Your blood’s force causes blood pressure as it travels through your body’s arteries. Arteries are the vessels that connect the heart to the rest of the human body. When the heart beats, blood is pushed through the arteries. As blood rushes through them, it exerts pressure on their walls. This pressure is referred to as blood pressure.
High blood pressure, sometimes termed hypertension, occurs when your blood flows faster than usual through your arteries. Numerous factors contribute to high blood pressure. If your blood pressure becomes abnormally high or remains high for an extended time, it creates serious health issues. High blood pressure that is uncontrolled increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure, among other issues.
There are two kinds of high blood pressure.
Primary Hypertension: This condition is often referred to as essential hypertension. Suppose there is no recognized reason for your elevated blood pressure. This is by far the most prevalent kind of hypertension. This kind of blood pressure often develops over a period of years. It’s most likely a consequence of your lifestyle, culture, and the way your body changes.
Secondary Hypertension: This occurs when a medical condition or medication elevates your blood pressure. Secondary hypertension is caused by a variety of factors, including the following:
- Kidney issues
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Thyroid or adrenal gland dysfunction
- Certain medications
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
The majority of individuals with hypertension exhibit no symptoms. That’s why it is sometimes referred to as “the quiet killer.” However, it is important to get your blood pressure tested regularly.
With high blood pressure, some individuals suffer headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds. However, such symptoms may be mistaken for a variety of different conditions. Typically, these symptoms manifest after blood pressure has become dangerously high over an extended length of time.
Generally, hypertension is a silent disease. Many individuals exhibit no symptoms. It may take years, if not decades, for the disease to progress to a point where symptoms become apparent. Even then, such symptoms could be a result of another problem.
Severe hypertension may present with the following symptoms:
- Headaches
- Nosebleeds
- Shortness of breath
- Flushing
- Chest discomfort
- Dizziness
- Blood in the urine.
- Visual abnormalities
These symptoms need immediate medical care. Not everyone who has hypertension has these symptoms, however, waiting for one of these symptoms to develop may be lethal in certain cases.
Measuring regular blood pressure is the most accurate method to determine whether you have hypertension. Almost all visits to the doctor require a blood pressure measurement.
If you get an annual physical, discuss your risk for hypertension with your doctor and any additional blood pressure measurements you may need to assist you in managing your blood pressure.
Depending on your family history of cardiac disease and your risk factors for acquiring the illness, your doctor may suggest getting your diagnostic imaging twice a year. This enables you and your physician to keep ahead of any potential problems before they become serious.
Diagnosing High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is easily diagnosed by obtaining a blood pressure measurement. Blood pressure is checked in your physicians’ offices as part of a regular visit. If your next visit does not include a blood pressure reading, you can request one.
If your systolic pressure is abnormally high, your doctor may recommend further measurements over a few days or even weeks. A diagnosis of hypertension is seldom made based on a single reading. Instead, your physician will want to see proof of a persistent issue. This is because your surroundings may contribute to elevated blood pressure. Additionally, blood pressure values fluctuate all through the day.
If your blood pressure continues to be high, your doctor will most likely order further testing to rule out any underlying problems.
These tests may include the following:
- A urine test
- A cholesterol screening
- Additional blood tests
- An electrocardiogram (EKG, also known as an ECG) is used to determine the electrical activity of your heart
- An ultrasound of your heart or kidneys is used to determine the electrical activity of your heart or kidneys.
These tests will assist your doctor in determining if there are any secondary causes for your high blood pressure. Additionally, they may examine the impact of high blood pressure on your organs.
Your doctor may start treating your hypertension at this time. Early therapy may help you avoid permanent harm.
Treatment Choices for High Blood Pressure
Numerous variables contribute to your doctor’s decision about the optimal treatment choice for you. These considerations include the hypertension types you have as well as the reasons discovered thus far.
Treatment Options for Primary Hypertension
If your physician diagnoses you with high blood pressure, lifestyle modifications may help you manage your hypertension. However, if this is insufficient or becomes ineffective, your doctor may also prescribe medication.
Treatment Options for Secondary Hypertension
If your doctor determines that another disease is causing your hypertension, the doctor will direct treatment toward that illness. For instance, if a medication you’ve been taking causes an increase in blood pressure, the doctor will prescribe other medications that do not have this adverse effect.
Sometimes, despite treatment for the underlying reason, hypertension persists. In this situation, your doctor may collaborate with you to create lifestyle modifications and write prescriptions to reduce blood pressure.
Treatment regimens for hypertension often change. What works initially may become obsolete with time. Your physician will work with you to refine your treatment plan.
Danger of Hypertension
Normal blood pressure is necessary for the proper functioning of the body. Hypertension may have a devastating effect on multiple organs and can be life-threatening:
The cardiovascular system: Hypertension may harden the arteries, increasing the chance of a blockage.
The heart: the blood blockage may result in decreased blood supply to the heart, thus increasing the likelihood of heart failure or a heart attack.
The brain: An artery blockage may reduce or halt oxygen to the brain, resulting in a stroke.
The kidneys: Hypertension may damage the kidneys and cause chronic kidney disease.
All of these consequences have the potential to be fatal.
Ways to Live with Hypertension
Maintaining a healthy blood pressure level requires a lifetime commitment. You will always have to manage your weight, make healthy eating choices, exercise, develop coping mechanisms for stress, abstain from smoking, and moderate your alcohol use. In addition, if you need medication to manage hypertension, you will almost certainly require it for the rest of your life.
Additionally, it would help if you got used to routine blood pressure checks. Your physician may need you to visit him frequently. Alternatively, you may be suggested to monitor your blood pressure at home and maintain a log for your doctor. Certain pharmacies have on-site blood pressure equipment. You can also purchase a home-use automatic arm blood pressure cuff. Your physician may recommend that you check your blood pressure many times daily.
