Best Allergy Medicine If You Have High Blood Pressure
Dealing with allergies can be a challenge, but it becomes even more complicated if you have high blood pressure. It is important to take the right medicine to control your allergies without increasing your blood pressure. Luckily, there are allergy medicines available that are safe for people with high blood pressure. In this article, we will discuss the best allergy medicine if you have high blood pressure.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a condition in which the force of blood against the walls of your arteries is too high. It can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. High blood pressure can be caused by several factors such as obesity, smoking, stress, and genetics.
Allergies and High Blood Pressure
Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance such as pollen, dust, or pet dander. This reaction can cause symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and skin rashes. Allergies can also trigger asthma attacks in people with asthma.
Some allergy medicines can increase blood pressure and should be avoided by people with hypertension. These medicines include decongestants such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. Decongestants work by narrowing blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure.
Best Allergy Medicine for People with High Blood Pressure
The best allergy medicine for people with high blood pressure is an antihistamine. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine, a chemical released by the immune system in response to an allergen. Histamine causes inflammation and other allergy symptoms.
Antihistamines come in two types: first-generation and second-generation. First-generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can cause drowsiness and should be avoided if you need to drive or operate heavy machinery. Second-generation antihistamines such as loratadine (Claritin) and cetirizine (Zyrtec) are non-drowsy and are safe for people with high blood pressure.
Nasal Steroids
Nasal steroids are another type of allergy medicine that can be used by people with high blood pressure. Nasal steroids work by reducing inflammation in the nasal passages and can relieve symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, and runny nose.
Nasal steroids are available over-the-counter and by prescription. Examples of over-the-counter nasal steroids include fluticasone (Flonase) and triamcinolone (Nasacort). Prescription nasal steroids include mometasone (Nasonex) and fluticasone furoate (Veramyst).
Allergy Shots
Allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, can be an effective treatment for people with allergies and high blood pressure. Allergy shots work by gradually exposing you to small amounts of the allergen that triggers your symptoms. Over time, your immune system becomes less sensitive to the allergen and your symptoms decrease.
Allergy shots are administered by a healthcare professional and can take several months or years to complete. They are usually given once or twice a week at first, and then gradually spaced out to once a month.
Conclusion
If you have high blood pressure and allergies, it is important to choose the right allergy medicine. Antihistamines such as loratadine and cetirizine are safe for people with high blood pressure and do not cause drowsiness. Nasal steroids and allergy shots can also be effective treatments for allergies and high blood pressure. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine the best allergy medicine for you.