Diuretics help reduce blood pressure by expelling fluids from the body, thus lowering the volume of blood. Beta-blockers, calcium antagonists and ACE inhibitors not only lower blood pressure, but also reduce the heart's workload and help prevent rhythm irregularities. Alpha-adrenergic blockers obstruct nerve impulses along certain nerve pathways. This helps to relax blood vessels so that blood passes through them more easily. The side effects people may experience while on medication can discourage people from continuing treatment.
Typical reactions can include headaches, dizziness and fatigue.
This may be part of the reason only 27 percent of people with hypertension have it under adequate control. It may take several different trials of medication to find something that works for you. Sheffield took this advice to heart. It really bothered me when doctors told me that I was going to be living with hypertension for the rest of my life. And UT Southwestern physicians and researchers are determined to help him.