Constantly high blood pressure has several names in medicine: hypertension, arterial hypertension, essential hypertension.The disease can cause damage to the kidneys, heart and blood vessels, cause stroke, heart attack, bleeding from a stomach ulcer and other serious consequences.In order to prevent dangerous health conditions, it is necessary to take timely measures to prevent the disease and know the risk factors that significantly increase the likelihood of developing hypertension.
What is high blood pressure?
This is a chronic pathology that develops as a result of dysfunction of vascular regulation, renal and neurohumoral mechanisms.Hypertension (HTN) is a dangerous disease of the body in which there is a persistent increase in blood pressure (BP) to levels above 140/90 mmHg.Art.in patients who are not taking antihypertensive medication.
High blood pressure is responsible for around 40% of all cardiovascular diseases.The disease occurs more frequently in men than in the female population.The risk of developing pathology increases with age in both sexes.High blood pressure is primarily diagnosed in patients after the age of 40, but recently the disease has increasingly been recorded in adolescence and young adulthood.
Phases of headache
Hypertension is a chronic pathology that has three stages of development.In an adult, the optimal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg.Art.A slight deviation from these indicators up to 139/89 mm Hg. Art.Art.also applies to the standard.Higher numbers are considered pathology in medical practice.The diagnosis of “hypertension” is made when indicators above 140/90 are repeatedly measured in various diseases.
Stage 1 hypertension is characterized by abrupt changes in pressure.This already indicates a pathological process in the body.The disease is almost always asymptomatic in its early stages.The patient does not pay attention to some signs of hypertension, which explains the high percentage of late requests for qualified help.Symptoms of Stage 1 Hypertension:
- Blood pressure indicators: from 140/90 to 159/99 mm Hg. Art.;
- Headache;
- Confusion;
- reduced mental performance;
- dyspnea;
- tachycardia;
- increased swelling;
- accumulation of fluid in the body;
- Change in the amount and color of urine.
Second stage hypertension is arterial hypertension that occurs in a moderate form.At this stage of the disease, longer periods of elevated blood pressure are observed than at the beginning.In stage 2 hypertension, blood pressure levels rarely return to normal.Patient's condition:
- Blood pressure indicators: from 160/109 to 179/109 mm Hg. Art.Art.;
- sleep disorder;
- problems in the heart area;
- heart failure;
- memory and vision problems;
- constant irritability;
- Dizziness;
- tinnitus;
- aching pain in the back of the head;
- dilated eye vessels;
- Facial skin is hyperemic;
- Swelling of the face, hands.
Third stage hypertension is a severe form of the disease.It is characterized by the patient having a history of myocardial infarction, stroke and other serious illnesses.A complete cure of high blood pressure at this stage is only possible in very rare cases if the high blood pressure only lasts for a short time or occurs secondarily.Severe Hypertension Clinic:
- Blood pressure indicators: from 180/110 mm Hg. Art.and above;
- left ventricular hypertrophy;
- hypertrophy of the interventricular septum;
- impaired coordination of movements;
- encephalopathy;
- ischemic or hemorrhagic infarcts;
- various kidney lesions;
- persistent visual impairment;
- prolonged hypertensive crises;
- Paralysis and paresis due to cerebral circulatory disorders;
- Limitation of the ability to move independently and care for oneself.
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 occurrence of this pathological process.High blood pressure is the result of a complex interplay of internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) causes.The occurrence of pathology is facilitated by acquired and congenital features of the body that 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.The first depend on a person's choices and their lifestyle.This includes:
- bad habits;
- physical inactivity;
- Smoke;
- drink alcohol;
- obesity and others.
Unchangeable risk factors for high blood pressure are those that humans cannot influence: heredity and physiology (gender, age).In many cases, high blood pressure is a genetically transmitted disease.If one of your loved ones suffered from high blood pressure, there is a high probability that the next generation will be affected by the disease.As for physiological factors, according to statistics, middle-aged men are more susceptible to the disease.This is explained by the fact that the female body produces estrogens - hormones that perform a protective function.
