Heart and cardiovascular diseases
High Blood Pressure
What is High Blood Pressure?
To understand high blood pressure we need to understand what a blood pressure is.
Blood Pressure
When heart beats, it pumps blood to the body and as blood moves it pushes against the wall of the blood vessels. This force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood is the blood pressure.
Blood pressure reading have two numbers, written as a ratio for e.g. 120/80 mm Hg and read as 120 over 80 millimeters of mercury.
The top number is the systolic blood pressure. It is the pressure measured in the arteries when the heart beats and pushes the blood into the body. The bottom number is diastolic blood pressure. It is the pressure measured in the arteries when the heart relaxes between the beats and refilling with blood.
The normal blood pressure in an adult is:
|
Measurement in mm Hg |
Category |
|
|
Systolic |
Diastolic |
|
|
Less than 120 |
Less than 80 |
Normal |
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries that is above the normal range. In most cases, no one knows what causes high blood pressure and usually doesn’t have any symptoms. High blood pressure is a condition which develops over many years. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases the risk of serious health problemsthat can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected and can be controlled. High blood pressure is also known as hypertension.
To know the blood pressure reading is very important even when it people are feeling fine. If the blood pressure is in normal level then you can maintain it but if blood pressure is high you can take measures to lower it which will help to eliminate the risk for other health problems cause by high blood pressure.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
If there is no definite cause of high blood pressure, then it is called essential hypertension or primary hypertension. It tends to develop gradually over many years.
However some time high blood pressure is caused by an underlying condition, then it is called secondary hypertension. It tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than primary hypertension. Secondary hypertension can be caused by various conditions such as:
- Problem with kidney
- Tumors in adrenal glands
- Congenital heart defects
- Birth control pills
- Pregnancy
- Hormone therapy
- Use of illegal drugs (cocaine)
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure itself usually has no signs or symptoms, sometime even if the blood pressure reading had reached dangerously high levels. But in some cases people with high blood pressure may have headaches, dizzy spells.
High blood pressure can remain for years without knowing it. During this time, the condition can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of the body.
In some cases, after damage has been caused due to serious health problems such as coronary heart disease, stroke, or kidney failure, the people will learn that they have high blood pressure.
Complications of High Blood Pressure
When high blood pressure is uncontrolled for a long period of time, it can damage many vital organs. It can cause:
- Heart can become large and weak which may cause heart failure
- In blood vessels aneurysms can be formed which is an abnormal bulge in the wall of an artery.
- The blood vessels in the kidney can be narrowed which may cause kidney failure
- Throughout the body the arteries can be narrowed which may lead peripheral vascular disease to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and amputation of part or whole leg.
- The blood vessels in the eyes can burst or bleed causing vision changes or blindness
Who is at the risk of High Blood Pressure?
In Azerbaijan, high blood pressure is one of the most common chronic conditions seen at primary care levelaffecting up to 40% of the population.
High blood pressure is most common in adults but sometime due toproblems with the kidneys or heart children can also have high blood pressure.
Certain traits, conditions, and habitsknown as risk factorscan raise the risk for high blood pressure. The risk factors are:
Age: Blood pressure tends to rise with age. The risk of hypertension increases if a male older than 45 or a female older than 55.
Gender: Fewer adult women have HBP than adult men.In early middle age, high blood pressure is more common in men but women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after menopause.
Family History: High blood pressure tends to run in families.
Overweight or Obese: It is more likely to develop prehypertension or HBP if a person is overweight or obese.
Unhealthy lifestyle: Unhealthy lifestyle can raise the risk of high blood pressure. This lifestyle may include:
- Smoking
- Physically inactive
- Too much sodium (salt) in diet
- Too less potassium in diet
- Too little vitamin D in diet
- Consumption of excessive amount of alcohol
Stress: High levels of stress can lead to a temporary, but dramatic, increase in blood pressure.
Certain chronic conditions: Certain chronic condition can also increase the risk of high blood pressure which includes:
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Kidneydisease
- Sleep apnea.
Pregnancy: In some cause pregnancy can also cause high blood pressure.
