Increasing the pressure above the age norm is to be correct to call arterial hypertension.
If the pressure increases frequently or for a long time and during the study it is not possible to identify the causes, then hypertension is diagnosed.If a person has any disease that causes increased pressure (such as traumatic brain damage in the past, kidney disease, etc.), then they talk about secondary arterial hypertension.However, in the collapse, all cases of high pressure are often called hypertension.
Hypertension is known as a "quiet killer" as there are not always obvious symptoms, especially in the early stages.Increased pressure has been found to have 20-30 % of the adult population, although many do not know about their illness for a long time.If hypertension is not treated, the risk of heart attack or increased stroke.The only way to learn about having a problem is
Regularly measure blood pressure.
Blood pressure is the force by which the blood is pressed against the walls of the blood vessels and the heart.With hypertension, blood pressure on the arteries and the heart becomes excessively high, leading to premature wear of these organs and increases the risk of other diseases, such as impaired renal or brain function.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and fixed in two dimensions:
- Systolic pressure - blood pressure at the moment when your heart is reduced and pushes blood into the arteries;
- Diastolic pressure - blood pressure at the time of relaxation of the heart muscle between two contractions.
For example, if your doctor says your blood pressure is "140 to 90", it means that your systolic pressure is 140 mm Hg.Articles, and Diastolic Pressure - 90 mm Hg.Art.
Optimal blood pressure in adults is considered less than 120/80 mm Hg.Art.However, there are numbers up to 139/89 inclusive within the norm.If, according to the results of several measurements, your pressure exceeds 140/90, you have arterial hypertension, additional examination and possible treatment is required.
Symptoms of arterial hypertension (hypertension)
Increasing blood pressure is not always accompanied by a change in well.The only way to find out if you have hypertension is to measure your blood pressure.Adults should check their blood pressure at least once every five years.
If you are pregnant, it is important to constantly check your blood pressure, even if it is not high.Monitoring blood pressure during pregnancy reduces the risk of complications.Increased blood pressure in a pregnant woman can lead to preeclampsia.This is a dangerous condition in which there is a problem with the placenta (the organ that provides the circulation of the unborn child).
Sometimes the symptoms of high pressure are:
- headache;
- darkening or double in the eyes;
- Nosebleeds;
- Dyspnea.
Such signs appear in people with very high pressure.If you find any of these symptoms, consult a doctor.Without treatment, arterial hypertension can lead to serious illnesses, including stroke and heart attack.Immediately arrange an appointment with the therapist if you find any of these symptoms or high pressure.If the symptoms are significantly expressed, call an ambulance.
Causes of hypertension (arterial hypertension)
In more than 90% of cases, the cause of high blood pressure cannot be identified.Then hypertension is called basic or primary.Factors that may increase the risk of primary hypertension from you include:
- Age: the risk of developing hypertension increases with age;
- There have been cases of hypertension in your family (the disease may be hereditary);
- Excess salt in your diet;
- lack of exercise;
- completeness;
- smoking;
- alcohol abuse;
- Stress.
Known reasons for hypertension
About 10% of high pressure cases are the result of a particular disease or specific cause.These cases are related to secondary hypertension.Typical causes of pressure in this case are:
- kidney disease;
- Diabetes sugar;
- narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys;
- hormonal diseases such as Cushing Syndrome (a disease in which the body produces too many steroid hormones);
- Diseases that affect the connective tissues of the body, for example, systemic lupus erythematosus;
- contraceptives (oral contraceptives);
- Painkillers known as non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
- Club drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and crystalline methamphetamine;
- Some plant medicines, herbal supplements.
Diagnosis of hypertension
In order to diagnose arterial hypertension and to identify its possible causes, they mainly resort to the systematic measurement of blood pressure.This can be done by both a medical professional and independently, using a home apparatus to measure pressure.
Healthy people over the age of 40 should measure their blood pressure at least once every five years.If you have an increased risk of hypertension, you should more often check your blood pressure, ideally once a year.
Blood pressure check is usually easy to conduct in most clinics and hospitals.Blood pressure is usually measured using a tonometer (pressure gauge), a device consisting of a stethoscope, cuff, measuring device, air injection and valve.
The cuff is wrapped around the shoulder and pumped to limit blood flow to the artery.Then the air in the cuff begins to slow down slowly as he listens to the pulse with a stethoscope.Listening to your pulse on the spot under the airline with a downhill air allows you to receive reliable data on your blood pressure indications.In addition, automatic (digital) tonometers are now common that measures pressure and impulse using electrical sensors.
Before continuing to measure your blood pressure, you should relax for at least five minutes and empty your bladder.To get the right indication of blood pressure, you must sit and not speak during manipulation.
