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Cold Medication | What to Do for Cough & Cold With High
Blood Pressure
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High blood pressure is a common health problem these days. People suffering from
hypertension have to make many changes in their lives, such as dietary changes and exercising.
Besides these, they also need to learn how to take care of themselves when they suffer from other
day to day health problems like the common cold. This is one problem that every one faces but for
people who have high blood pressure, it can turn into a serious problem as the over-the-counter
cold medications available have some substances that should not be used by hypertensive patients.
Just as sodium can increase their blood pressure, in the same way these medications can also have
an adverse effect on their blood pressure.
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What to Do for Cough & Cold With High Blood
Pressure?
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The purpose of cold medications is to give relief while
cold runs its course. Hypertensive patients can also get this relief but with certain safety
precautions. The most harmful ingredient for blood pressure is the decongestants that most
over-the-counter flu and cold medications contain. Medicines such as Robitussin, Tylenol Cold,
Sudafed and Alka-Seltzer Plus can cause the blood pressure to rise. Hence, people who are suffering
from high blood pressure, when they are trying to get rid of sniffles and cough they need to stay
away from decongestant ingredients such as Naphazoline, Phenylephrine and Propylhexedrine. Before
buying any medicine, they must read its contents label and check whether the medicine does not have
any decongestant or a high sodium level. For people who get confused by the endless options available in the pharmacies
for the treatment of cold and flu, the American Heart Society has given a list of safe medications
for high blood pressure patients that they can use without fretting over the side effects.
Medicines like Coricidin HBP, Chlo-Trimeton, Benadryl, and Tavis-1 are safe as these do not contain
decongestants. Conclusively, patients with high blood pressure need to be very careful in their
selection of cold medicines. The best thing to do is to ask your doctor to prescribe a
medicine for you. This will save you from buying harmful medicines and the doctor will also tell
you how much and how often you can take the medicine. In this way, you find relief from the cold
symptoms while keeping your blood pressure under control.
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