Cardiovascular disorders are one of the most common health problems of mankind. Studies have been conducted that have shown that they are much more common among city dwellers than among those who spend most of their time in the countryside. In addition, diseases in this category are "young", they develop in people under 40 years old. One of the most common pathologies of this type is hypertension. This is a regular increase in blood pressure above the average.
Symptoms (signs) of high blood pressure
The manifestation of the disease depends on the stage of development. Normally, blood pressure is between 110-130/70-90 mmHg. Depending on the severity of the disease, it can rise to 260-110 levels in critical cases. This condition threatens human health and life. At the same time, in the initial stage, high blood pressure can only be expressed by a mild malaise, increased fatigue and headache. As the pathology develops, its course also becomes more complicated. The most dangerous condition is a hypertensive crisis - a sharp jump in blood pressure. The general symptoms of the disease are as follows:
- headache, tightness, especially in the back of the head and temples;
- noise and ringing in the ears;
- "spots", spots, a veil before the eyes;
- reduced visual acuity;
- deterioration of spatial coordination and fine motor skills;
- tremors, numbness in the arms and legs;
- nausea and vomiting.
The signs of high blood pressure vary depending on the stage of the disease. The deterioration of the condition is gradual, often lifelong. There are three stages in the development of the disease:
- I - blood pressure values 140-160 per 90-100 mm Hg;
- II - 160-180 per 100-110 mm Hg pressure;
- III - if the upper limits of the second stage are exceeded.
A constant increase in pressure leads to heart failure - the most common consequence of this is the development of coronary artery disease. There is also a risk of heart attack or stroke.
Causes of high blood pressure
The nature of cardiovascular diseases has not been fully investigated by specialists. A particular difficulty is the fact that such disorders often develop during intrauterine development and appear much later. At the same time, it is not always possible to notice and study the beginning of the disease. Most often, high blood pressure occurs together with the following disorders:
- kidney diseases;
- vascular pathologies;
- renal artery occlusion;
- pathologies of the thyroid gland;
- disorders in the functioning of the adrenal glands;
- smoking and alcohol consumption;
- insufficient or excessive physical activity.
Such causes cause the secondary form of the disease - that is, the one that develops as a result of provoking factors. Signs of high blood pressure usually appear after the age of 35-40. The primary subtype of the disease is directly caused by congenital pathologies of the blood vessels or heart. The following factors increase the risk of developing high blood pressure:
- Age over 55 years;
- obesity;
- elevated cholesterol;
- genetic predisposition;
- diabetes mellitus;
- hormonal disorders;
- frequent stress and depression.
Blood pressure is directly affected by diet. Some foods - dark chocolate, coffee, alcohol - can cause an increase in blood pressure. Saturated fats, spices and sugar affect the condition of the blood vessels and the chemical composition of the blood, which indirectly also increases blood pressure. It has been proven that smoking often leads to the disease.
Which doctor should I see?
Manifestation of symptoms of high blood pressure at the earliest stage requires mandatory medical intervention. Delay can cause complications and lead to serious conditions like stroke and heart attack in the future. Timely diagnosis significantly reduces the risk. The doctor will help you solve the problem:
One of the most important points in identifying the disease is determining the underlying causes, especially if the high blood pressure is secondary. In this case, the effectiveness of the treatment will not be high without eliminating the prerequisites of the pathology. To cope with it, the doctor must determine the clinical picture as much as possible. To do this, you will ask the following questions:
- What symptoms are you worried about?
- How long ago did they start appearing?
- How often do hypertensive attacks occur?
- Are they related to some external factor?
- Does the patient have heart, kidney or endocrine disease?
- What kind of life do you live?
- What symptomatic treatment do you use for seizures?
After that, an external examination is performed with auscultation of the heart and blood pressure measurement. In addition, laboratory urine and blood tests, hardware tests are prescribed, and differential diagnostic tools are used.
