Hypertension: Causes, Types And Ways Of Prevention

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Hypertension: Causes, Types And Ways Of Prevention
Hypertension: Causes, Types And Ways Of Prevention

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is when blood pressure fluctuates to unhealthy levels. Blood pressure measurement takes into record how much blood is flowing through your blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood meets while the heart is pumping. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

A blood pressure reading is given in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg). It has two numbers. The top number (systolic pressure). The first, or upper number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heartbeats.The bottom number (diastolic pressure). The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats.

Uncontrolled hypertension predisposes one to serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke. Hypertension typically occurs over the course of several years. Usually, you would not notice any symptoms. But even without symptoms, high blood pressure can cause fatal damage to blood vessels and organs, especially the brain, heart, eyes, and kidneys.

Early detection is essential. Regular blood pressure readings can help notice any changes. If blood pressure is elevated, checking blood pressure over a few weeks to see if the number stays elevated or falls back to normal levels is used to diagnosed hypertension.

Hypertension: Causes, Types And Ways Of Prevention

Treatment for hypertension includes both prescription medication and healthy lifestyle changes. If the condition is not treated, it could lead to health issues, including heart attack and stroke.Causes of high blood pressure.

There Are Two Types Of Hypertension

Each type has a different cause.

Primary Hypertension

Primary hypertension is also called essential hypertension. This kind of hypertension develops over time with an unidentifiable cause. Most people have this type of high blood pressure.Researchers are still unclear what mechanisms cause blood pressure to slowly increase. A combination of some factors may play a vital role. These factors include:

Genes: Some people are genetically predisposed to hypertension. This may be from gene mutations or genetic abnormalities inherited from your parents (lineage).Physical changes: If something in your body changes, you may begin experiencing issues throughout your body. High blood pressure may be one of those issues. For example, it’s thought that changes in your kidney function due to ageing may upset the body’s natural balance of salts and fluid. This change may cause your body’s blood pressure to increase.

Environment: Over time, unhealthy lifestyle choices like lack of physical activity and poor diet can take their toll on your body. Lifestyle choices can lead to weight problems. Being overweight or obese can elevate your risk for hypertension.

Secondary Hypertension

Secondary hypertension often occurs quickly and can become more severe than primary hypertension. Several conditions that may cause secondary hypertension include: kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, congenital heart defects, problems with thyroid, side effects of medications, use of illegal drugs, alcohol abuse or chronic use, adrenal gland problems, certain endocrine tumours.

Five Categories Define Blood Pressure Readings For Adults

Healthy: A healthy blood pressure reading is less than 120/80 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg).

Elevated: The systolic number is between 120 and 129 mm Hg, and the diastolic number is less than 80 mm Hg. Elevated blood pressure is not treated with medication. Instead, lifestyle changes are encouraged to help lower numbers.

Stage 1 Hypertension: The systolic number is between 130 and 139 mm Hg, or the diastolic number is between 80 and 89 mm Hg.

Stage 2 hypertension: The systolic number is 140 mm Hg or higher, or the diastolic number is 90 mm Hg or higher.

Hypertensive Crisis: The systolic number is over 180 mm Hg, or the diastolic number is over 120 mm Hg. Blood pressure in this range requires urgent medical attention. If any symptoms such as chest pain, headache, shortness of breath, or visual changes occur when blood pressure is this high, medical care in the emergency room is needed.

Symptoms Of Severe Hypertension

Hypertension: Causes, Types And Ways Of Prevention

Symptoms of severe hypertension can include: headaches, shortness of breath, nose bleeds, flushing, dizziness, chest pain, visual changes, blood in the urine.

Remedies For High Blood Pressure

Healthy lifestyle changes can help control the factors that cause hypertension. Here are some of the most common home remedies.

Developing A Healthy Diet

A heart-healthy diet is vital for helping to reduce high blood pressure. It’s also important for managing hypertension that is under control and reducing the risk of complications. These complications include heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. A heart-healthy diet emphasizes foods that include: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins like fish.

Increasing Physical Activity

Reaching a healthy weight should include being more physically active. In addition to helping you shed pounds, exercise can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure naturally, and strengthen your cardiovascular system.Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. That’s about 30 minutes five times per week.

Reaching A Healthy Weight

If you are overweight or obese, losing weight through a heart-healthy diet and increased physical activity can help lower your blood pressure.Managing stressExercise is a great way to manage stress. Other activities can also be helpful. These include: meditation, deep breathing, massage, muscle relaxation, yoga or tai chi. These are all proven stress-reducing techniques.

Getting adequate sleep can also help reduce stress levels.

Adopting A Cleaner Lifestyle

If you’re a smoker, try to quit. The chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the body’s tissues and harden blood vessel walls.If you regularly consume too much alcohol or have an alcohol dependency, seek help to reduce the amount you drink or stop altogether. Alcohol can raise blood pressure.

Basically, High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition in which the chronic force of the blood against artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease. Symptoms may be dizziness, headache, palpitations etc. It can affect anyone and its prevention can be done by lifestyle modifications. Complications may be stroke and heart failure.

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