How medicines fit in
 
Persistent high blood pressure can have a very serious impact on your health. So it's possible that, if you are diagnosed with it, your doctor could prescribe medication which you may need to take for the rest of your life. 
 
Any medicine which your doctor decides to give you will depend on a number of different factors. Your age, your ethnic background, medicines you have taken before and any other medical problems you are experiencing will all be taken into consideration. 
 
Types of medicine used 
There are several types of medicine which can be prescribed for high blood pressure. 
 

• Thiazide diuretics (water tablets) help to lower salt and water levels in the body.  
   
  
• Beta-blockers slow down your heart and make it beat with less force so that it reduces the strain in your blood vessels. 
   
  
• Calcium-channel blockers expand or relax the blood vessels, making it easier for the blood to flow through them. 
   
  
• Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prevent the production of angiotensin, to help open up the blood vessels. 
   
  
• Angiotensin receptor blockers work in a similar way to ACE inhibitors, but prevent angiotensin from actually working. 
   
  
• Alpha-blockers lower blood pressure by blocking receptors in the blood vessels, keeping them relaxed and open.  
   
  
• Centrally acting drugs reduce blood pressure by working on the parts of the brain that control it.

 
Find out more about these and other treatment options. 
 
Things to consider 
Please remember that, when it comes to high blood pressure medicines, everyone is different. Just because something has worked well for a friend doesn't necessarily mean it will be appropriate for you.
 
If you have been prescribed a medicine, but experience any unwanted effects, be sure to speak to your GP or practice nurse straight away.