Sustained hypertension has several medical names: hypertension, arterial hypertension, and essential hypertension.The disease can cause damage to the kidneys, heart, blood vessels, leading to stroke, heart disease, bleeding stomach ulcers and other serious consequences.In order to prevent dangerous health conditions, it is necessary to take timely measures to prevent the disease and to understand the risk factors that significantly increase the likelihood of developing high blood pressure.
what is high blood pressure
It is a chronic pathology resulting from dysfunction of vasoregulatory, renal, and neurohumoral mechanisms.Hypertension (HTN) is a dangerous medical condition in which blood pressure (BP) is persistently elevated to levels above 140/90 mmHg.Art.Patients not taking antihypertensive medications.
Hypertension accounts for approximately 40% of all cardiovascular disease.This disease is more common in men than women.The risk of developing lesions increases with age in both sexes.Hypertension is primarily diagnosed in patients after the age of 40, but recently the disease is increasingly occurring in adolescence and early adulthood.
stage of headache
Hypertension is a chronic pathology with three stages of development.The optimal blood pressure for adults is 120/80 mmHg.Art.Slight deviations from these indicators are as high as 139/89 mm Hg.Art.Also applies to specs.Higher numbers are considered pathological in medical practice.When the repeatedly recorded index is higher than 140/90 under different circumstances, it can be diagnosed as "hypertension".
Stage 1 hypertension is characterized by sudden changes in pressure.This already indicates that pathological processes are taking place in the body.The disease is almost always asymptomatic in its early stages.Certain signs of high blood pressure are not noticed by patients, which explains why most people delay calling qualified help.Symptoms of stage 1 hypertension:
- Blood pressure index: 140/90 to 159/99 mmHg.Art.;
- Headache;
- Puzzled;
- decreased mental performance;
- difficulty breathing;
- Tachycardia;
- increased swelling;
- Fluid retention in the body;
- Changes in urine volume and color.
Stage II hypertension is a moderate form of arterial hypertension.At this stage of the disease, elevated blood pressure is observed for a longer period than at the beginning.Blood pressure readings in stage 2 hypertension rarely return to normal.Patient condition:
- Blood pressure index: 160/109 to 179/109 mmHg.Art.;
- sleep disorders;
- Discomfort in the heart area;
- heart failure;
- memory and vision impairment;
- persistent irritability;
- Dizziness;
- tinnitus;
- pain in the back of the head;
- Dilation of blood vessels in the eye;
- Congestion of facial skin;
- Swelling of face and hands.
Stage III hypertension is a severe form of the disease.It is characterized by patients with a history of myocardial infarction, stroke and other serious pathologies.In rare cases, it is possible to completely cure the current stage of hypertension, unless the hypertension is of short duration or is secondary.Severe hypertension clinic:
- Blood pressure index: starting from 180/110 mmHg.Art.and above;
- Left ventricular hypertrophy;
- Ventricular septal hypertrophy;
- Impaired motor coordination;
- Encephalopathy;
- ischemic or hemorrhagic infarction;
- Various kidney diseases;
- persistent visual impairment;
- Prolonged hypertensive crisis;
- Paralysis and paresis caused by cerebral circulation disorders;
- The ability to move independently and care for oneself is limited.
risk factors for high blood pressure
The development, progression and complications of arterial hypertension are directly related to the presence of risk factors for the development of this pathological process.Hypertension is the result of a complex interaction of internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) causes.Acquired and innate characteristics of the body contribute to the development of pathology and weaken its resistance to adverse external conditions.
Risk factors for the development of arterial hypertension are classified according to two indicators: modifiable and non-modifiable.First it depends on a person's decision and his lifestyle.These include:
- bad habits;
- lack of physical activity;
- smoking;
- drinking;
- Obesity etc.