Methods of treating the disease
The scheme of influencing the pathology is based on the causes of high blood pressure in each case. It is also important to consider whether it is of a primary or secondary nature, as the main purpose of the effect depends on this. All of this information allows the specialist to create an optimal individual treatment plan. It most often includes the following steps:
- weight control with diet;
- performing physical exercises of variable intensity;
- taking diuretic drugs;
- use of anti-tachycardia drugs;
- taking adrenergic blockers;
- use of anticonvulsants and painkillers;
- use of medicines containing potassium.
The therapeutic regimen is strongly influenced by the stage of the disease. The first stage can sometimes even be done without drugs, while the second and third stages require rather large doses or strong drugs. Only conservative therapy is used to treat high blood pressure.
Diagnosis of high blood pressure
The detection of pathology requires observations for a certain period of time, with continuous monitoring of the results. This makes it possible to determine whether it is primary and whether there are associated disorders. In this case, the method of differential diagnosis is used. It consists of the following sections:
- Repeat blood pressure measurement. It is performed on both arms, depending on age, in a sitting or standing position. The accuracy is about 85%.
- Daily pressure monitoring is a procedure that allows continuous monitoring for a specified period of time using portable equipment. The cost depends on the required duration of monitoring. Accuracy is over 95%.
- Laboratory examination of urine and blood. Determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of liquids and the rate of chemical reactions in the body. The accuracy is about 75%.
- Chest x-ray. It enables a visual assessment of the condition of the heart. Accuracy - less than 70%.
In case of possible heart pathologies, an electrocardiogram is prescribed. In addition, an ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity can be performed to determine the condition of the kidneys, and in case of visual impairment, fundus diagnostics.
Possible complications
The symptoms of high blood pressure affect a significant number of organs and systems that are not directly related to blood circulation. However, overall health depends on the quantity and quality of nutrients and oxygen delivered by the fluid stream. Severe attacks of high blood pressure can cause the following problems:
- vascular deformations;
- coronary heart disease;
- kidney pathologies;
- risk of stroke and heart attack;
- blurred vision due to damage to the eyes;
- the formation of the "pulmonary heart";
- exercise intolerance.
The possibility of complications of different severity depends on the stage of the disease. In the initial and middle stages, seizures may be accompanied by nosebleeds, vomiting and tachycardia. If the situation worsens significantly, loss of consciousness, heart failure, and damage to the integrity of blood vessels are possible. The most serious conditions are crisis, heart attack and stroke.
Groups at risk
Many people ask what kind of disease is high blood pressure, since the prevalence of this problem is very wide. At the same time, the pathology usually affects people of working age - between 20 and 45 years, although a few decades ago the threshold was much higher. Not everyone is equally likely to develop this disorder. The following groups are particularly at risk:
- overweight and obese people;
- those whose activities involve heavy physical activity or, conversely, lack thereof;
- people genetically predisposed to high blood pressure;
- they live in polluted areas;
- smokers and alcohol drinkers;
- people who do not control the fat and carbohydrate content of their food;
- who have been diagnosed with serious heart, liver or kidney disease.
The pathology does not favor men and women - the statistics are approximately the same for both sexes. However, due to more frequent alcohol consumption and harsh working conditions, the risk is slightly higher for the stronger sex. In women, the disease usually develops at the age of 55-60, in men at the age of 65-70.
Prevention of high blood pressure
Protecting yourself from cardiovascular diseases is not always easy, as in many cases it is caused by innate characteristics of the body or age. However, preventive measures will still have a positive effect on the situation and on health in general. Hypertension can develop due to incorrect lifestyle choices, so it will be beneficial to correct certain aspects of it. The recommendations are:
- immediately treat any disease that provokes high blood pressure - heart, blood vessels, blood, kidneys;
- stick to a daily routine;
- avoid sleep deprivation and overwork;
- follow a healthy diet - avoid foods high in fat and cholesterol, alcoholic beverages, strong tea and coffee;
- do moderate physical activity and avoid a sedentary lifestyle;
- regular preventive examinations must be carried out;
- to maintain health, take vitamin and mineral complexes recommended by your doctor.
High blood pressure can only be prevented by maintaining the general well-being of the body. Many systems influence the development of this disease, so prevention with pills or exercise alone will not be effective. An important stage of its implementation is the timely diagnosis of accompanying and provoking factors.