Hypertension: What is it?

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common health problems in humans. Studies show that the condition is more common among urban dwellers than among those who have lived most of their lives in rural areas. In addition, this type of disease is "younger" and mostly occurs in people under the age of 40. One of the most common conditions of this type is high blood pressure. This is a condition in which blood pressure regularly rises above average.

High blood pressure symptoms (signs)

How the disease manifests depends on which stage of development it is at. Normally, blood pressure is 110-130 mmHg for every 70-90 mmHg. Depending on the severity of the disease, it may rise to levels of 260 to 110 in critical cases. This situation threatens human health and life. At the same time, high blood pressure can only manifest as mild discomfort, increased fatigue, headache, etc. in the early stage. As the pathology develops, its course becomes more complex. The most dangerous situation is a hypertensive crisis - a sharp rise in blood pressure. General symptoms of the disease are:

• Headache, tightness, especially in the back of the head and temples;
• noise and tinnitus;
• "spot", spot, a veil in front of the eyes;
• decreased vision;
• Deterioration of spatial coordination and fine motor skills;
• Tremors, numbness in arms and legs;
• Nausea and vomiting.

Symptoms of high blood pressure occur in varying degrees depending on the stage of the disease. Worsening of the condition usually occurs gradually over a lifetime. Disease development is divided into three stages:

• I - blood pressure reading 140-160 per 90-100 mmHg;
• II-Pressure 160-180 per 100-110 mm Hg;
• III - When the upper limit of the second stage is exceeded.

Sustained increases in stress can lead to heart dysfunction - with the most common consequence being coronary artery disease. There is also a risk of heart attack or stroke.

causes of high blood pressure

Experts have not yet fully studied the nature of disease in the cardiovascular system. A particular difficulty lies in the fact that such diseases usually develop during intrauterine development and appear much later. At the same time, it is not always possible to notice and study the onset of disease. Most commonly, high blood pressure occurs along with:

• kidney disease;
• Vascular Pathology;
• Renal artery obstruction;
• Thyroid pathology;
• Adrenal gland dysfunction;
• Smoking and drinking;
• Insufficient or excessive physical activity.

These causes lead to secondary forms of the disease, that is, disease that occurs under the influence of predisposing factors. Symptoms of high blood pressure usually appear after the age of 35-40. The main subtype of the disease is caused directly by congenital lesions of the blood vessels or heart. The following factors also increase your risk of developing high blood pressure:

• Aged over 55 years old;
• obesity;
• increased cholesterol levels;
• genetic predisposition;
• diabetes;
• hormonal imbalance;
• Feeling frequently stressed and depressed.

Blood pressure levels are directly affected by diet. Some foods—dark chocolate, coffee, alcohol—can cause blood pressure to rise. Saturated fats, spices and sugars affect the condition of blood vessels and the chemical composition of the blood, thereby indirectly increasing blood pressure. It turns out that smoking often causes this disease.

Which doctor should I contact?

The appearance of symptoms of hypertension requires mandatory medical intervention at the earliest stage. Delays can cause complications and lead to serious illnesses such as stroke and heart disease in the future. Prompt diagnosis will significantly reduce the risk. The doctor will help you solve the problem:The most important aspect of identifying a disease is determining its underlying cause, especially if hypertension is secondary. In this case, the effectiveness of treatment will not be very high without eliminating the prerequisites of the pathology. To deal with this situation, doctors need to describe the clinical situation in as much detail as possible. To do this, he asks the following questions:

1. What symptoms are you worried about?
2. How long ago did they begin to appear?
3. How often do high blood pressure attacks occur?
4. Are they related to any external factors?
5. Does the patient have heart, kidney, or endocrine disease?
6. What kind of life does he lead?
7. What symptomatic treatment does he use to treat his attacks?

After this, an external examination will be performed, the heart will be listened to and the blood pressure will be measured. Additionally, urine and blood laboratory tests, hardware testing, and differential diagnostic tools are performed.

ways to treat disease

The protocol affecting pathology is based on the cause of hypertension in each case. It is also important to consider whether it is primary or secondary in nature, as the primary purpose of the influence depends on this. The completeness of this information allows experts to develop the best individual treatment plan. In most cases, it includes the following steps:

• Control weight through diet;
• engage in physical exercise of varying intensities;
• taking diuretic medications;
• use of antitachycardia drugs;
• Taking adrenergic blocking agents;
• Use antispasmodics and analgesics;
• Use potassium-containing medications.

