Stay hydrated in the heat if taking blood pressure meds
During hot summer days, dehydration can become a big issue.
Individuals taking blood pressure medication can benefit from knowing the effects of temperature on their blood pressure. Cold weather can have negative effects — low temperatures outdoors cause arteries to constrict, or narrow, raising a person’s blood pressure. This is important to understand for activities like shoveling snow. But did you know that hot weather can cause complications too?
While we often associate high blood pressure, or hypertension, with dangerous health complications, low blood pressure, or hypotension, can also result in problems if it causes uncomfortable symptoms.
Vijai Tivakaran, DO, an invasive cardiologist at Grandview and Southview medical centers, says there typically is not a need to routinely adjust blood pressure medications for the summer weather. Though rare, he has seen patients with complications from lowered blood pressure.
“People often take diuretic medications for their blood pressure, which increases urination to keep the body volume lower,” says Dr. Tivakaran.
For this reason, in the hot summer weather, dehydration can become a big issue. If you are taking a diuretic medication, monitor yourself for dizziness or lightheadedness, and let your doctor know if you experience these symptoms in excess.
“Just in the last couple of weeks, I have seen patients who became dehydrated after spending an entire day out in the summer heat and passed out,” Dr. Tivakaran says.
In many of these cases, people do not realize they are becoming overheated. Blood pressure medicines are adjusted to your baseline activity and lifestyle. Your body’s response will vary if you do something outside of the norm, such as participating in outdoor activities in the summer heat.
What you can do
To beat the heat and avoid any reactions, Dr. Tivakaran suggests dressing appropriately for the heat, staying hydrated, taking breaks and resting in the shade if you are spending extended periods of time outside. These steps will help you remain safe and avoid symptoms of dehydration.
For any season
Regardless of weather conditions, Dr. Tivakaran suggests that anyone on blood pressure medication own a blood pressure cuff and measure it often in order to get an understanding of what their levels usually read.
“We have a motto called ‘Know Your Numbers,’” Dr. Tivakaran says. “One of those numbers is blood pressure. You should be able to inform your doctor if the blood pressure values are running a little high or low.”
Dr. Tivakaran says that places like Ohio see a rather gradual change in weather patterns and those typically are not a problem for blood pressure patients in general. In most instances, no change in medication is required. Patients need to be aware of the potential problems that can arise from spending sudden prolonged periods in the heat and adjust their lifestyle accordingly. Kettering Health Network is a faithbased, not-for-profit healthcare system. The network has eight hospitals: Grandview, Kettering, Sycamore, Southview, Greene Memorial, Fort Hamilton, Kettering Behavioral Health and Soin.