Arterial hypertension (hypertension, AH) — a medical term that means that blood is putting excessive pressure on the walls of the arteries from the inside. Normal is considered to be a systolic (top) pressure of less than 120 and a diastolic (bottom) pressure of less than 80 mm Hg.
Arterial hypertension is diagnosed in the case of a persistent increase in blood pressure (BP):
- more than 140 mm Hg (systolic blood pressure);
- more than 90 mm Hg (diastolic blood pressure).
High blood pressure, if left untreated, can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney or heart failure, vision loss, and other complications. Even moderate elevations in blood pressure are associated with reduced life expectancy.
Up to 40% patients with arterial hypertension do not suspect that they have the disease, because this disease often has an asymptomatic course.
To detect hypertension, you need to know its signs, regularly measure your blood pressure, and monitor your own condition.
Causes of hypertension
The pressure in the arterial bed, which ensures the movement of blood from the heart to the organs, is the product of the values of cardiac output and total peripheral vascular resistance. These indicators change under the influence of a wide range of pathophysiological factors, mostly in various combinations.
If your blood pressure has increased, you should first of all figure out the cause. There are situations when the pressure has increased, but it cannot yet be considered a disease: against the background of strong emotional stress, alcohol consumption, after significant physical exertion. However, in a healthy person, the body compensates for the effects of all these factors and keeps blood pressure normal.
Arterial hypertension develops as a result of both genetic mechanisms and exogenous factors - excessive salt intake, psycho-emotional stress, obesity.
Determining risk factors for the occurrence of hypertension:
- gender (women are more likely to suffer);
- age (over 50 years);
- total cholesterol level.
The risk increases if the patient leads a sedentary lifestyle, is obese, has an early onset of cardiovascular disease in family members, preclinical manifestations of atherosclerosis, reduced kidney function, etc.
In people who have close relatives under the age of 55 with hypertension, the risk of developing hypertension increases fourfold.
The role of excessive sodium (salt) intake in the development of hypertension has been clearly demonstrated in Japan. Thanks to the implementation of the National Education Program on Salt Restriction, the incidence of hypertensive cerebrovascular accidents (heart attacks, strokes, etc.) has been significantly reduced over the past 20 years.
Types of AG
Taking into account the specifics of etiology, two types of arterial hypertension are distinguished:
- primary, or essential (hypertensive disease);
- secondary, or symptomatic.
Symptomatic hypertension is also divided into: renal; endocrine; caused by coarctation of the aorta; associated with neurological causes (brain tumor, encephalitis, sleep apnea syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome); caused by pregnancy; caused by increased cardiac output (increased wall stiffness in the elderly, aortic valve insufficiency, arteriovenous fistula, patent ductus arteriosus, Paget's disease, beriberi).
Essential hypertension is diagnosed in 951% of cases.
Symptoms of hypertension:
- high blood pressure (140/90);
- headache (most often in the occipital or parietal region);
- periodic tinnitus, darkening in the eyes and dizziness;
- pain in the heart area;
- rapid heartbeat (over 90 beats per minute) at rest;
- feeling of suffocation.
In most cases, the onset of hypertension goes unnoticed. If blood pressure rises gradually, headaches and dizziness are usually ignored.
Increased blood pressure can be accompanied by general weakness, irritability, drowsiness. Similar symptoms are characteristic of completely different ailments, which is why patients often seek medical attention late, when hypertension is discovered accidentally during a visit to the doctor for other reasons.
It's even worse when the cardiogram shows changes in the form of left ventricular hypertrophy or the ophthalmologist records changes in the vessels of the fundus. This means that high blood pressure has already caused damage to the heart and blood vessels and should have started treating it a year ago.
Hypertensive crisis
When blood pressure rises sharply, it cannot go unnoticed. If you start to have a severe headache, flashes of "flies" before your eyes, ringing (buzzing, hissing) in your ears, nausea, and vomiting do not bring relief - this may be a sign of a hypertensive crisis.
In this case, it is necessary to urgently call emergency help and be treated in a cardiology hospital.
Treatment of hypertension
Treatment of hypertension should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
Dietary and lifestyle changes can improve blood pressure control and reduce the risk of health complications. However, medication is often necessary for people for whom lifestyle changes are ineffective or insufficient.
If you first discover that your resting blood pressure is above 140/90, or you are experiencing headaches, tinnitus, or weakness, see a doctor.
Only a medical professional can make a diagnosis and prescribe appropriate medication.
If you have already been diagnosed with hypertension, you should immediately take the prescribed medication to lower your blood pressure and lie down for 30-40 minutes with your eyes closed. After taking these measures, measure your blood pressure again: if it does not decrease, your condition worsens, you should call an emergency medical team.
Prevention of hypertension
It is necessary to think about preventing hypertension at a young age, especially if any of your close relatives have cardiovascular disease.
Healthy eating habits and a general lifestyle will help prevent hypertension:
- maintain normal body weight;
- quit smoking;
- limit the amount of alcohol consumed, or better yet, do not drink alcohol at all;
- Exercise regularly (at least 30-40 minutes 3-4 times a week);
- limit salt intake (up to 5 g per day for an adult - a little less than a teaspoon, including "hidden salt" in marinades, smoked meats, sausages, sauces, and even regular bread);
- avoid stress (easy running, swimming, yoga, and walking in nature are excellent prevention methods for the effects of stress on the body);
- Eat foods rich in potassium (cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, greens).
In order not to miss the onset of arterial hypertension, it is necessary to be more attentive to your health and measure blood pressure at least twice a month for all people after 50 years of age.
How to measure blood pressure correctly
Early diagnosis of hypertension depends on the accuracy of measurements, for which it is recommended to regularly check the serviceability of pressure measuring devices (tonometers) and the correctness of their readings.
It is equally important to follow the recommendations of international experts during measurements, in particular:
- Blood pressure is measured while sitting, at rest, no earlier than 30 minutes after walking, smoking, drinking tea, coffee and other caffeinated beverages (otherwise, elevated blood pressure can be recorded even in a healthy person);
- feet should be on the floor;
- measure blood pressure twice (with a break of up to 2 minutes), and if the readings differ by more than 10 mm Hg, another measurement is required, the average result will be the indicator;
- the manometer is placed at heart level;
- during the first measurement, blood pressure is measured on both the left and right arms, with the higher reading taken into account;
- if the difference in readings between different hands exceeds 20 mmHg, a repeat measurement is required.
Arterial hypertension is diagnosed if elevated values are recorded as a result of at least two measurements.
In the case of a moderate increase during the first measurement, the second measurement is performed after a few months, and if the increase is significant, after a shorter interval.
Single measurement data are taken into account for diagnosing hypertension if they indicate stage 3 hypertension (indicators higher than 160 mm Hg for systolic pressure and higher than 110 mm Hg for diastolic pressure), there are corresponding symptoms, and there is a high additional cardiovascular risk.