Category Archives: Hypertension Treatment

Monitor your patient’s neurologic status frequently. Look for signs and symptoms of worsening neurologic deficits, such as mental status changes, agitation, weakness, unequal pupils, vomiting, and bradycardia. Each time, compare your findings with those of your previous assessment and immediately … Continue reading →

Before you administer selective beta-blockers, measure your patient’s apical and radial pulses. When using a nonselective beta-blocker, obtain his baseline pulse rate and blood pressure before each administration. Also, if he has impaired renal function, anticipate a reduced dosage. Administer … Continue reading →

Diagnostic Tests Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging help rule out other causes of your patient’s severe headache, such as a CVA. Imaging may reveal areas of hemorrhage ranging in size from pinpoint to massive. A lumbar puncture is … Continue reading →

In helping a hypertensive patient control his weight, your primary responsibilities include educating him about his prescribed diet and monitoring his weight reduction. You’ll also need to regularly measure his blood pressure.Review the elements of the weight-reduction diet with your … Continue reading →

When your hypertensive patient begins an exercise program, teach him about the prescribed exercise. Monitor his exercise tolerance and continue to regularly measure his blood pressure.During your patient teaching, tell him to exercise at the same time every day. Instruct … Continue reading →

Alcohol When obtaining your patient’s health history, ask him how much alcohol he drinks. If appropriate, advise him to reduce his intake to less than 1 ounce per day. The exact mechanism by which alcohol raises blood pressure isn’t known, … Continue reading →

Regular isotonic exercise-such as walking, jogging, and swimming-can help control blood pressure. Generally, hypertensive patients should participate in a moderate amount of exercise at regular intervals, rather than vigorous exercise at irregular intervals.The short-term benefits of exercise include stress reduction … Continue reading →

You can estimate the daily caloric intake your patient needs for normal body functioning and weight control by multiplying his ideal body weight by 10. Thus, a patient whose ideal body weight is 180 pounds should have a daily caloric … Continue reading →

Improving your Patient’s Compliance To prevent life-threatening, chronic complications, your hypertensive patient must comply with his prescribed treatment plan. Unfortunately, many hypertensive patients don’t comply. If your patient isn’t following his treatment plan, identify the reasons and then take corrective … Continue reading →