High blood pressure or arterial high blood pressure is an ordinary increase within the pressure exerted by means of blood at the same time as circulating via the arteries of the frame. It is one of the hazard elements for illnesses which includes coronary heart attacks and strokes, and it on the whole occurs silently in kids, adults and the elderly.
Among other topics, you will also understand about high blood pressure:
- Causes
- Symptoms
- Treatment
What is high blood pressure?
Arterial hypertension, also known as high blood pressure , is characterized by blood pressure above or equal to 140/90 mmHg, which remains the same in several measurements taken on different days.
It influences men and women at any age group, irrespective of the social elegance or monetary circumstance, and is related to the force that blood exhibits towards the partitions of arteries to circulate across the frame. In quick, there is high blood pressure while the blood fails to circulate easily via the blood vessels and the heart has to pump tougher for the blood to bypass through the frame.
This reasons high blood pressure to dilate the coronary heart and damage the arteries. High blood strain is multifactorial, and threat situations like weight problems , diabetes and high ldl cholesterol may irritate it.
Hypertension levels are not always the same throughout the day. They usually fall during sleep and moments of relaxation. The opposite occurs during physical activity, stress or agitation.
Consequences of uncontrolled high blood pressure
People with high blood pressure are more likely to have cerebral vascular problems (such as stroke) and cardiac problems (such as heart attack), as well as chronic kidney disease, vision changes and sexual impotence.
What is the limit of high blood pressure?
It can be divided into three stages defined by blood pressure levels. The numbers, added to existing conditions such as diabetes, for example, determine whether the patient’s risk of cardiovascular death is mild, moderate, high or very high. Therefore, blood pressure is divided as follows:
- hypertension above 130/90 and below 160/100;
- hypertension above 160/100 and below 180/110;
- hypertension above 180/110.
What causes high blood pressure?
The pathophysiology of arterial hypertension is the way in which high blood pressure is brought about inside the frame. Generally, it is able to be considered that there are 3 approaches wherein a hypertensive crisis can start in an character, this is, in which high blood stress can arise. Follow along.
Increased intravascular quantity
A extra volume of blood inside the blood vessels calls for the coronary heart to exert more pressure to continue pumping and keeping regular movement. The more effort to make the blood circulate is what characterizes high blood pressure.
Peripheral vascular resistance
This set of ducts is closed in the circulatory system. Therefore, peripheral vascular resistance is the resistance offered by the walls of blood vessels when pumping blood through the system. The greater this resistance, the greater the amount of force – pressure required in pumping.
Reduced production of endogenous vasodilators
The body itself has mechanisms to keep things under control. To do this, it produces substances that cause blood vessels to dilate, increasing their size and reducing the need for increased pressure. A reduction in the natural production of these vasodilators leads to a loss of control of this mechanism.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
In many individuals, high blood pressure is present, but does not show symptoms. The person is said to be asymptomatic for the disease, which makes it even more important to periodically check blood pressure conditions (“measure blood pressure”).
On the other hand, there are some common manifestations in people who have high blood pressure and which can be related to this, among others:
- headache ;
- neck pain;
- dizziness;
- blurred vision;
- ringing in the ear;
- tingling in the limbs;
- drowsiness;
- nausea;
- difficulty breathing.
- Small spots of blood in the eyes
- difficulty breathing;
- heart palpitations;
- nosebleed.
Therefore, with or without symptoms, it is important for the company to promote periodic assessments and check employees’ blood pressure. In this way, early identification can ensure adequate treatment without impeding the continuity of activities and with a better quality of life for the worker.
Medical care focused on Primary Health Care also increases the success of attempts to prevent and treat these and other diseases. Learn more about this concept:
When is high blood pressure a concern?
In a state of stress or other situations that lead to high blood pressure, the heart is not forced to be overloaded. Therefore, there are no values of hypertension or high blood pressure that are considered normal .
In fact, what can occur are natural responses of the body in certain conditions that cause blood pressure values to rise, also returning naturally after the situation that caused the increase has passed. These are, for example, events that involve physical activity, states of agitation and stressful situations.
Under these conditions, it is natural to have high blood pressure, but these are abnormal values that need to return to their normal condition. In addition to these, there is also a situation that occurs with some frequency, which is high blood pressure in pregnant women.
Pregnancy can cause a woman’s blood pressure to rise during this period compared to its normal values. In these cases, unless the values rise significantly according to the doctor’s assessment, it is usually decided not to use medication to correct it.
Risk factors for high blood pressure
Approximately 90% of patients diagnosed with high blood pressure have what is known as primary or essential hypertension, when there is no disease or condition that justifies it. The main risk factors are:
- family history (children of hypertensive parents have a higher risk);
- age (more common in people over 60 years of age);
- sedentary lifestyle;
- obesity;
- stress;
- irregular sleep or sleep apnea;
- poor diet
- excess salt consumption;
- excessive alcohol consumption;
- smoking ;
- hyperthyroidism;
- diabetes;
- kidney diseases.
How to confirm the diagnosis?
An important aspect that facilitates the diagnosis of hypertension is family history, that is, whether other people in the family have already been diagnosed with hypertension. In addition, knowing the person’s lifestyle is also essential for medical evaluation.
Because hypertension is such a silent disease, one may only experience signs of symptoms when the condition has already been set. It is, therefore, always advisable to have your blood pressure checked at least twice a year, for any changes that might have occurred to be noticed early.
Blood pressure is fairly simple to be measured, being measured by the clinician while a subject relaxes seated for five minutes with use of a medical instrument known as sphygmomanometer. Some lab tests may actually reflect that some cases are experiencing possible hypertension, some are:
- plain urine;
- fasting blood glucose;
- sodium and potassium;
- creatinine;
- blood count;
- resting electrocardiogram.
What is the treatment for high blood pressure?
Treatment varies in each case but may require alterations in lifestyle along with the usage of specific medication to regulate the blood pressure. Note that not all cases result in the regulation of blood pressure through diet or exercise, etc., and hence, treatment by medication only comes into view after a visit to a doctor.
The most common medications used to treat high blood pressure are diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators and angiotensin receptor antagonists. All of these can be used alone or together, depending on the doctor’s assessment.
We have previously discussed lifestyle changes , which include a healthy diet low in salt, sugar and fat, as well as regular physical activity, at least 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 times a week during treatment. It is also important to avoid smoking, avoid stressful situations and maintain a weight that is appropriate for your height.
How to prevent high blood pressure?
Prevention is the best way and the main measures are related to the adoption of lifestyle habits. See the main initiatives in this regard:
- adopt a healthy diet (mainly reducing salt, sugar and fats);
- adopt physical activities (it could be a simple daily walk);
- avoid the accumulation of body fat in the waist area;
- reduce alcohol intake;
- avoid smoking;
- spend a few minutes in the sun (to avoid vitamin D deficiency);
- reduce stress in everyday life.
Recommendations on hypertension
From everything you have seen so far, you can conclude that the main recommendations are clear and simple. It is up to each person to make the personal effort to adapt, in order to prevent or control high blood pressure. See below the main precautions:
- check your blood pressure weekly if you have high blood pressure, or twice a year if your blood pressure is normal;
- research your family history of high blood pressure;
- adopt the guidelines given above for preventing hypertension;
- seek medical advice immediately if you suspect high blood pressure (don’t put it off);
- Keep in mind that hypertension is a chronic disease , that is, it tends to last a lifetime.