Endogenous
Intrinsic risk factors for high blood pressure include the presence of diseases or conditions that cause high blood pressure.Among them:
- diabetes mellitus;
- arteriosclerosis of the coronary arteries;
- increased blood viscosity;
- metabolic disorder;
- kidney disease (pyelonephritis, nephritis, glomerulonephritis);
- increased concentration of sodium or calcium in the blood;
- the effect of adrenaline during stress;
- Dyslipidemia (disorder of fat metabolism);
- increased uric acid content;
- neurocirculatory dystonia;
- Pregnancy;
- Menopause.
Related to lifestyle and environmental influences
Exogenous risk factors for hypertension are related to the patient's lifestyle.The number of acquired causes that can be successfully addressed is considerable, but each point can be easily adjusted if a person so desires.The main exogenous risk factors for high blood pressure:
- Insufficient physical activity.Constant work in the office, traveling exclusively by vehicle, lack of time to visit the gym lead to a weakening of the respiratory system, impaired muscle function and a deterioration in blood circulation.All these factors lead to an increase in blood pressure.
- Uncontrolled salt intake.In large quantities, sodium chloride causes thirst and delays the excretion of fluids from the body.Water causes an increase in circulating blood volume, resulting in more frequent myocardial contractions, resulting in an increase in blood pressure.The consumption of table salt is no more than 5 g/day.
- Magnesium and/or potassium deficiency.The body needs these microelements for the proper functioning of the blood vessels and heart muscle.If there is a deficiency, there is a risk of developing high blood pressure.
diagnosis
Hypertension is determined using various methods: blood pressure is measured several times using a tonometer and a phonendoscope, the clinical picture of the disease is studied, clinical, physical and instrumental studies are prescribed.Main diagnostic approaches:
- Biochemical blood test.The content of high/low density lipoproteins and cholesterol is recorded and the sugar content is determined.These indicators are important for determining the cause of high blood pressure.
- ECG.An electrocardiogram has long been a reliable assistant in diagnosing high blood pressure.An ECG reveals interruptions in the work of the heart, determines the presence of angina pectoris, and provides data on the displacement of the heart from the electrical axis and the state of the myocardium.
- Ultrasound of the heart.The main vessels (carotid arteries) leading to the brain are illuminated to detect atherosclerotic plaques, assess the condition of the vessel walls and the risk of stroke.
- Arteriography.X-ray procedure for examining the walls of arteries and their lumen.
- Dopplerography.Ultrasound procedure to diagnose blood flow in veins, arteries and vessels.
- Ultrasound of the kidneys.Helps to identify large tumors in the adrenal glands and lesions of renal tissue leading to the appearance of renoparenchymal hypertension.
- Ultrasound of the thyroid.Helps to identify or rule out the influence of the thyroid gland on the development of high blood pressure in a patient.
Treatment
Treatment for high blood pressure depends on the cause of the disease.The first thing the patient needs to do is to exclude all risks associated with high blood pressure.Then drug therapy is used in combination with non-drug methods: adherence to an anti-cholesterol diet, physical activity, quitting smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages.Drug treatment is carried out according to various schemes:
- Patients at low to moderate risk of developing high blood pressure are prescribed medication to lower their blood pressure.
- Patients with a high risk of cardiovascular disease are prescribed two or more drugs with individual dosages.
The choice of medication and dosage is made by the doctor, taking into account the patient's age, concomitant diseases and risk factors.Several groups of drugs are used to treat high blood pressure:
- Thiazide diuretics.They inhibit the uptake of chlorides and sodium in the renal tubules so that they do not enter the blood but are excreted from the body in the urine.
- Calcium channel blockers.They reduce calcium absorption, which reduces the load on the myocardium and lowers blood pressure.
- ACE inhibitors.They reduce the concentration of the hormone angiotensin in the blood, which has the ability to narrow the lumen of blood vessels, which increases blood pressure.
- Angiotensin II receptor antagonists.Lowers blood pressure in the first stage of hypertension.
- Beta blockers.They relax the vascular walls, which leads to improved blood circulation and normalization of blood pressure.
- Central alpha-2 agonists.The heart rate is reduced, which is reflected in a reduction in blood pressure.
- Direct vasodilators.Relaxes the smooth muscles of the arterioles, resulting in a reduction in blood pressure.
- Renin inhibitors.They promote the dilation of arteries and inhibit the activity of renin, an enzyme with vasoconstrictor effects.