type electronic sphygmomanometer is selected and calibrated regularly (at least once a year), but wrist type or finger type is not recommended. Of course, mercury sphygmomanometer can also be used.
For blood pressure fluctuations are relatively large, or conditional, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is recommended under the guidance of a special person in the hospital. After wearing the blood pressure monitor, Can work and rest as usual, the instrument will automatically measure blood pressure dozens or even hundreds of times a day, and automatically store for professionals to analyze blood pressure. This kind of blood pressure monitoring eliminates the influence of time, place, emotional changes, activities, etc., and is more objective and accurate.
Second, under the guidance of doctors, gradually adjust medication
According to the blood pressure data you measured, the doctor will make a judgment on whether the drug needs to be adjusted. If necessary, the doctor will gradually reduce/increase the dosage or variety of the drug, and monitor the blood pressure in the same way for 5-7 days after each adjustment to evaluate the effect of this adjustment.
We stress that the blood pressure reaches the standard as soon as possible, but it does not mean that the blood pressure is lowered quickly, but the blood pressure is adjusted to the standard range in a few weeks or even months in a gentle and stable way.
Three, prevent blood pressure fluctuation is too large
In order to maintain a relatively ideal blood pressure condition, in addition to the above-mentioned regular pressure measurement and adjustment of medication, good living habits are indispensable.
Because summer is hot, water loss can easily lead to fluctuations in blood pressure. Here are a few points that need special attention.
STEP 1 Good Sleep
In summer, the weather is hot and easy to be bitten by mosquitoes. Sleep is easy to be affected. People with hypertension are especially easy to cause blood pressure fluctuations. Increase the difficulty of blood pressure control or cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases to attack. It is very important to develop good sleep habits, create a suitable sleep environment and give yourself a good sleep to maintain the stability of blood pressure.
Step 2 Ensure adequate water intake
Sweating is more in summer, such as not replenishing water in time, it is easy to cause the liquid capacity in the body to decrease and lead to blood pressure fluctuation. Avoid going out from noon to 3 or 4 o’clock, carrying water with you outside or drinking water nearby, and do not drink water only when you feel thirsty obviously.
3. Suitable indoor temperature
High temperatures in summer can easily lead to heatstroke, Especially for some older people, As that body is not sensitive to heat, Even if the indoor temperature is very high, you do not feel hot. Also do not open air conditioning and other cooling measures, it is easy to lead to no signs of blood pressure fluctuations and even cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. There are also some young people who like to adjust the indoor temperature to a particularly low level, and outdoor is a double day of ice and fire, this kind of situation is also easy to cause blood vessel contraction or relaxation, leading to blood pressure fluctuations, and even accidents.
Why are there so many differences between the two cases?
1. In general, due to the high temperature in summer, blood vessels are relatively dilated, and blood pressure will decrease to a certain extent. This is why some people say that my original hypertension will get better in summer.
2. Of course, there is another situation. Some people’s blood pressure may not decrease or even increase due to irritability caused by hot summer, poor rest and sleep, or the influence of work and life itself.
3. Blood pressure may be higher than before after blind withdrawal of drugs. This is because blood vessels will rebound to contract after sudden withdrawal of antihypertensive drugs, leading to a sudden rise in blood pressure, aggravating blood vessel injury, and even leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events such as stroke and angina pectoris in serious cases.
Therefore, even if blood pressure drops in summer, it is not recommended to stop taking drugs blindly.
Responsible Editor: Haitang