chronic hypertension disease

Chronic hypertension is a disease that anyone can experience. It can be severe and carry complications. Timely access to a doctor and comprehensive treatment will help to cope with this disease.

High blood pressure caused by vasospasm, which impedes blood flow, is called arterial hypertension in medicine. This disease can affect the work of almost all internal organs, which leads to a violation of their functions. To avoid serious consequences and maintain your health, you need to follow the treatment regimen prescribed by your doctor and adhere to a proper diet. It is also worth giving up habits that can lead to hypertension.

Hypertension and its types

There are several risk factors for the development of this unpleasant disease - this is age, frequent salt intake in large quantities, low activity, bad habits, improper diet or obesity, diseases acquired or inherited.

There are several different classifications of hypertension. Divide it into types based on differential parameters.

Origin

Primary or essential hypertension is the most common type, the development of which is affected by unfavorable heredity. The exact causes of this disease have not been established to date. Doctors distinguish 3 forms of primary arterial hypertension, depending on how damaged the vessels are and what are the clinical manifestations of the disease.

Secondary or symptomatic arterial hypertension occurs due to the influence of another disease and damage to the organs responsible for blood pressure.

The main diseases are:

• renal;
• endocrine;
• cardiovascular;
• neurogenic;
• blood diseases.

According to the course of the disease

There are 2 types: benign and malignant hypertension.

The first form proceeds slowly, and its symptoms develop gradually. There is a high risk that the disease will be detected at a late stage.

In the second case, arterial hypertension proceeds rapidly, and if treatment is not started on time, it can be fatal.

By blood pressure level

There are three degrees of the disease:

1. Soft degree. Frequent and sudden pressure drops are characteristic. It is treated without the use of medicines. The patient is advised to reconsider his lifestyle and change his habits.
2. Moderate degree. The pressure is kept at a high level and drops extremely rarely. Treatment is with medications. Complex or monotherapy is prescribed.
3. Severe degree. The pressure readings are kept high and do not drop. Subsequently, complex diseases develop and some organs are affected.

Causes of hypertension

Hypertension always develops under the influence of some factors. The reason may be one or several at once, and to identify them, you need to seek help from specialists. It is possible to conditionally divide the factors provoking the development of the disease into internal and external.

Internal factors

• Metabolic dysfunction or obesity.
• Failure of the cardiovascular system.
• Atherosclerotic damage to the arteries.
• Diabetes.
• Hormone imbalance.
• High levels of calcium in the blood.
• Apnea.
• Excessive levels of "bad" cholesterol.
• Renal dysfunction and adrenal insufficiency.
• Chronic infectious diseases.
• hereditary diseases.

Very often arterial hypertension develops in women during menopause. This is due to a decrease in estrogen levels. The disease can accompany women throughout the menopause.

External factors

• Alcohol abuse.
• Smoking.
• Frequent and high salt intake.
• Wrong nutrition.
• Taking medications that cause the disease.
• Inactivity.
• Frequent stress.
• Insomnia.
• Mental and emotional stress.

Arterial hypertension often occurs during pregnancy, at the time of the restructuring of hormone production. Weather dependent people are also affected. A strong blow to the head or a concussion of the brain can also provoke the disease.

Among women, hypertension is much less common than among men, since estrogens (hormones), which are present in the female body in large quantities, prevent the development of the disease.

Symptoms

Since hypertension is divided into 3 degrees (mild, moderate and severe), respectively, each of them is accompanied by different symptoms, which help determine the severity of the disease and prescribe the correct treatment.

1 degree:

• constant headache, which increases with exertion;
• severe dizziness and fainting;
• rapid heart rate;
• pain in the region of the left side of the chest, which radiates to the shoulder blade or arm;
• the appearance of black dots before the eyes;
• noise in ears;
• insomnia or sleep disturbance.

When improvement occurs, the patient feels great. Hypertension of the 1st degree has all the symptoms of heart failure, and as for the more severe forms, they are characterized by persistence and the occurrence of complications.

2nd degree:

• pulsating sensations in the head;
• hyperemia;
• increased sweating;
• microalbuminuria;
• loss of clarity of vision;
• vascular insufficiency;
• chronic fatigue;
• numbness or chills in the fingers;
• symptoms of damage to vulnerable organs appear;
• numerous edema;
• nausea and vomiting;
• hypertensive crises;
• constriction of arterioles;
• convulsions;
• fainting;
• pathology of the eye.

Despite treatment, the disease, which has reached this stage, is extremely rare and often resumes.

3rd degree:

• persistent loss of vision;
• arrhythmia;
• lack of coordination and change in gait;
• paralysis;
• paresis;
• hypertensive crises that last for a long time, as a result, speech is disturbed, sharp heart pains occur;
• hemoptysis;
• complete or partial loss of the ability to move independently.

The more neglected the disease, the more terrible it is, since any disruption in the functioning of the circulatory system entails serious consequences and destruction of the body.

Hypertension during pregnancy

If hypertension is detected in the second half of the term, this is already gestational hypertension.

