Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure, that is,
the blood pressure is higher than normal or at an elevated state.
Hypertension tends to affect the working age group that is often
associated with high-stress conditions in the workplace. If
hypertension is not controlled, those suffering may become a huge burden
on the health system due to serious health problems. Hypertension is
classified into two types, primary and secondary. Primary hypertension
is high blood pressure that shows no specific cause. However, certain
diet drugs can be suspect. Hypertension is not caused by tension or
stress, even though some believe it is. Secondary hypertension may be
the result of an underlying or dormant disorder. It is estimated to
affect more than 50 million Americans and is one of the leading causes
of cardiovascular and renal disease. It is also a leading cause of
stroke, heart disease and kidney failure.
Hypertension can exist
in several different forms and symptoms do not appear until it is
severely high. It is common in older people and is widely associated
with vascular dysfunction in the coronary circulation. When there is
excessive pressure against the blood vessel walls and persist over
several weeks to months, hypertension is diagnosed. Pressure inside the
eye causes both retinopathy and ocular complications. Hypertension can
be a serious condition since it can cause damage to many body organs
including the kidneys, eyes and heart, among others.
Hypertension
is the single most autonomous and important risk for cardiovascular
disease, as well as congestive heart failure and even kidney failure.
Other factors credited to hypertension are high salt intake, obesity and
genetic vulnerability. It can continue for years and not be detected
due to lack of symptoms, unless damage has occurred. It is a medical
condition that can be a symptom of a dormant disease. The worst effects
of hypertension are on the heart, kidneys, eyes and brain.
Hypertension is a leading cause of deaths in adults, is a major health
care problem and is the single most significant contributor to stroke,
one of the biggest killer diseases known to man.
Shortness of
breath upon exertion is the most common symptom of pulmonary
hypertension and virtually everyone who has the condition develops it.
Symptoms may include mild fatigue, dizzy spells, fainting, rapid
heartbeat, ankle or leg swelling, bloating, tremors, stooped posture,
slowness of movement as well as muscle rigidity. Primary pulmonary
hypertension is found two times more often in women as men over age
thirty-five. During pregnancy, primary hypertension may be most
responsive to dietary calcium.
Diagnosis is by physical
examination and renal imaging or measuring the blood pressure. Just
about every physical examination includes checking the patient's blood
pressure. A doctor may suspect pulmonary hypertension in people who
have an underlying lung disorder. Portal hypertension is implied by the
presence of known chronic liver disease such as enlarged spleen.
Treatment
varies according to the stage of the disease. Hypertension is
controllable with treatment, which may require periodic adjustment. The
treatment is often associated with weight loss and increased exercise,
but a doctor should be consulted even in cases of pre-hypertension.
Hypertension is a very serious condition and should be taken seriously
by both patient and doctor. It is commonly treated with drugs that
decrease cardiac output and controlled with medications, dietary and
lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking, lowering cholesterol and
salt intake and exercising on a regular basis. Treatment of patients
with primary hypertension is usually directed at the underlying disease.
Treatment of high blood pressure significantly reduces the risk of
heart problems and stroke. Opening the obstructed renal artery, with or
without a stent, usually relieves hypertension.
Some patients may
experience excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, morning dry
mouth or headaches, chronic nasal obstruction, irritability, depression
or impotence. Patients with a diabetic nerve injury will improve if
their diabetes is better controlled. Those patients that are
overweight, have high stress levels and high intake of caffeine or
alcohol, smoke or do not exercise regularly must change their lifestyles
to decrease the risk for hypertension. Patients who experience extreme
dips in blood pressure at night and extreme surges in the morning, as a
rule, stay in the hospital overnight to quickly resume normal
activities.
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