Use of diuretics in hypertension and heart failure

One of the most common drugs used to treat hypertension is diuretics . These funds are very widespread due to the fact that they help to reduce the level of pressure very effectively due to the fact that they force the body to get rid of excess fluid. However, despite the high efficiency, not everyone can use such tools. That is why it is necessary to understand in detail the features of their use.

The use of drugs for hypertension

The widespread use of diuretics to eliminate hypertension began in the 1990s. To begin with, people suffering from hypertension took large doses of drugs in order to lower blood pressure, however, later it was experimentally proved that taking even small doses of the drug helps to improve the condition and lower blood pressure.

Most doctors believe that diuretics are as effective as the new generation of antihypertensives.

Most often, when eliminating hypertension, these drugs are used in such situations:

• With systolic hypertension.
• With heart failure.

Research scientists show that taking this kind of drugs not only helps to lower blood pressure, but also significantly reduces the incidence of various complications in people suffering from hypertension.

As a rule, for the treatment of hypertension drugs are used in minimal doses. If such a measure does not bring the desired result and blood pressure does not decrease, then the doctor may prescribe an increase in the dose of the drug.

It should be borne in mind that such drugs contribute to an increase in blood sugar levels.

Because of this feature, drugs that normalize blood pressure are rarely prescribed:

• To young people.
• Obese people.
• People suffering from diabetes.

For the treatment of these categories of people suffering from hypertension, only Indapamide and Torasemide are used. These funds do not affect the level of sugar and cholesterol in the blood.

In addition, when using such drugs, it should be borne in mind that they have very significant drawbacks.

The disadvantages include:

• High chance of side effects.
• Effects on the heart and kidneys.
• With prolonged use, a decrease in effectiveness and addiction is possible.
• symptomatic effect.

Most often, when selecting diuretics, experts are guided by a classification based on the mechanism of their action:

• Thiazide. This group of drugs is most often prescribed in the treatment of hypertension. The action of this group of drugs is rather slow and weak. Their main advantage lies in the minimal side effects. This group includes such a drug as Indapamide. In the treatment of hypertension, it acts as a vasodilator. However, such a tool has one very significant advantage - it does not affect the metabolic process.
• Potassium-sparing. These drugs have a relatively weak diuretic effect. As a rule, they are used as additional medicines. Their main feature is that they significantly reduce the risk of potassium deficiency in the body. Quite often, such substances are used in severe forms of hypertension, as they gently reduce pressure.
• Loopback. This type of medicine is potent. These substances stimulate the activity of the kidneys, aimed at getting rid of excess fluid. The main disadvantage of such funds is that, together with the liquid and salt, minerals and trace elements are excreted from the body. With hypertension, such drugs are used quite rarely. Most often they are used to eliminate edema.

Diuretics for heart failure

One of the most serious consequences of heart failure is significant fluid retention in the body. This phenomenon very often provokes the development of congestive processes in the lungs.

The main symptoms of developing heart failure are as follows:

• Edema.
• Breathlessness.
• Change in skin color.
• An enlarged liver.
• Rattling in the region of the heart.

One of the main symptoms of the development of this condition is significant swelling. This is the earliest symptom that indicates the development of adverse processes. However, it is worth noting that edema can occur not only with heart failure.

With various diseases, edema is localized in different places:

• With kidney disease. Edema appears on the face, especially in the area around the eyes. Their occurrence is due to the fact that diseased organs remove fluid much worse.
• With allergies. An allergic reaction can provoke swelling of any part of the body, however, this phenomenon is most often observed on the face.
• With heart failure. Swelling of the legs indicates the development of heart failure.

If a symptom such as swelling appears, you should consult a doctor for advice. It is not recommended to use diuretics on their own in this case.

As a rule, specialists prescribe diuretics to reduce symptoms or treat heart failure. In addition, these drugs are used to treat swelling and shortness of breath, the occurrence of which is due to such a phenomenon as heart failure.

The use of these drugs allows you to get rid of a significant amount of fluid accumulated in the body, as well as from excess salts. This effect can significantly improve the patient's condition.

Proper use of this kind of drugs allows you to:

• Reduce puffiness.
• Increase the effectiveness of treatment.
• Improve exercise tolerance.

However, it is worth remembering that such drugs are used only to eliminate symptoms and do not affect the causes of heart failure. Therefore, heart failure requires complex treatment with diuretics, inhibitors, and beta-blockers.

Precautionary measures

First of all, it is worth noting that taking drugs such as diuretics should be done with extreme caution. It is best to talk to a specialist before using them in order to avoid extremely negative consequences.

The negative consequences of taking such drugs are due to the fact that:

• They provoke the excretion of potassium.
• Increase the level of fatigue.
• Increase the risk of developing diabetes.
• Increase the amount of negative cholesterol in the blood.
• In men, while taking such drugs, there may be problems with potency.

However, it should be taken into account that they also have a significant effect on the body. As a rule, negative consequences after the use of these drugs occur gradually. In many ways, their negative effect affects the kidneys, because they contribute to the activation of their work and the removal of salts, as well as fluid from the body.