If you have found high blood pressure with one measurement, it does not necessarily mean that you have hypertension.During the day, blood pressure levels may hesitate.The pressure may be increased when the doctor is taken due to anxiety and stress.In these cases, it is recommended that you measure the pressure during the day alone using a home tonometer.By excluding the "fear of the white slave", you can get more objective indicators.
You can also take blood and urine tests to check the presence of diseases that increase the risk of high blood pressure, for example, kidney disease.
Deciphering tonometer readings
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury of mercury (mm Rt. Art) and fixed in two ranges:
- Systolic pressure - blood pressure at the moment when your heart is reduced and pushes blood into the arteries;
- Diastolic pressure - blood pressure at the time of relaxation of the heart muscle between two contractions.
For example, if your systolic blood pressure is 140 mm Hg.Art., And diastolic blood pressure is 90 mm Hg.Art., Then they say that your pressure is 140 to 90.
Ideally, blood pressure should be less than 120/80.Nevertheless, the readings below 140/90 are usually considered normal.If you have kidney disease, diabetes or heart disease and the circulatory system, your target blood pressure should be below 130/80 mm Hg.Art.
If the pressure indicators for several days are higher than the marking of 140/90 - you have arterial hypertension and additional study is required.
High -pressure treatment
Effective actions to reduce blood pressure are a change in lifestyle and medicines.The choice of treatment regimen will depend on the level of blood pressure and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
If your blood pressure is slightly higher than 130/80 mm Hg.Art.At the same time, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in your low-vascular disease, then you should be able to reduce pressure only by making certain changes in your lifestyle.
If your blood pressure is moderately high (140/90 mm Hg or higher) and there is a risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years, then treatment will include medicines and adjusting your lifestyle.
If your blood pressure is very high (180/110 mm Hg or higher), then in the near future you need treatment, probably with an additional examination, depending on your health.
Lifestyle with arterial hypertension
Below are some changes that you can make on your lifestyle to reduce pressure.Some of them will lead to a rapid improvement within a few weeks, others will affect a longer period.
- Reduce salt consumption to less than 6 grams per day.
- Eat healthy, low, balanced foods in the composition, including many fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Be active: maintaining physical activity is one of the key things you need to do to prevent or control hypertension.
- Reduces alcohol consumption.
- Refuse smoking.Smoking significantly increases the likelihood of developing lungs and heart disease.
- Lose weight.
- Drink less coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks, such as a car.Using more than four cups of coffee a day can increase your blood pressure.
- Try to use such relaxation techniques as yoga, meditation and stress management (autogenous training).
The healthier habits you will control, the more positive the effect will have.In practice, some people find that when maintaining a healthy lifestyle, they usually need to take medication.
Treatment of Hypertension Medicines
There is a wide selection of pressure lowering drugs.You may need to take more than one type of medicine, as sometimes treatment for hypertension needs a combination of several medicines.
In some cases, you will need to gain pressure, reducing pressure throughout your life.However, if your blood pressure levels remain under control for several years, you will be able to stop medicinal treatment.Most high -pressure medicines can cause side effects, but this problem can be solved by replacing the medicines.
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following common side effects of taking medication:
- feeling of drowsiness;
- Kidney pain (lower back);
- dry cough;
- dizziness, exhaustion or lethargy;
- Raw on the skin.
Below are the most widely used high pressure medicines.
Angiotensin-Reproductive Enzyme Inhibitors (APF)Reduce blood pressure by relaxing the walls of blood vessels.The most common side effect is a constant dry cough.If the side effects start to worry too much, medicines such as angiotensin-2 receptor antagonists may recommend you, whose action is similar to the action of ACE inhibitors.
ACE inhibitors can cause unforeseen side effects if taken with others, including above -gran, medicines.Consult a doctor before taking additional medicine if their combination of negative side effects will cause them.
Calcium channel blockers(calcium antagonists) prevent calcium in the cells of the muscle tissue of the heart and blood vessels.This leads to the expansion of your arteries (large blood vessels) and a decrease in blood pressure.
The use of grapefruit juice when taking certain types of calcium channel blockers can increase the risk of side effects.You can discuss this problem with your doctor more detail.
Diuretics(Diuretics) act due to the excretion of excess fluid and salt from the body.
Beta blockers (beta-blockers)They act by reducing the frequency and strength of cardiac contractions, thus reducing blood pressure.Previously, beta-blockers are a popular high pressure remedy, but they are currently only used when other remedies do not have the necessary effect.This is due to the fact that beta-blockers are considered less effective than other types of high pressure medicines.
Beta blockers can also affect the effect of other medicines, causing side effects.Consult your doctor before taking other medicines in combination with beta-blockers.
