Lisinopril - A popular hypertension treatment

High blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension, is known to affect a large number of people all over the world. When your blood pressure increases, your heart has to work harder, in order to make blood reach every part of your body. As your heart has to work harder than usual, it tends to weaken as time passes, and it even increases the possibilities of split in your arteries. And both these factors can trigger numerous cardiovascular problems, such as stroke, in the future. Although hypertension often turns out to be very harmful for health, only a small percentage of people seek treatment. It is often difficult to come to a conclusion whether a person is suffering from high blood pressure or not, as they do not experience any direct symptoms of the condition. A person can be known to have hypertension only when a doctor actually measures the blood pressure of that person.

Symptoms of hypertension

As such, those suffering from high blood pressure may not necessarily experience any symptoms brought on by hypertension itself. They tend to suffer from problems related to hypertension, e.g., cardiovascular problems. And this often makes it difficult to diagnose whether or not a person is having high blood pressure. Hypertension tends to damage your arteries by causing a blockage or split, which is known as haemorrhaging. You can suffer from cardiovascular problem such as stroke, which is a condition that causes disturbance in the blood supplied to your brain. Heart attack is another cardiovascular problem, which you can suffer from when the blood supplied to your heart gets blocked. You can also suffer from blood clotting, also known as thrombosis, which is caused by clots developed within your blood vessels. Aneurysm is another cardiovascular condition that people with hypertension can suffer from.

Lisinopril - A hypertension treatment

Lisinopril, which is a popular hypertension medication, belongs to a group of drugs known as ACE inhibitors. Lisinopril comes in the form of a tablet, which works by blocking the action of ACE. ACE produces a compound known as angiotensin II, which helps in controlling blood pressure. Angiotensin II tightens the blood vessels, which, in turn, increases the blood pressure. Lisinopril works by relaxing and widening the blood vessels, in order to stop the production of angiotensin II, which leads to a drop in blood pressure. When the blood pressure decreases, your heart does not have to work harder than usual, and can pump blood through the arteries more easily.

You are required to take one Lisinopril tablet on a daily basis, with a full glass of water, either with or without food. You can buy Lisinopril tablets in the dosage strengths of 5mg, 10mg, 20mg and 40mg. You should avoid taking this tablet if you have kidney disease, liver problems, heart disease or congestive heart failure, diabetes or a connective tissue disease. You should also avoid taking Lisinopril if you are pregnant, as your baby can be born with birth defects. You should avoid taking Lisinopril if you are breastfeeding as well, as it is possible that you pass on the drug contents to the baby through breast milk. Some of the side effects of this medication include feeling light headed, fainting, fatigue, gaining weight, change in the frequency of urination, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, diarrhoea and skin itching.