Treatment options are greatly influenced by the stage of the disease. In the first phase, sometimes even no drugs can be used, while the second and third phases require considerably larger doses or stronger drugs. Hypertension can only be treated conservatively.

Diagnosis of high blood pressure

Pathological testing requires observation over a period of time and continuous monitoring of results. This allows it to be determined whether it is primary and whether associated diseases are present. In this case, a differential diagnosis approach is necessary. It consists of the following stages:

• Repeat blood pressure measurements. Perform on both arms, in a seated or standing position, depending on age. The accuracy is about 85%.
• Daily pressure monitoring is a program that allows continuous monitoring over a specified period of time using a portable device. The cost depends on the required duration of monitoring. The accuracy rate exceeds 95%.
• Laboratory tests of urine and blood. Determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of fluids and the rates of chemical reactions in the body. The accuracy is about 75%.
• Chest X-ray. Allows you to visually assess your heart condition. Accuracy - less than 70%.

For possible heart disease, an electrocardiogram is required. Additionally, if vision worsens, abdominal ultrasonography may be performed to determine renal status and fundus diagnosis.

Possible complications

The symptoms of high blood pressure affect a large part of the organs and systems not directly related to blood circulation. However, overall health depends on the quantity and quality of nutrients and oxygen carried by the fluid flow. Severe episodes of high blood pressure can cause the following problems:

• deformation of blood vessels;
• coronary heart disease;
• kidney disease;
• the threat of stroke and heart attack;
• Blurred vision due to damage to blood vessels in the eye;
• The development of "lung heart";
• Exercise intolerance.

The likelihood of complications of varying severity depends on the stage of the disease. In the early and middle stages, epistaxis, vomiting, and episodes of tachycardia may occur. If the condition worsens significantly, loss of consciousness, heart failure, and compromised vascular integrity may result. The most serious cases are crises, heart attacks and strokes.

High-risk groups

Many people ask what kind of disease is hypertension because the prevalence of this problem is so widespread. At the same time, this pathology tends to affect people of working age - 20 to 45 years old, although decades ago the threshold was much higher. Not everyone is equally likely to develop this disease. The following groups are particularly at risk:

• People with weight gain and obesity;
• Those whose activities are associated with strenuous physical activity or, conversely, lack of physical activity;
• People with a genetic predisposition to high blood pressure;
• Living in a polluted area;
• smokers and alcoholics;
• People who do not monitor the fat and carbohydrate content of their food;
• People diagnosed with serious heart, liver or kidney disease.

Pathology does not favor males or females - the statistics are roughly the same for both sexes. However, due to higher frequency of drinking and poor working conditions, people with a stronger sexual desire are at a slightly higher risk. It usually develops in women between the ages of 55 and 60 years and in men between the ages of 65 and 70 years.

Prevent high blood pressure

Protecting yourself from cardiovascular disease is not always easy, as many of these diseases are caused by innate characteristics of the body or age. However, preventive measures will still have a positive impact on the situation and overall health. High blood pressure can be caused by poor lifestyle choices, so correcting certain areas of the problem would be beneficial. The advice is:

• Prompt treatment of all conditions that cause high blood pressure - heart, blood vessels, blood, kidneys;
• Stick to a daily routine;
• Avoid sleep deprivation and overexertion;
• Maintain a healthy diet - avoid foods high in fat and cholesterol, alcoholic beverages, strong tea and coffee;
• Engage in moderate physical activity and avoid a sedentary lifestyle;
• Conduct regular preventive inspections;
• Take a vitamin and mineral complex recommended by your doctor to stay healthy.

High blood pressure can only be prevented by maintaining overall health of the body. There are multiple systems that influence the development of this disease, so prevention through medication or exercise alone is ineffective. An important stage in its implementation is the timely diagnosis of concomitant and predisposing factors.