Do not stop taking beta blockers suddenly without consulting your doctor.This can lead to serious side effects, such as an increase in blood pressure or angina attack.
Alpha blockers (alpha-blockers)Usually, they are not recommended as a first choice medicine to reduce high blood pressure, except when other medicines do not have the right effect.Alpha blockers act by releasing your blood vessels, greatly facilitating blood flow inside them.
The common side effects of alpha blockers include:
- fainting on the first administration of the drug ("first dose effect");
- dizziness;
- headache;
- swelling of the ankles;
- fatigue.
Complications of hypertension
Increased blood pressure exercises additional strain on your heart and blood vessels.If no hypertension is treated, after a certain point the risk of developing heart attack, stroke and kidney disease increases.
Cardiovascular diseases for hypertension
Hypertension can cause many different diseases of the heart and blood vessels and heart vessels (cardiovascular disease), including:
- stroke;
- myocardial infarction;
- Embolia: occurs when a blood clot or balloon of air blocks blood flow to a vessel;
- Aneurysm: It develops when the wall of the blood vessel extends and can burst at any time, causing internal bleeding.
Kidney disease and increased pressure
Hypertension can also lead to damage to small blood vessels in the kidneys and disrupt their function.This complication can cause symptoms such as:
- fatigue;
- Swelling of the ankles, legs or arms (due to slowing water in the body);
- dyspnoea;
- The presence of blood in the urine;
- Frequent urination, especially at night;
- Itching of the skin.
Kidney diseases are treated with medicines and nutritional supplements.More serious cases require dialysis (the treatment procedure in which blood is artificially cleaned of products of toxic metabolism in the body) or kidney transplantation.
Prevention of high pressure
The development of hypertension can be prevented through a healthy diet, maintaining normal weight, performing regular exercise, restrictions on alcohol consumption and smoking failure.
Smoking alone does not cause high blood pressure, but significantly increases the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.Smoking, like high blood pressure, leads to narrowing of the arteries.If you smoke in the presence of hypertension, then your arteries will narrow much more and the risks of the development of heart and lung diseases in your future will increase significantly.
High -pressure power supply
Reduce the amount of salt in your diet, eat lots of fruits and vegetables.Salt increases pressure.The more salt you consume, the greater your pressure.Try to eat less than 6 g of salt a day, which is approximately equal to one teaspoon.
As proven, the use of low -fat food and high fiber content (such as whole grain rice, bread and pasta) and a large amount of fruits and vegetables helps reduce blood pressure.Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers that keep your body in health.Try to eat five servings of 80 g of fruit and vegetables every day.
Regular drinking of alcohol is above acceptable norms over time will increase your blood pressure.Men are not recommended to use more than 2-4 servings of alcohol a day regularly, but more than 2-3 women.Regular use is understood daily or the greater part of the days of the week.1 serving of alcohol approximately corresponds to a glass of vodka, half a glass of wine or half a glass of beer.
In addition, since alcohol is highly caloric, its regular use leads to weight gain and, accordingly, to increase your blood pressure.
Drinking more than four cups of coffee a day, this can lead to an increase in pressure.If you are a big fan of coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks (such as Coca-Cola and some energy drinks), consider reducing their consumption.It is very good when you drink tea and coffee as part of a balanced diet, but it is important that such drinks are not your only source of liquid.
Weight and exercise for hypertension
Excessive weight forces the heart to work more intensively to pump blood throughout your body, which usually leads to an increase in your blood pressure.If you really need to lose weight, it is important to remember that losing even two or three pounds will lead to a significant change in the testimony of your blood pressure and will generally improve your health.
The active lifestyle and regular exercise lead to a decrease in blood pressure by maintaining the heart and blood vessels in good condition.Regular exercise also helps you lose weight, which also helps you reduce your blood pressure.
An adult should be spent every week for at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) with moderate exercises for open open air, such as cycling or fast walking.When performing exercises, you should focus on the fact that you need to feel warmed and lightly breathtaking.The full person to achieve this condition can be small enough in the hill.Physical activity can include various exercises, from sports to walking and working in the garden.
Relaxation exercises can reduce blood pressure.These include:
- Stress management (autogenous training), meditation or yoga.
- Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy that focuses on how your thoughts and beliefs can affect your well-being and the ability to deal with problems.You can discuss with your doctor the opportunity to undergo such psychotherapy.
- Biological feedback (the self -regulation method used to help you with a conscious regulation of blood pressure): On a small monitor you will demonstrate your heart or blood pressure in real time.Reference for biological feedback can be done by your doctor.
Which doctor to contact hypertension?
If you have increased pressure, find a good therapist who can understand the causes of the disease and prescribe treatment.If you have heart complaints or have chronic cardiovascular disease, choose a cardiologist.