Hypertension or arterial hypertension is called a cardiovascular disease, characterized by consistently high, at a rate of 120/80, blood pressure, recorded by three measurements. Hypertension is one of the most common diseases; up to 40% of the population aged 16 to 65 suffer from high blood pressure. The consequences of high blood pressure can be very deplorable. Arterial hypertension occurs in 70% of people over 55.
The danger of high blood pressure lies in the fact that hypertension is accompanied by the development of complications - atherosclerosis (damage to the walls of the arteries), heart failure (heart failure), myocardial infarction (blockage of the blood supplying artery), stroke (impaired blood flow to the brain), renal failure (impaired kidney function), decreased vision, weight gain, impotence. Especially dangerous are the consequences of high blood pressure in old age. Some of these diseases are life-threatening, so it is important to diagnose arterial hypertension in time and start treatment.
Hypertension symptoms
The first symptoms of the disease are manifested as chronic fatigue, frequent headaches, bouts of nausea, dots before the eyes - this is the first stage of the disease, which often goes unnoticed, but if you see a doctor during this period, then there is every chance to do without medication. At the second stage, hypertension causes severe dizziness and pain in the region of the heart - medical intervention is required, since internal organs, especially the vessels of the brain, begin to suffer. In the third stage, hypertension is already causing severe damage to he alth. Due to the fact that the systolic (upper numbers on the tonometer) pressure rises - 180-200, the vessels are subjected to the heaviest load, the heart works for wear, angina pectoris, arrhythmia develop. There is a threat of a hypertensive crisis, which requires emergency medical care, and sometimes hospitalization.
High blood pressure is the result of nervous overload, stress, insomnia, overweight, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, thyroid and kidney disease, smoking. Hypertension is caused by drug treatment with certain types of drugs. Many are looking for, for example, the cause of nosebleeds in adults. The most common answer is the same high blood pressure. There is also a hereditary factor - hypertensionis not transmitted from parents to children, but the predisposition to arterial hypertension is genetic. It is necessary to remember about the age norms of arterial pressure. It rises with old age.
Ways to fight hypertension
The number of hypertensive patients is growing every year around the world. This disease has no racial, national or even age preference. Due to frequent stress, overload and improper lifestyle, many diseases “get younger”, including arterial hypertension. Therefore, it is worth taking some measures to prevent hypertension, because the consequences of high blood pressure can be very deplorable. Here's what WHO experts advise.
Weight loss
- Losing even five kilograms will positively affect the state of he alth, at the same time, he alth and appearance will improve. The indicator is the waist circumference. The first degree of obesity occurs with numbers - for men 90 cm, for women 82 cm.
- Connect physical activity - half an hour of light exercise is enough to reduce blood pressure by 5-10 points. It is not necessary to run to the gym, daily walks, swimming, jogging will do.
- Change the diet - fatty, s alty and spicy foods do not benefit anyone, especially hypertensive patients. The consumption of unhe althy foods should be reduced by replacing fried pork with whole grains, chocolates with fruits, fast food with vegetables. People with high blood pressure may benefit from eating potassium-rich foods such as garlic,parsley, bananas, apples, nuts, legumes.
- Limit your s alt intake – cutting out sodium is not a good idea, but cutting back to a minimum will help lower your blood pressure.
Quit alcohol and caffeine
Hypertension can be caused by a hangover or alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which accompanies the second and third stages of alcoholism. The daily dose of strong alcohol for a middle-aged person should not exceed 50-70 ml. Coffee is the most controversial drink. Scientists have not fully decided on the degree of its influence on the increase in pressure, coming to the conclusion that everything is very individual. But if after drinking coffee the pressure rises by 8-10 points, then it is better to switch to green tea.
Stress control
The modern pace of life leaves no chance to avoid stressful situations, but it is worth striving for this - to change your attitude to life and the world as a whole, to devote time to rest. Do not neglect your he alth - according to the principle "it will pass by itself", considering hypertension as something like a runny nose. Visiting a doctor, buying a blood pressure monitor and daily monitoring of pressure will save you from more serious problems.