Diagnosis of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is diagnosed using a blood pressure test and it is painless. It is measured with a blood pressure meter (also referred to as a sphygmometer), it is a device composed of an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure. It involves using a stethoscope, to listen to the heartbeat.
Blood pressure reading have two numbers, written as a ratio for e.g. 120/80 mm Hg and read as 120 over 80 millimeters of mercury.
The top number is the systolic blood pressure. It is the pressure measured in the arteries when the heart beats and pushes the blood into the body. The bottom number is diastolic blood pressure. It is the pressure measured in the arteries when the heart relaxes between the beats and refilling with blood.
The test will be done and reading will be taken to make sure the results are correct. Also the doctor may advice to take repeated tests to check the blood pressure over time.
Before taking your blood pressure
- Find a quiet place.
- Rest in a chair next to a table for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- It is advised to take blood pressure from your left arm. So put your left arm comfortably on the table which should be at heart level.
- Roll up the sleeve or remove any tight-sleeved clothing, if needed.
- Sit up straight with your back against the chair, legs uncrossed.
- Rest your forearm on the table with the palm of your hand facing up.
Factors causing temporary rise in blood pressure
- A full stomach
- Caffeine
- Certain medicines
- Cold temperatures
- Exercise
- Full bladder
- Smoking
- Stress
A Diagnosis of High Blood Pressure
If the high blood pressure is diagnosed the doctor will prescribe treatment. It is an ongoing process where the patience needs to keep a record to see if the treatment is working. Blood pressure changes from day to day and even from minute to minute sometimes. Hence, try measuring your blood pressure at about the same time each day and it advised to keep a diary.
Even though the blood pressure is under control, the treatment is still needed.
Blood pressure chart can help you figure out if your blood pressure is at a healthy level or not. By this chart you can take further steps to improve your numbers.
High blood pressure reading falls in four general categories. The level of your blood pressure determines what kind of treatment you may need. To obtain the accurate measurement, evaluate your reading based on the average of two or more blood pressure readings.
Chart
|
Category |
Measurement in mm Hg |
Measure to take |
|
|
Diastolic |
Systolic |
||
|
Normal |
Less than 120 |
Less than 80 |
|
|
Prehypertension |
120-139 |
80-89 |
|
|
Stage 1 Hypertension |
140-159 |
90-99 |
|
|
Stage 2 Hypertension |
160 or more |
100 or more |
|
|
Hypertensive Crisis |
More than 180 |
More than 110 |
|
Treatments of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can be treated with lifestyle changes and medicines. People with hypertension need a lifelong treatment which can help to prevent or delay problems such as heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
Goals of the Treatment
If you have high blood pressure take measures to keep the blood pressure in
|
Treatment Goal |
Measurement in mm Hg |
|
|
Systolic |
Diastolic |
|
|
In healthy adult |
140 |
90 |
|
In adults with chronic kidney disease , diabetes, coronary heart disease |
130 |
80 |
|
If there is left ventricular dysfunction or heart failure or have severe chronic kidney disease |
120 |
80 |
Lifestyle Changes
Healthy lifestyle habits can help to control high blood pressure. In some cases if the patience will combine healthy lifestyle habits then the result achieved is better than taking medications. These habits include:
- By following a healthy diet
- By being physically active
- By maintaining a healthy weight
- By quitting smoking
- By managing the stress by taking good measures
Medicines
By taking one or more type of medicines prescribed by doctor can safely help most of the people to control blood pressure. Also present medicines usually don’t have side effects if there are any they are very minor. When combinations of medicines are given each medicines have different propose. Hence the patience should not stop medicine in own.
There are certain types of medicine used such as:
- Diuretics
- Beta blockers
- ACE inhibitors
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers
- Calcium channel blockers
- Alpha blockers
- Alpha-beta blockers
- Nervous system inhibitors
- Vasodilators
These medicines used are for:
- To reduce the fluid amount in the blood;
- To slow down the heart beat;
- To stop the body from making a kind of hormone “angiotensin II”, that causes blood vessels to become narrow;
- To relax the blood vessels by preventing calcium to enter muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels;
- To reduce the nerve impulses those tighten blood vessels;
- To increase the nerve impulses from the brain to relax and widen the blood vessels;
- To relax the muscles in the wall of blood vessels.