High blood pressure is called hypertension. Hypertension is one of the forms of this disease. It is the most common pathology of the cardiovascular system. High blood pressure is considered to be the level of which exceeds 140 to 90. This condition leads to negative consequences for the internal organs.
High blood pressure (BP): concept
It is primary and secondary. The latter is a symptom of an existing pathology. By the time the disease appears, changes in the functioning of internal organs are noted. In the case of even a slight increase in pressure, the risks of stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure greatly increase.
BP is measured by two values:
- systolic (upper) - recorded during heart contraction (systole);
- lower (diastolic) - during relaxation of the heart (diastole).
The measurement is carried out in mm Hg. Art., but usually written through a slash. Typically, an increase in blood pressurepressure is noted simultaneously in the upper and lower indicators. Sometimes there may be an isolated rise. BP is often higher in the morning and afternoon than at night.
Common causes
Primary hypertension is the most common. Its etiology remains unclear. It is believed that the causes of high blood pressure are changes in the heart and blood vessels as a result of hereditary factors. An increase in pressure can be observed with diseases of the following organs:
- liver;
- thyroid;
- adrenals;
- kidney.
In addition, other factors can contribute to the increase in blood pressure:
- genetic predisposition;
- stress;
- effect of the "white coat" (BP rises only at the sight of people in white coats - in other situations, the indicators are within the normal range);
- sedentary lifestyle;
- smoking;
- overweight;
- presence of a large amount of s alt in the diet.
With pathologies of the adrenal glands that produce aldosterone, which belongs to the hormones that regulate blood pressure, high blood pressure becomes the norm. Also, an increase in blood pressure may be due to taking medications that have a corresponding side effect.
These include:
- tonic tinctures of some medicinal plants;
- glyceric acid;
- cortisone;
- certain antipyretics;
- vasoconstrictor drops against the common cold;
- contraceptives.
Causes of increased lower pressure
As already noted, there are two forms of AD. The causes of an increase in lower blood pressure are as follows:
- gender and age - the disease is rapidly getting younger, but it is believed that people over 55 (women) and 45 (men) are at greater risk;
- ethnicity and race - Black people often suffer from hypertension;
- heredity;
- obesity;
- physical and mental strain;
- smoking;
- eating too much s alt;
- various diseases;
- drugs.
As you can see, the causes of high lower blood pressure coincide with factors that negatively affect he alth in general. The latter leads to kidney failure.
Symptoms
At the initial stage of the disease, a person may not feel signs of either diastolic or systolic form. The symptoms of high blood pressure are as follows:
- rapid heart rate;
- night pains in the region of the heart;
- dizziness;
- tinnitus;
- the presence of "flies" before the eyes;
- irritability;
- bad dream;
- headache.
The last sign is the most characteristic of hypertension. If high blood pressure is elevated, itindicates that the arterioles and arteries are narrowed. Thus, the heart is affected, which can lead to angina pectoris, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, memory impairment and strokes. Arterial hypertension affects the internal organs, resulting in the following symptoms:
- brain - nausea, vomiting, dizziness, the appearance of "flies" before the eyes;
- heart - palpitations, pain at the location of the organ, shortness of breath;
- kidneys - frequent nighttime urination;
- peripheral vessels - strong cooling of the hands and feet, intermittent claudication, pain when walking in the calves;
- Vessels of the fundus - the appearance of "flies", visual impairment.
General principles of treatment
In case of high blood pressure, the treatment is based on the causes that caused it. In addition, the following factors must be taken into account:
- presence of concomitant diseases;
- degree of damage to organs that act as "targets";
- stage of pathology.
Primary hypertension cannot be completely cured. But it must be constantly monitored. Treating high blood pressure starts with preventive measures:
- giving up bad habits;
- he althy diet with reduced s alt intake;
- bringing body weight back to normal;
- moderate physical activity.
General drug therapy
BCurrently, a huge number of drugs have been developed to reduce blood pressure. At the same time, it is not necessary to expect that all of them will suit any person. Their reception is individual, should be selected by the attending physician. It is necessary to choose those that have the least side effects. Also, the prescribed medications in the list of contraindications should not have an item about increasing blood pressure.
High blood pressure is treated with the following drug groups:
- Imidazoline receptor agonists.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers.
- Calcium antagonists - they are commonly prescribed for patients with angina pectoris, arrhythmia and the elderly.
- Adrenergic blockers - block the action of the nervous system, due to which high blood pressure develops as a result of experienced stress. They are prescribed to young people who have tachycardia, angina pectoris, migraines, patients who have had a heart attack.
- ACE inhibitors - reduce pressure by dilating the arteries. They are prescribed for kidney damage during the course of diabetes, heart failure, kidney disease.
- Diuretics - remove s alt and water from the body, which leads to vasodilation, and, as a result, a decrease in blood pressure. The negative consequence is that potassium is washed out, so you need to take drugs containing it. Used in elderly patients with heart and kidney failure.
Can be differentcauses of high blood pressure. And the treatment in this case is not aimed at eliminating one of them, but is carried out in a complex manner. Several agents may be used at reduced dosages.
Treatment of symptomatic hypertension should be based on the treatment of the disease that caused it. In this case, both therapeutic and surgical methods can be used. The latter are used when the artery leading to the kidney is narrowed, or in the presence of tumors. Malignant hypertension requires immediate treatment. With it, there is a persistent increase in blood pressure over 220/130. There are various lesions of the fundus, heart, brain, kidneys. In the first two days, blood pressure is reduced by 1/3 by administering intravenous drugs (Diazoxide, Nitroglycerin, Nitroprusside and others). The reduction is carried out to blood pressure not lower than 170/100 in order to prevent deterioration of the internal organs. Further decline occurs within a few weeks.
