Hydrochlorothiazide

Description

Hydrochlorothiazide is used in order to help people who suffer from high blood pressure problems. High blood pressure is problematic for people who have it because when they do it puts them at risk for all sorts of serious health problems. One of these would be a stroke. Stroke can leave a person unable to speak or move on one side of their body. Another risk is a heart attack, which can be severe enough to cause death or at least dependence on other medications to help the condition.

Other problems can be the frequent suffering of headaches that can range in severity. Hydrochlorothiazide is quite effective at helping to lower your risk of a stroke, heart attack or kidney problems. It’s also what is called a water pill (a diuretic) that causes a person to have to urinate more often that what they usually would. This is one of the ways your blood pressure is kept under control. The extra urinating is causing excess salt and water to be eliminated from your body.

Of course you can help your cause in this case by consuming foods that contain less salt. These would be mostly foods that are heavily processed, especially processed meats (which are known to be very high in sodium). Hydrochlorothiazide is also good at helping to reduce the amount of extra fluid a person might have in their body. This is a condition known as edema and it’s usually brought on by conditions such as heart failure, liver disease or kidney disease. The medication has the ability to reduce symptoms like shortness of breath or swelling in the ankles or feet.

If you end up taking Hydrochlorothiazide, then what are some of the common side effects you might be at risk for?

 Upset stomach
 Dizziness
 Headache may occur as your body adjusts to the medication

These symptoms are minor and shouldn’t last too long (especially once your body adjust to the treatment. If they do last longer than they should then you should get in contact with a doctor right away or a pharmacist. Also, if you wish to reduce the severity of certain symptoms such as dizziness or lightheadedness, then one way this can be done is for you to get up slowly when getting up from a sitting or lying position.

What are some of the more serious side effects a person might be at risk for if they take Hydrochlorothiazide?

 Decrease in vision
 Eye pain
 Medication can lead to a serious loss of body water (dehydration) and salt/minerals
 Muscle cramps/weakness
 Slow/fast/irregular heartbeat
 Unusual decreased urination
 Unusual dry mouth/thirst
 Serious allergic reactions

The above isn’t a complete list of side effects you might be at risk of or might end up experiencing. If while on this medication you notice anything wrong with you that wasn’t before, then be sure to let your doctor know or a pharmacist as soon as you can. In some cases an emegency visit to the hospital might be required.