Posts Tagged ‘Thiazide diuretics’
Diagnosing High Blood Pressure
If your doctor measures your blood pressure and it is consistently high, they will also want
to do a few extra tests. Tests include using a dipstick to cheek a sample of urine for the presence of protein (which would indicate kidney damage) or glucose (which would indicate diabetes) as well as taking a blood sample to send to a laboratory to assess your kidneys’ function. Your doctor may also examine the back of your eye using an ophthalmoscope as high blood pressure can cause damage to the light- sensitive layer of the retina. Other tests can be done to check for any underlying disorder and include a chest X-ray and electrocardiogram (ECG).
TREATMENT OPTIONS
The first line of treatment is not medication. Your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes to reduce high blood pressure. These changes include losing weight if overweight, reducing alcohol intake, cutting down salt consumption, taking regular exercise and, most importantly, giving up smoking. Read the rest of this entry »
