Should I take my blood pressure medication? Oklahoma health expert weighs in

Sometimes, your doctor may want to prescribe medication to improve your blood pressure, but what do you do if you feel fine without it?

A News 9 viewer asked that question to Dr. Lacy Anderson, who has the answer on what to do in that scenario.

Anderson says it is very important to try to get your blood pressure under control, as your doctor is trying to protect you from harm.

“Within any closed pressure system, if the pressure gets too high, one of two things will happen eventually,” Anderson said. “Your pump will fail or your lines will break. This can happen whether we’re talking about your pool pump or your body. In your body, the pump is your heart, and the blood vessels are your lines.”

Anderson said if your pump fails, also known as congestive heart failure, it will cause swelling of your legs, fluid buildup in your lungs and loss of energy and endurance

“It would require multiple medications each day to try to keep your heart going, and at some point, you may need a heart transplant,” Anderson said. “If your lines break, this could occur with a hemorrhagic stroke, where a small blood vessel in the brain ruptures, or it could happen in a larger vessel like the aorta, causing a ruptured aortic aneurysm.”

Anderson says both outcomes can kill quickly.

“It’s important to get your blood pressure under control,” Anderson said. “Talk to your doctor about the best treatment for you. Take care and stay healthy!”

If you have a question for Dr. Lacy Anderson, call the hotline at (405) 841-9999 or e-mail dailydose@news9.net.