All you need to know about hypertension - causes, symptoms, and treatments

Are you suffering from hypertension or is anyone you know suffering from hypertension? Well, high blood pressure is another name for hypertension and can lead to severe complications like heart disease, stroke, and even death. The pressure in the blood is the force that is exerted on the walls of the blood vessels by the blood. The blood pressure is entirely based on the resistance of the blood vessel and the work that is being done by the heart.
As per the medical records, hypertension exists when the pressure of the blood is higher than 130 over 80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Solely in the USA, there are about 85 million people that suffer from high blood pressure. In short, hypertension is a global health concern. Moreover, as per the WHO (World Health Organization), it is due to the growth of the processed food industry due to which the amount of salt people consume has increased worldwide. And well, salt plays a huge role in hypertension.

Types of Hypertension

Hypertension is the main name for high blood pressure. When the cause of the disease is not due to another disease, it is called essential or primary hypertension. In case it is caused due to another disease, it is called secondary hypertension. These two types are explained below in details:

Primary Hypertension: Primary hypertension is caused due to various factors including the blood plasma volume and activity of the hormones due to which the blood volume and pressure is regulated. Another cause for this is due to environmental factors like the lack of exercise and stress.

Secondary Hypertension: The secondary hypertension is caused due to the complication of another disease. The specific causes include CKD, obesity, sleep apnea, pregnancy, diabetes (due to nerve damage kidney disease), hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland cancer). It is also caused by Cushing syndrome, which is a disorder of the cortical-secreting adrenal glands.
 
Risk factors of Hypertension
 
There are a lot of risk factors that usually increase the chances for a person to have hypertension as mentioned below:

Sex: The risk of getting hypertension is the same for both males and females. But the risks are higher for men at a much younger age. The predominance usually is greater in older women.

Alcohol and tobacco use: A person who drinks or smokes regularly has a higher risk of getting hypertension.

Size and weight: Being obese or overweight is also a main reason.

Ethnicity: A few ethnic groups are usually more likely to get hypertension.

Age: It is common for people who reach the age of 60 to suffer from hypertension. This is because, with age, the blood pressure regularly increases since the arteries become narrower and stiffer due to plaque build-up.
Other things that can cause hypertension are - certain diseases and medications, low potassium in the diet, and a salt-rich diet associated with fatty and processed foods. In case there is a family history for poorly managed stress and high blood pressure, then also the person from this family is more likely to suffer from hypertension sometime in the future.

Signs of Hypertension
 
A blood pressure monitor or a sphygmomanometer is used to measure the blood pressure in a person. In case a person has high blood pressure for a short time, it is taken as something normal since it can be due to any situation. For instance, intense exercise and acute stress usually elevates the blood pressure in every normal person, and it is not considered as a risk.

And it is due to this that the diagnosis of hypertension usually needs multiple readings that eventually display that the pressure of the blood is high consistently. The diastolic reading of 80 mmHg refers to the blood pressure when the heart relaxes and then refills the blood. And the systolic reading of 130 mmHg refers to the blood pressure when the heart pumps blood in the body.

Symptoms of Hypertension
 
When a person is suffering from hypertension, they would not be able to notice any symptoms. This is also a reason why hypertension is also called the "silent killer." Moreover, if it is not detected, it could damage the internal organs like the kidneys and the cardiovascular system. This makes it vital to check the blood pressure of your body regularly to stay safe from the disease.

Although there are a few cases where the person having hypertension suffers from blushing, sleeping issues, anxiety, and sweating, there are many cases where no symptoms are noticed. If the blood pressure gets to the stage where there is a hypertensive crisis, the person's nose would bleed and he/she would experience a lot of headaches.

Complications in Hypertension Cases
 
If hypertension persists in a person for a long time, this can cause complications like atherosclerosis. This is a case where the development of plaque results in the contraction of blood vessels. And due to this, hypertension becomes worse since the body would have to work harder to have the blood pumped to the completed body. Due to atherosclerosis, a person can get an amputation, a stroke, suffer from kidney failure, or even from a heart failure or heart attacks.

Treatment for Hypertension
 
Even though blood pressure is taken care of through the proper diet before it gets worse, there are many treatments options for it. The basic things that a person can do to avoid hypertension are by changing their lifestyle and begin to exercise regularly. It is highly recommended that the patients should work out for at least 30 minutes a day which should include jogging, cycling, walking, aerobic exercise, etc.

Another thing that the patients need to take care of is the management of unavoidable stress. Also, consuming alcohol or smoking would add to the stress and not reduce it. Hence, all unhealthy habits should be avoided.

Medications for Hypertension
 
For those who are suffering from hypertension, it is normally advised to meet a doctor and get the medications for it. Depending on the body type, situation and how much the blood pressure is, the doctor would give the desired medications. It is essential to consult a doctor since the drugs can be reactive and wrong for some people. This would lead to more harm rather than good. Hence, meeting a doctor in such cases is much better. Just make sure that you do not ignore if you have high blood pressure and take up the treatment before it becomes a chronic disease!