When shopping at your local pharmacy for cough and cold medicine this season, it’s important to choose your medication carefully. Many formulas are available to purchase over the counter and they are often advertised to help with different cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, cough or a headache. However, some over-the-counter cough, cold, and sinus medications can raise your blood pressure. Here’s what you need to know.
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common chronic condition. Risk factors for developing high blood pressure include smoking, eating high sodium foods and other medical conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.
If you have high blood pressure, certain over-the-counter cold medications can raise your blood pressure further, which can be dangerous.
Know which cold medicines can increase your blood pressure
It’s important to be aware of the ingredients in the cold medicine you choose. Some products may have warning labels for people with high blood pressure. Some ingredients that are known to raise blood pressure are decongestants like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine.
Decongestants work by narrowing your blood vessels, like squeezing a garden hose to direct the flow of water. When this happens, it helps reduce swelling, allowing you to feel less congested. But throughout the rest of your body, this narrowing can put stress on blood vessels. If the garden hose is squeezed too much, water can’t reach the flowers and similarly, blood vessels may struggle to deliver enough blood to vital organs like your kidneys.
If you have high blood pressure and are effectively treated for this with prescription medications, the risk is less of a concern than it may be for someone with untreated or undertreated high blood pressure.
People with uncontrolled or consistently high blood pressure (greater than 130/80 mm Hg) should contact their doctor before starting a decongestant.
Home monitoring for high blood pressure
If you are concerned about your blood pressure, you can purchase a blood pressure cuff from your local pharmacy and record your blood pressures once or twice per day on a notepad or in your phone. Also note if you have recently eaten, smoked or exercised before taking each blood pressure reading.
Report these blood pressure readings to your primary care provider.
Support your recovery from a cold
These tips can help you recover from a cold, whether you use over-the-counter medications or not.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Get plenty of rest.
- Increase the humidity in your home with a humidifier.
When to call your primary care provider
You should contact your doctor if:
- You have a fever over 100.4.
- You are experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain or have a weakened immune system.
- You have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- You are coughing up thick sputum (phlegm).
- Your cold lasts longer than 10 days.
Ask for help in the pharmacy if you need it
If you ever struggle to choose a product, you can always ask your pharmacist for some help. They can answer most of your questions and can help you consider which over-the-counter medicines may interact with your prescribed medicines.
Find a Doctor
