HYPERTENSION
What Is Hypertension? When your blood pressure is taken there are two components which are read from the measurement, the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart beats. The diastolic pressure is the pressure between heartbeats. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is generally considered to be greater than or equal to 140 systolic and 90 diastolic, measured in millimeters of mercury.
What Causes Hypertension? There are two main types of hypertension. People with high blood pressure who have no easily identifiable cause are considered to have primary essential hypertension, while those who have a specific gene or organ (e.g. the kidney) directly responsible for hypertension have a secondary form of hypertension. About 92-94% of individuals with hypertension have essential hypertension, 3-5% have hypertension due to kidney disease and the remaining are often endocrine-related causes. The precise cause of essential hypertension is complex, due to the variety of systems that are involved in the regulation of arterial pressure, such as the nervous system, the kidneys, the heart and blood vessels and to the intricacy of their interactions. Risk factors associated with hypertension include diabetes mellitus, a family history of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, salt intake and stress. Age, sex and race also contribute to the development of hypertension, with older individuals, males, and blacks being at greater risk.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hypertension? Hypertension is a dangerous condition because it is often considered a "silent killer". If not detected and treated, it can result in serious damage to the heart, kidneys, brain (via a stroke), eyes and other organs. It is thus important to get your blood pressure checked annually by a physician, especially if you fall into any of the following categories: have a blood pressure that is elevated overall, have an elevated systolic pressure with a normal diastolic pressure, or if you have a family history of hypertension, are overweight, or are over forty years old. When symptoms do arise you should call a physician immediately. Symptoms may include drowsiness, confusion, headache, nausea, and loss of vision.
What Can Hypertension Be Confused With? Elevated blood pressure can also occur in individuals who experience anxiety attacks or panic attacks. However, these can often be differentiated from primary and secondary hypertension based on the medical history. Other conditions which also have an elevated blood pressure as an associated sign include hyperthyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus, Cushing's syndrome, abdominal aneurysms, and in pregnant women, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.
What Can You Do For Hypertension? According to the Canadian Hypertension Society, non-pharmacological treatment is recommended for all patients with elevated blood pressure. This includes weight loss, increase in physical activity, reduction in alcohol and dietary salt intake and increase in your intake of dietary potassium. You should consult with your physician before starting any of these interventions. It is also important to identify other causes of high blood pressure, such as the use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and of oral contraceptives. Drug therapy should be considered when your doctor has observed consistently high blood pressure over a period of time despite non-pharmacological interventions. Your doctor will prescribe appropriate drugs to lower blood pressure. Some of the commonly used classes of drugs are diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers.
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