Drug treatment for increased lower blood pressure
Basically, the lower and upper pressure increases synchronously, but sometimes there is a pattern when they increase individually. Below we consider the case when it is necessary to lower the elevated lower blood pressure without lowering the upper one. It should be remembered that drug therapy is prescribed by a doctor. The list below is provided for informational purposes only. If lower blood pressure is increased, then the following drugs are used:
- calcium antagonists: Amplodipine, Cinnarizine;
- beta-blockers: "Nebivator";
- diuretics: Furosemide;
- ACE inhibitors: Quinapril, Zofenapril;
- angiotensin receptor blockers: Candesartan, Bloktran.
Physical exercise
Physical education will lower blood pressure to a normal level and maintain it in a given range for a long period of time. However, the exercise program must be agreed with the attending physician without fail.
The following sports are useful for lowering blood pressure:
- race walking;
- swimming;
- jogging;
- cycling.
To successfully combat high blood pressure, you need to spend more time outdoors and engage in physical activity. Below are some exercises of the therapeutic gymnastics complex:
- From the supine position they pull themselves up, raising their hands up, put them behind the head - inhale, return to the starting position - exhale. Do this 5 times.
- Stand facing a wall with your arms braced, leaning forward and making motions similar to those of walking, keeping your toes on the floor.
- Being in a chair, raise your shoulders, dropping your hands. Circular movements are made in the area of the shoulder girdle, after which the shoulders are lowered. The number of repetitions is the same as the first exercise.
Ways to lower diastolic pressure
Expansion of blood vessels can eventually lead to damage to their walls. Soit is necessary to strive to normalize the work of the heart muscle. If lower blood pressure is elevated, stabilization without causing harm to the body is performed in the following ways:
- avoiding conflicts as they cause nervousness, which lead to an increase in blood pressure;
- exercise exercise therapy;
- sleep should be at least 6-8 hours;
- giving up bad habits;
- during work you need to take breaks for a light workout;
- reduce s alt intake to 5 g per day;
- avoid sugar if possible, replacing it with honey;
- add fermented milk and fruit and vegetable products to the diet, steam, refuse junk food, including smoked, fried and canned food.
Folk remedies
They can be used in combination with treatment. There are many recipes to help lower blood pressure. These include:
- daily morning use of a pre-crushed clove of garlic washed down with water and apple cider vinegar (1 tsp per 1/3 cup);
- a decoction of potato peels, boiled in boiling water for about 10 minutes, consumed 2 tbsp. l. 4 times a day;
- berries of strawberries, black currants, honeysuckle;
- cranberries mashed with sugar - 1 spoon three times a day;
- aloe juice (3 drops per 1 tsp) - taken daily on an empty stomach;
- before meals three times a day, consume 1 tbsp. l. carrot juice for a month;
- in the same mode, take 2 tbsp. l.honey added to beet juice.
Increased lower blood pressure is reduced using not only these methods, but also based on use:
- decoction of pine cones;
- flaxseed;
- onion;
- kombucha;
- watermelon;
- persimmons;
- golden mustache;
- lemon.
In the treatment of high lower blood pressure, tea from motherwort, hawthorn and valerian can be taken to reduce nervous excitability. This type of blood pressure is also knocked down by a mix of dried apricots, walnuts, honey, raisins, seasoned with lemon juice. In this case, all ingredients are taken in equal quantities. Take in the morning before meals, 1 tbsp. l. If the pressure is caused by disorders in the functioning of the kidneys, then diuretic herbs are used:
- oregano;
- sage;
- St. John's wort.
They take 1 tbsp. l., adding to motherwort. Everything is mixed, 0.5 l of boiling water is poured, after cooling, 100 ml are taken in the morning for one month. To calm the nervous system, in addition to the herbs listed above, you can use blue cyanosis. Arnica, astragalus, shepherd's purse, chokeberry, barberry are used to regulate vascular tone.
Excellent as diuretics:
- hanging birch;
- kidney tea;
- dill;
- knotweed.
Good help from hypertension infusion and decoction of hawthorn. The following recipe also helps to reduce blood pressure: 1 tbsp. l. flourfrom corn is poured with a glass of hot water and left to infuse overnight, after which it is consumed in the morning without stirring. The tincture should be used until the pressure is completely normal.
Treatment of pregnant women
In the third trimester, some women who are expecting a baby may develop eclampsia, which is a severe form of toxicosis with high blood pressure, which is dangerous for both the mother and the unborn child. In this case, the basis of treatment is lowering blood pressure (lower) to a level of 105 mm in order to prevent cerebral hemorrhage. If a pregnant woman has mild or moderate hypertension, then drug treatment is usually not used. Reduce it gradually to the level of 140/80. If it is impossible to cure without the use of medications, calcium channel blockers are used, as well as beta-blockers, as the safest. At the same time, drugs from the following groups should not be prescribed to pregnant women:
- angiotensin receptor blockers;
- ACE inhibitors;
- diuretics.
The former can lead to the death of the fetus, the latter weaken the blood flow to the uterus, causing coronary disease, kidney dysfunction in the developing child. Still others lower the overall blood capacity and worsen its flow to the placenta, which negatively affects the growth of the fetus.
In closing
The article addressed questions about why blood pressure is elevated, how this negative phenomenon can be eliminated, how to treat lower elevated blood pressure and general methods of therapy. Alsothe symptoms of the disease were considered. If left untreated, the risk of myocardial infarction, heart and kidney failure, and stroke increases. Particular attention should be paid to the treatment of malignant hypertension, which in a year without appropriate therapy in 95% of cases ends in the death of the patient. Treatment may be with medications. Consideration should be given to their limited use during pregnancy. Effective therapy with folk remedies under the supervision of a phytotherapist. It is also necessary to follow the principles of rational nutrition and offer the body moderate physical activity.