Arterial hypertension during pregnancy threatens the development of preeclampsia. High blood pressure is also harmful to the development of the baby, reducing the amount of oxygen supplied to the fetus and delaying the growth of the child. Also, hypertension can provoke premature birth and placental abruption.

During pregnancy, the doctor may recommend drugs that do not affect the development of the child. After the first trimester, the pressure can return to normal on its own, then treatment and medication are stopped. The patient's condition is monitored throughout the pregnancy.

Visits to the gynecologist of women registered in connection with hypertension occur much more often, since constant monitoring of the level of fetal development is necessary. They are assigned additional tests and ultrasound (in order to determine deviations).

Deviations to watch out for during pregnancy:

• knocking in the temples and severe pain in the head;
• increased heart rate;
• dizziness;
• severe swelling (often this is the face and the area around the eyes, limbs);
• significant weight gain (over 2 kg in one week);
• blurred vision;
• nausea and vomiting (except for toxicosis);
• cramps in the upper abdomen.

Arterial hypertension can manifest itself in different ways, so if you have these symptoms, you should seek medical help.

Consequences of the disease

If there is no treatment, arterial hypertension entails a number of serious complications that affect the functioning of individual organs and the body as a whole.

First of all, the following fall under the blow during the increase in pressure:

• kidney,
• heart,
• blood vessels,
• brain,
• eyes.

Hypertension of the second and third stages can lead to a heart attack and the development of heart failure. As a result, a person can become completely incapacitated, limited in movement and self-service.

Violation of the blood circulation of the brain often ends in a stroke (both hemorrhagic and ischemic). In some cases, this leads to death, often to disability.

If arterial hypertension affects the functioning of the kidneys, then due to damage to their vessels, a kidney infarction may occur or kidney failure may occur. This happens due to insufficient amount of oxygen entering the body.

Complications can also be diseases such as thrombophlebitis, phlebothrombosis and others. They arise as a result of the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which disrupt blood circulation in the vessels.

Blindness can also develop as a result. It can be absolute or partial (depending on the degree of damage to the eye vessels).

You can prevent complications if you start timely treatment and fully follow the doctor's instructions, as well as following a special diet.

Treatment of hypertension

Arterial hypertension is a serious disease, which means that treatment requires special attention and proper medical supervision. Self-decisions, especially during pregnancy, can lead to dire consequences.

The treatment of this disease is complex: it is both drug therapy and adherence to special diets.

Drugs are prescribed by a doctor individually for each patient. It is especially important to follow the recommendations during pregnancy, as improper medication can harm not only the woman, but also the growing fetus.

Drug therapy is carried out using such means as:

• diuretics, which remove excess salt and fluid from the body. May be prescribed during pregnancy;
• calcium channel blockers. Treatment with their help involves relaxation of the walls of blood vessels, and this leads to a decrease in pressure;
• alpha / beta blockers affect cardiac work and normalize the rhythm;
• ACE inhibitors. By relaxing muscle tissue, they improve heart rate and heart function;
• angiotensin blockers reduce the number of attacks of hypertension, stabilize the level of pressure. These drugs are not recommended during pregnancy, as treatment with them can lead to impaired fetal development.

In addition to drugs, it is necessary to include in the diet a maximum of foods that naturally lower blood pressure. These are nuts, tomatoes, fresh fruits, dried fruits, grapefruit, garlic, cabbage and others. It is necessary to exclude strong drinks containing caffeine from the diet, as they contribute to high blood pressure.

Prevention of chronic hypertension

The main method of preventing chronic hypertension is a healthy diet. Proper nutrition will help maintain health and reduce the risk of sudden pressure surges. It should be remembered that with obesity, the possibility of developing chronic hypertension increases several times. Therefore, it is necessary not only to eliminate unhealthy foods, but also to reduce the amount of food consumed.

The diet should include:

• lean meat (steam or stew without adding oil);
• low-fat dairy products;
• vegetable soups or with the addition of cereals;
• oatmeal, buckwheat and barley porridge;
• vegetables cooked with or without heat treatment;
• fruits with high levels of magnesium.

It is necessary to significantly limit the amount of salt, fast carbohydrates (sweet), animal fats and white flour products in the diet.

In addition, you should completely stop using:

• smoked meats;
• caffeine;
• fat-containing products;
• offal;
• carbonated or alcoholic drinks.

In addition to diet, you need to avoid stressful conditions and follow the correct sleep pattern. During the experience of negative emotions or stress, the production of adrenaline increases, which leads to increased pressure and disorder of the nervous system.

Regular physical education (in particular walking and swimming) also contributes to the normalization of pressure. During physical exertion, the heart rate should be monitored, which should not be higher than the age limit. You can determine the allowable pulse individually using the formula: 180 - age = allowable limit.

The main thing in chronic hypertension is a complete rejection of bad habits. Alcohol and smoking adversely affect both the level of pressure and the state of the body as a whole, so their use is contraindicated not only for those who suffer from chronic hypertension, but also for healthy people.