It is worth remembering that water retention and various kinds of salts in the body are just one of the symptoms of a significant problem. Thus, diuretics refer exclusively to drugs that eliminate only symptoms. These drugs do not eliminate the underlying cause of the disease.

In what cases should you refrain from using drugs?

Despite the fact that the drugs help to normalize blood pressure, as already mentioned, they have a rather strong effect on the body. Therefore, this kind of medicines have a number of contraindications for use.

You should refrain from using them when:

• Too little or too much potassium.
• liver failure.
• Carrying a child.
• Breastfeeding.
• Problems with blood circulation in the brain.

In such cases, drugs should not be used without the appointment of a specialist. If necessary, the specialist will prescribe drugs to remove fluid, taking into account the characteristics of the body.

With prolonged use of this kind of drugs can accumulate in the body. Therefore, in some cases, with the improper use of diuretic drugs, an overdose is observed.

Overdose symptoms:

• Arrhythmia.
• Visual impairment.
• Significant pressure drop.
• Dizziness.
• Thirst.

If you experience these kinds of symptoms, you must stop taking the medication and consult a specialist.

If the patient's condition is close to critical, it is necessary to take a number of the following measures:

• Call a doctor.
• Replenish moisture removed from the body.
• Increase pressure.

Thus, diuretics are quite effective in helping to get rid of the main symptoms of hypertension and fluid accumulation in a phenomenon such as heart failure. However, such tools must be used with extreme caution.

Drugs during pregnancy

Many women use drugs of this nature during pregnancy to combat edema. As a rule, the need for the use of diuretics occurs in the third trimester. Most experts recommend that you follow a special diet to eliminate this problem. However, if these measures are not enough, the doctor may prescribe diuretics.

For pregnant women, both chemical compounds and natural herbal teas or products can act as diuretics. It should be taken into account that the occurrence of edema during the bearing of a child is a rather alarming symptom.

They may indicate the development of:

• Toxicosis.
• Heart problems.
• Kidney problems.

At the moment, most diuretic drugs cannot be used during childbearing, so if you have any problems, you should first consult with a specialist.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, taking any drugs that remove water from the body is prohibited. In the second trimester, such drugs are prescribed exclusively by a doctor, as they can cause significant damage to a woman's health.

During pregnancy, you can not use drugs such as:

• Strawberry.
• Parsley root.
• Cat's mustache

Folk recipes based on such components can significantly worsen the condition of a pregnant woman and lead to the development of a number of very serious problems.

Herbal diuretics

Such a group of medicines as diuretics of plant origin is widely used in medicine. The main feature of this kind of substances is that they are much weaker than drug analogues, however, there are much fewer various side effects.

It should be taken into account that any diuretics, even of plant origin, should be taken only after consultation with a competent specialist. A properly selected remedy will very effectively eliminate the symptoms and will not harm the body. As a rule, when determining the most effective diuretic, the doctor takes into account the problem that provoked fluid retention. For heart failure, birch leaves are widely used, and for hypertension - strawberries.

The most famous folk recipes:

• Flax seeds.

To prepare a product based on seeds, they must be poured with a small amount of boiling water and insisted for 1 hour. The infusion helps lower blood pressure. The finished product is taken every 2 hours.

• Birch leaves.

Means based on this component well help to cope with swelling of the hands and feet. For cooking, you need to mix the leaves and a little moth. The mixture should be poured with warm water and insisted for 30 minutes.

• Dog-rose fruit.

Rosehip tea has a rather pronounced diuretic effect and at the same time strengthens the body. To make tea, the berries need to be crushed and poured with boiling water. Tea must be fresh, so it is not worth preparing a lot. The course of treatment with the help of the drug is 1 week.

• Bearberry.

It is one of the most famous diuretics in folk medicine. For treatment, it is taken in the form of a tea. Take tea several times a day. However, when treating with such tea, it should be borne in mind that it should be used with extreme caution in case of kidney diseases.

• Cowberry.

This plant has a mild diuretic and a fairly good anti-inflammatory effect. To eliminate the stagnation of fluid in the body, a decoction is used.

To prepare a decoction, pour the leaves with boiling water and boil them for several minutes. Take a decoction 3 times a day.

• Cat's mustache

This remedy is also known as kidney tea. The course of treatment with tea based on this plant is very long.

As a rule, treatment lasts from 4 to 6 months with breaks of several days. This plant can be used as a diuretic during pregnancy.

Thus, diuretics for hypertension, as well as such a phenomenon as heart failure, are used very widely. These remedies help quite well to get rid of edema and reduce pressure. However, such drugs should be used with extreme caution. This is due to the fact that some of them can significantly worsen the condition or provoke an exacerbation.

The use of diuretics of plant origin is very widespread. Natural substances help to normalize the water-salt balance. But the effect of such funds is much weaker than that of synthetic ones. Therefore, before using them, you should consult your doctor.