The effect of stress
Stress itself, whether of physical or emotional origin, leads to a short-term increase in pressure. Anxiety and tension increase, for example, before a public speech, a visit to the hospital. From the point of view of physiology, this is normal, but if the stress lasts for a long time, then the brain does not have time to relax. There is a constant vascular spasm, which eventually fixes the pressure at a dangerously high level. The inability to cope with a stressful situation eventually becomes a factor in the occurrence of hypertension. Among other things, this may be accompanied by existing diseases of certain organs or organ systems. A good rest is usually enough to get rid of the temporary increase in pressure. With prolonged high blood pressure, you can try to resort to natural remedies using appropriate diets, herbal and aromatherapy, psychological and physical exercises. Medicines for hypertension are usually difficult to tolerate by the body, expensive and have a number of negative side effects, so their use is carried out strictly in consultation with the attending physician. The effects of high blood pressure on the body in the form of heart disease can be the result of prolonged stress.
Thus, many factors influence the development of hypertension. Compliance with preventive measures and maintaining a he althy lifestyle can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing this unpleasant disease.
Some numbers
430,000 people are diagnosed with this disease every year. Almost 20-25% of the total adult population has high blood pressure (more than 140/90 mm). There are about 12-13 million patients with arterial hypertension in our country. To detect the disease, it is necessary to control blood pressure - check it twice a day for four weeks. Even young peopleblood pressure needs to be controlled. The best way to do this is with Holter monitoring.
The concept of Holter monitoring
This is a method that allows you to evaluate the patient's cardiac activity in the conditions of adherence to the usual lifestyle. Also, in order to diagnose blood pressure, it is necessary to do a blood test and an electrocardiogram, ultrasound of the heart and kidneys, dopplerography of the vessels of the neck and consult a cardiologist, ophthalmologist and endocrinologist. How to treat hypertension? An important component of the treatment of hypertension is the selection and continuous use of antihypertensive drugs, as well as preparation for ultrasound of the heart.
Hypertension is a chronic disease that requires constant intake of drugs, the dose of which can be adjusted depending on the stage of the disease. Patients must be registered with a cardiologist or a family doctor with a mandatory annual examination.
Main causes of hypertensive crisis
Failure to take antihypertensive drugs or incorrect doses, stressful situations and endocrine disorders. Its symptoms are:
- Intense pain or discomfort behind the sternum or around the heart.
- Speech impairment, weakness of one arm, facial asymmetry.
- Intense headache.
- Deterioration of vision.
- Suffocation.
- Convulsions.
- Loss of consciousness.
In such cases, you should immediately call an ambulance. The process of lowering blood pressure should be gradual (no more than 25%.
Complications of hypertension
Traditionally, it is considered that the norm for an ordinary adult is blood pressure, the numbers of which do not exceed 140 and 90. These two numbers, which can be found on the dial of any tonometer, show systolic and diastolic pressure - the moments when the heart muscle contracts and relaxed accordingly. Indicators that exceed this threshold are life-threatening. Then they talk about hypertensive pressure, which seriously increases the risk of developing various heart diseases, as well as the likelihood of stroke and heart attacks. You should be aware that modern electronics tend to show numbers that are slightly higher compared to conventional devices with an arrow. This is due to the fact that electronic blood pressure monitors use the oscillometric principle when measuring pressure, which makes them more sensitive.
It is also important to remember that automatic devices attached to the finger or wrist have a very high measurement error and cannot be used in case of hypertension. Here you need to use only the shoulder cuffs. An important factor in the development of hypertensive disorders is advanced age. People who are over 60-65 years old should know that in old age the walls of blood vessels become thicker, and the lumen through which blood flows narrower. This often results in primary hypertension. A pressure of 180 at this age is a very common phenomenon that must be de alt with.
Hypertension at an early age
However, hypertension can be acquired at an earlier age. An increase in blood viscosity occurs with malnutrition, fatty deposits appear on the walls of blood vessels, and cholesterol rises. As a result, blood pressure is steadily increased, and the consequences of high pressure are known to us. In the treatment of such a disease, you can arrange a general cleansing of the body with days of fasting or even starvation, and exclude dairy products, eggs and any fatty products from the diet. The fruits of red pepper, garlic, hawthorn, motherwort tincture will bring benefits. Hypertensive diseases can cause disorders of the nervous system, especially in people of a melancholic temperament. Jumps in pressure and pulse will accompany insomnia, overwork, overexertion, and it is also practically the main cause of nosebleeds in adults.
