hypertension

Hypertension, or arterial hypertension, is a condition characterized by a stable, ie, detected by repeated measurement, increase in blood pressure. Accompanying many diseases, it is considered a risk factor for the development of dangerous complications of the cardiovascular system, including stroke and heart attack. Hypertension, as the main cause of the considered pathology, requires taking medication, normalizing the patient's lifestyle and diet.

Everyone has heard complaints about high blood pressure from those around them. Hypertension, according to statistics, is observed in 20-30% of the world's adult population.

This disease is ubiquitous and is the leading cause of death in many countries. It is important to note that in 90% of cases - this disease is diagnosed as an independent - primary arterial or essential hypertension. And only in every tenth patient does it occur at the same time. This disease develops against the background of diseases of the kidneys, lungs and endocrine glands.

What is arterial hypertension

Chronic disease, expressed in a constant or periodic increase in pressure. Doctors in almost every developed country are calling this disease a 21st century epidemic. In Europe and the USA it is detected in every second elderly person. Half of the cases are fatal. The scale of the incident is impressive and alarming. And although there has been a major breakthrough in the treatment of the elderly in recent decades, it still remains an insidious and dangerous disease. This is because hypertension is asymptomatic in the initial stages. But the disease causes significant damage to health - it depletes the cardiovascular system. It is important that those at risk do not neglect prevention and treatment.

Causes and symptoms of high blood pressure

The reasons for the appearance of pathologies are different. Most often, doctors cannot find them at all. Especially when it comes to primary hypertension. But the causes of somatic (secondary) arterial hypertension can be established. It occurs in 10% of patients with high blood pressure. main reasons

• kidney damage or glomerulonephritis;
• stenosis of the renal arteries;
• congenital narrowing of the aorta;
• increased functions of the internal glands, especially the thyroid;
• against the background of tumors of the adrenal glands, malignant hypertension develops;
• Alcoholism:
• medical - develops during long-term use of hormonal drugs, antidepressants, etc.

Symptoms of high blood pressure

Treatment at the initial stage is complicated by the fact that this disease has no specific symptoms. Many patients are unaware of the presence of the disease. They have no complaints about their health, they lead an active lifestyle. Although they occasionally experience fainting spells, dizziness, and mild nausea.

Despite the serious consequences, many people do not take this disease seriously, neglecting prevention and treatment. In the early stages, the development of this disease can be stopped. Discomfort in patients occurs when the "targets" are damaged. These are the organs whose function depends on blood pressure. Complications of the disease most often occur in the heart and blood vessels.

There are symptoms, although not specific, that are suspected to be arterial hypertension. This is weakness, flies before the eyes, numbness of the limbs. All of these signs are temporary. But the main symptom is a headache.

Degrees and stages of hypertension

• Mild or First - SBP 140-159 / DBP 90-99.
• Boundary line or second - 160-179 / 100-109.
• Severe or Third Degree - 180 and up / 110+.

Allocate another form of the disease. This is systolic isolated hypertension. Their indicators are SBP above 140 / DBP below 90.

With an increase in blood pressure, the target organs suffer first. Based on pathological changes, the disease is divided into stages:

• 1 - Modifications in the target organs are not observed.
• 2 - Changes are noted in several organs.
• Stage 3 - Associated clinical conditions are recorded.

Risk factors for developing hypertension

• Age. This disease is most commonly diagnosed in women over 65 and in men over 55.
• Cholesterol exceeds the level of more than 6. 5 mmol per liter.
• Hereditary diseases of the cardiovascular system in a straight ascending line.
• Prolonged smoking.
• The presence of diabetes.
• Hypertension develops with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

All risk factors are divided into two groups. Correctable - what can be eliminated. These include diabetes, smoking, cholesterol, obesity. Uncorrectable - these are those who are not subject to medical influence - poor heredity and old age. In this case, it is necessary to follow the recommendations on diet and lifestyle so as not to provoke the development of arterial hypertension.

high blood pressure in women

Unlike men. On the one hand, there are forms of illness that are not recorded in the strong half of humanity, for example high blood pressure during menopause and during pregnancy. Secondly, according to statistics, 41% of women have a pathology. Therefore, vascular hypertension is more often a problem of the weaker sex. In the beautiful half, the disease is more difficult. Blood pressure readings are usually higher. Although in women at a young age, this disease is registered less often.

The pathology coexists with other diseases and aggravates their course. As a result, a woman has a whole "bouquet" of such ailments as diabetes, obesity, varicose veins, and metabolic disorders. All this complicates the treatment process.

The role of women in society has changed. In addition to housework and raising children, those tasks that tend to belong to men weigh on their shoulders. More and more women are pursuing careers, doing business and sometimes supporting families. Hence tension, stress and overload. And this does not lead to better health, but to deterioration. Don't forget that the predisposition to high blood pressure is hereditary. Therefore, women who have relatives with high blood pressure in a straight ascending line should not forget about prevention and regular examination.