The non-modifiable risk factors for hypertension are factors that an individual cannot influence: genetics and physiology (gender, age).In many cases, high blood pressure is a genetic disorder.If one of your relatives has high blood pressure, there is a high chance that the next generation will be affected by the disease.As for physiological factors, according to statistics, middle-aged men are more likely to suffer from this disease.This is because the female body produces estrogen, a hormone that has protective functions.
endogenous
An intrinsic risk factor for hypertension is the presence of a disease or condition that causes high blood pressure.in:
- diabetes;
- Atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels of the heart;
- Increased blood viscosity;
- Metabolic disorders;
- Kidney disease (pyelonephritis, nephritis, glomerulonephritis);
- Increased sodium or calcium concentration in the blood;
- Effects of adrenaline during stress;
- Dyslipidemia (disorder of fat metabolism);
- Increased uric acid levels;
- Neurocirculatory dystonia;
- Pregnant;
- menopause.
Related to lifestyle and environmental impact
Exogenous risk factors for hypertension are related to the patient's lifestyle.The number of acquired causes that can be successfully combated is vast, but each point can be easily adjusted if one wishes.The main exogenous risk factors for hypertension:
- Insufficient physical activity.Working in an office for a long time, traveling alone in a car, and lacking time to go to the gym can lead to a weakened respiratory system, impaired muscle function, and worsened blood circulation.All of these factors can cause blood pressure to rise.
- Uncontrolled salt intake.Large amounts of sodium chloride can cause thirst and delay the removal of water from the body.Water causes an increase in the amount of circulating blood, which causes the heart muscle to contract more frequently, leading to an increase in blood pressure.The intake of salt should not exceed 5 grams per day.
- Magnesium and/or potassium deficiency.The body needs these trace elements to maintain good function of blood vessels and heart muscle.If deficient, there is a risk of high blood pressure.
diagnosis
Hypertension can be determined by different methods - multiple measurements of blood pressure levels using tonometers and audioendoscopes, studying the clinical aspects of the disease, and performing clinical, physical and instrumental studies.Main diagnostic methods:
- Blood chemistry tests.Tests high/low density lipoprotein and cholesterol levels, and determines sugar levels.These indicators are important in determining the cause of high blood pressure.
- Electrocardiogram.The electrocardiogram has long been a reliable assistant in diagnosing hypertension.An electrocardiogram shows interruptions in the work of the heart, identifies the presence of angina and provides data on the displacement of the heart relative to its electrical axis and the state of the myocardium.
- Cardiac ultrasound examination.The main blood vessel leading to the brain (the carotid artery) is illuminated to detect atherosclerotic plaque, assess the condition of the vessel wall and the risk of stroke.
- arteriography.X-ray method used to study the walls of arteries and their lumen.
- Dopplerography.Ultrasound technology used to diagnose blood flow in veins, arteries, and blood vessels.
- Kidney ultrasound.Helps identify large tumors in the adrenal gland and lesions of renal tissue that lead to the development of renal parenchymal hypertension.
- Thyroid ultrasound.Helps identify or rule out thyroid involvement in the patient's development of hypertension.
treat
Treatment of high blood pressure depends on the cause of the disease.The first thing a patient needs to do is eliminate all risks associated with high blood pressure.Drug treatment is then combined with non-drug approaches: adhering to an anti-cholesterol diet, physical exercise, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol.Drug therapy is carried out according to different protocols:
- Patients who are at low to moderate risk of high blood pressure are prescribed a medication to lower their blood pressure.
- Patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease need to take two or more separate doses of the drug.
The choice of drug and dose is left to the physician taking into account the patient's age, concomitant pathologies and risk factors.Several groups of drugs are used to treat high blood pressure:
- Thiazide diuretics.They inhibit the absorption of chloride and sodium in the renal tubules so that they do not enter the bloodstream but are excreted in the urine.
- Calcium channel blockers.They reduce calcium intake, thereby reducing myocardial load and lowering blood pressure.
- ACE inhibitors.They reduce blood concentrations of the hormone angiotensin, which narrows the lumen of blood vessels, causing an increase in blood pressure.
- Angiotensin II receptor antagonist.Reduces blood pressure in the first stage of hypertension.
- Beta blockers.They relax blood vessel walls, thereby improving blood circulation and normalizing blood pressure.
- Central alpha-2 agonist.The heart rate decreases, which manifests as a decrease in blood pressure.
- Direct vasodilator.Relaxes arteriolar smooth muscle, thereby lowering blood pressure.
- Renin inhibitors.They promote arterial dilation and inhibit the activity of renin, an enzyme with vasoconstrictive effects.