Almost everyone has had high blood pressure at least once in their life and knows how many problems hypertension causes.However, hypertension is not as harmless as it may seem at first glance.
Serious fluctuations in pressure negatively affect the body, and chronic disease, if not treated, leads to even the most catastrophic consequences.Today we will talk about how each stage of hypertension differs and what risks it carries.
Stages of headache
Stage I
The pressure of the 1st stage of hypertension does not exceed 159/99 mm.Art.Blood pressure can remain in this elevated state for several days.Even simple rest and the exclusion of stressful situations significantly help to reduce its indicators.In more severe stages, it is no longer possible to normalize blood pressure so easily.
This stage of development of hypertension is characterized by the absence of any signs that the target organs are affected by high blood pressure, which is why in many cases there is a practically asymptomatic course of the disease.Only occasionally do sleep disturbances, pain in the head or heart appear.Clinical examinations may reveal a slight increase in arterial fundus tone.
Hypertensive crises in form 1 of the disease are very rare and occur mainly under the influence of external circumstances, for example, weather or severe stress.This also often happens during menopause in women.The stage of the disease is initial, therefore it is very treatable and lifestyle changes are often enough;drug therapy may not be required.With the timely initiation of treatment and the conscious implementation of each recommendation, the prognosis is very favorable.
Stage II
The pressure level of stage 2 hypertension is in the range of up to 179 mm.Art.(diastolic) and up to 109 mm.Art.(systolic).Rest is no longer able to normalize blood pressure.The patient often suffers from pain, shortness of breath on exertion, poor sleep, vertigo and angina pectoris.
The group is distinguished by the appearance of the first signs from the internal organs.Often this form of damage has practically no effect on their functions.There are no obvious subjective symptoms to worry the patient.Most often, at stage 2 of the development of hypertension, the following are found:
- signs characteristic of left ventricular hypertrophy;
- the amount of creatine in the blood increases;
- narrowing of the arteries occurs in the retina;
- Protein is detected in the urine.
Hypertensive crises are not uncommon in stage 2 hypertension, which leads to the threat of developing very serious complications, including stroke.In this case, it will no longer be possible to cope without constant drug therapy.
Stage III
The last stage of hypertension is the most severe and has the most extensive group of disorders in the functioning of a whole group of target organs.The kidneys, eyes, brain, blood vessels and heart suffer the most.Blood pressure is stubborn and it is quite difficult to normalize its level, even if you take pills.An increase in blood pressure to 180/110 mm is not unusual.Art.and higher.
The symptoms of stage 3 of the disease are in many ways similar to those listed above, but they are also accompanied by quite dangerous signs from the affected organs (for example, kidney failure).Memory often deteriorates, severe heart rhythm disturbances occur, and eyesight decreases.
Most dangerously, hypertension invariably affects the heart.Muscle contractility and conduction are almost always impaired.Clinical studies also reveal many disorders in other organs.
Hypertension has not only stages 1, 2, 3, but also degrees 1, 2, 3, which we will talk about later.
Degrees
I degree
The first degree of severity refers to the lightest, in which periodic spikes in blood pressure are observed.Another characteristic of it is that the pressure level can be stabilized by itself.The most common cause of stage one headaches is constant stress.
II degree
Moderate hypertension is characterized not only by the inability to independently stabilize blood pressure, but also by the fact that periods of normal pressure are very short.The main manifestation is a severe headache.
If the disease develops very quickly, we can talk about a malignant course of hypertension.This form is very dangerous, as the disease can develop quickly.
III degree
In hypertension of degree 3, the pressure always remains in a stable elevated state.If the blood pressure drops, the person is tormented by weakness, as well as a number of other symptoms from the internal organs.The changes that occur at this stage of the disease are already irreversible.
Also, the classification of hypertension includes, in addition to 1, 2, 3 degrees and stages, 1, 2, 3, 4 risks, which we will talk about later.
Risks
Low, insignificant
The lowest risk of complications is found in women under 65 and men under 55 who have developed the first stage of "mild" arterial hypertension.Over the next 10 years, only about 15% will develop vascular or cardiac pathologies that develop as a result of the disease.Such patients are often managed by general practitioners, as there is no point in serious treatment by a cardiologist.
If there is still a small risk, patients should try to significantly change their lifestyle in the near future (no more than 6 months).He can be monitored by a doctor for some time if the dynamics are positive.If such treatment does not bring results and a lowering of blood pressure cannot be achieved, doctors may recommend a change in treatment tactics, which will lead to the prescription of drugs.However, doctors often insist on leading a healthy lifestyle, since such therapy will not have negative consequences.
Average
This group includes patients with hypertension of the second and the first type.Their blood pressure usually does not exceed 179/110 mm.Art.A patient in this category may have 1-2 risk factors:
- heredity,
- smoking,
- obesity,
- little physical activity,
- high cholesterol,
- impaired glucose tolerance.
During 10 years of observation, the development of cardiovascular pathologies is possible in 20% of cases.Changing the usual way of life is necessarily included in the list of treatment measures.No drugs can be prescribed for 3-6 months to allow the patient to normalize his condition through lifestyle changes.
high
Patients with forms 1 and 2 hypertension should also be included in the risk group with a high probability of detecting complications, but if they already have several predisposing factors described above.They also include any target organ damage, diabetes mellitus, changes in retinal vessels, high creatinine levels and atherosclerosis.
It is possible that there are no risk factors, but the patient with arterial hypertension in stage 3 also belongs to this group of patients.All of them are now being monitored by a cardiologist, as hypertension is mostly long-lasting.The probability of complications reaches 30%.Lifestyle changes can be used as an adjuvant strategy, but the mainstay of therapy is medication.The selection of drugs should be done in a short time.
Next, we will talk about a serious diagnosis: stage 3 hypertension, risk 4.
Very tall
Patients at the highest risk of complications in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels are a group of patients with hypertension in stage 3 or stage 1 and 2, if the latter have any disorders of the target organs.This group is one of the smallest.The main treatment is carried out in a hospital.Drug therapy is actively conducted and often includes several groups of drugs.
The probability of developing complications is more than 30%.