After all, female hypertension causes many more problems. There are other complications, for example, women in old age often suffer a stroke against the background of the disease. The heart suffers too. Women should not neglect treatment and pay more attention to their well-being. It is important not to miss the first harbingers of a developing disease.

high blood pressure during pregnancy

It usually shows up in the second trimester. It manifests itself in the 20th-21st week of pregnancy and can disappear after the birth of the baby. All women with high blood pressure are at risk for abrupt placenta and preeclampsia. With pronounced hypertension in pregnant women, the tactics of childbirth also change, and a prescription for a cesarean section is possible.

Methods of treating hypertension

It is carried out with the help of medicinal preparations. You can temporarily eliminate the main symptoms, but the disease will not be cured. Almost all treatment methods are aimed at reducing the risk of serious complications such as strokes and heart attacks and improving the patient's quality of life.

Modern treatment is not focused on reducing pressure, but on eliminating the root cause of the emerging pathology. Antihypertensive drugs do not solve this problem. In order to achieve truly tangible results, treatment is carried out strictly individually, all causes of the development of the disease are taken into account. The etiology of hypertension can be associated with dysfunction of the liver and bile ducts. Then acupressure is effective for treatment. In other cases, high blood pressure is associated with impaired kidney function. Often it develops against the background of obesity. Then the patient is prescribed a diet for weight correction and various methods of physical therapy.

Medicines used to treat high blood pressure

Traditional treatment is with medication. Constant monitoring of blood pressure is required. It must be in a stable condition. For this, groups of drugs are used. Their effect is based on different influencing mechanisms, which all contribute to reducing pressure.

• potassium antagonists. They block calcium channels in the vascular walls while the gaps widen.
• Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. These drugs used to treat hypertension block the synthesis of renin, which directly affects the increase in blood pressure.
• B blockers. These high blood pressure tablets lower the heart rate.
• diuretics. These are diuretics. They help reduce fluid in the body, which lowers blood pressure.

It is important to understand that even new drugs are strictly forbidden to be taken without consulting a doctor. Self-medication is dangerous and ineffective. Only a cardiologist is able to choose the right remedy.

Diet for high blood pressure

Doctors of pathology recommend a change in diet. One of the tasks in the treatment of this disease is the normalization of weight and metabolic processes in the body. To do this, follow a strict set of requirements. First, reduce your salt intake. Its main component, sodium, prevents the removal of water from the body. This increases blood volume, which increases blood pressure. Second, they refuse green and black tea. You don't have to drink coffee either. These products cause vasospasm and increase the workload on the heart. Try to avoid fatty foods. Remove butter and sausage from the menu.

It is better to choose products of plant origin. Eat more vegetables. They are high in fiber, which helps lower blood cholesterol levels. Dried apricots, carrots, cabbage and beets increase the amount of such important minerals as magnesium and potassium in the body. These substances strengthen the walls of blood vessels and heart muscles. The food should be fractional. Divide your daily ration into 5 equal portions. Breaks between meals no longer than 3 hours.

Finally, lifestyle is important in hypertension. Give up alcohol and smoking. Eliminate all ready meals and fast food from your diet. Not to starve! With hypertension, strict diets are not allowed, stress is contraindicated for the body.

Treatment with folk remedies

The positive side of such drugs is that they have been tested over time and over more than one generation. Phytotherapy is a great help in treatment. Calming herbs are used that have a calming effect on the body. This group of plants includes hawthorn, chamomile, valerian, lemon balm, mint. Lemon, honey and rose hips also help lower blood pressure. Green tea helps a lot. Some recipes that help treat hypertension:

1. Honey is mixed with lemon and beet juice (liquid ratio 1: 1). Stir well and drink a third of the glass an hour after eating.
2. Of all the herbs, hawthorn is especially helpful. Tincture is taken 10 drops daily in the morning.
3. Good for lowering blood pressure - cranberries. It is enough to eat a glass of this berry in the morning.
4. Lemon balm, mint and valerian are steamed in equal parts in a water bath. Drink half a glass of this infusion five times a day. It has a calming and relaxing effect.

diabetes and high blood pressure

Pathologies are interconnected. They have a mutually reinforcing effect aimed at disrupting the functioning of several target organs at the same time. Tests for high blood pressure, which is made worse by diabetes mellitus, often indicate damage to the blood vessels in the brain and the retinas of the eyes, heart, and kidneys. In this scenario of disease development, the main causes of death are often coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and kidney failure.

In diabetes, it is important to detect high blood pressure early. This allows you to prescribe appropriate treatment and prevent serious complications from the kidneys and cardiovascular system.

Prevention of hypertension

It is suitable for those who have blood relatives of people with this disease, especially in the direct line (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather). After 30 years, periodic examinations are required, even in the absence of obvious signs of the development of the disease. Alcohol and smoking are contraindicated for people at risk. You must follow a low-salt, low-fat diet. Physical activity is important for prevention. You can jog, walk, cycle. You need to avoid shock and stress and lead an appropriate lifestyle.