What is arterial hypertension: basic concepts and why it is dangerous

Hypertension (hypertension) is the most common disease of the cardiovascular system.

Hypertension is rapidly "getting younger", today it is a disease not only of the elderly, but often occurs in pregnant women, and is becoming more common in adolescents.

What is arterial hypertension? The answer to this question can be found in the definition of the state of this disease.

It is characterized by chronically elevated blood pressure, when the highest value (systolic pressure) exceeds 140 mm Hg, and the lowest (diastolic pressure) is above 90 mm Hg. subject to at least three measurements made at different times in a person who is in a calm state.

The optimal blood pressure indicators are 120-130 per 80-89 mm Hg, if they are higher, then it is necessary to start actively treating hypertension. However, few diagnose this disease at an early stage: about 35% of men and 55% of women know about their high blood pressure, only half of them are involved in the treatment of arterial hypertension, and only 6% of the male population and 20% of the female population control their pressure.

The sooner arterial hypertension is identified and kept under control, the lower the risk of developing complications of hypertension (ischemic disease, atherosclerosis, kidney disease, low testosterone levels in the blood, erectile dysfunction) in the future.

Hypertension can be one of the causes of impotence in men.

Its useful to note

The main task of the treatment of hypertension is the constant control of blood pressure in order to avoid even more serious health problems, since this disease cannot be completely cured.

What is dangerous hypertension

With prolonged high blood pressure, the walls of blood vessels thicken and lose their ability to relax, which prevents normal blood supply and, as a result, saturation of tissues and organs with oxygen and other nutrients, and a decrease in their functional activity. Let us consider in more detail what is dangerous hypertension:

• Hypertensive crisis- the most common exacerbation of arterial hypertension, can occur both in a relatively satisfactory condition of the patient, and be caused by the psychophysical stress of the patient. Developing at a high speed, a hypertensive crisis dramatically raises blood pressure, causes severe headache, dizziness, tachycardia or arrhythmia, nausea and vomiting. At risk are those who suffer from weather dependence, are in the pre-climatic period.
• myocardial infarction- complicated by hypertension can occur within a few minutes and lead to death. The main symptom is a prolonged pain attack.
• Stroke- circulatory disorders in the vessels of the brain, cerebral hemorrhage, characterized by a sudden severe headache, which is quickly joined by other symptoms from the brain: impaired speech, twisted mouth, paralysis of one part of the body. If urgent measures are taken and capillary bloodletting is done in case of hypertension, then this process can be reversible.
• angina pectoris- the disease is less transient. Violation of the heart causes severe emotional overload, overwork. Accompanied by severe dull pain in the chest, feeling unwell, can cause frequent vomiting.
• Heart failure- a chronic condition of the heart muscle, in which it is not able to provide oxygen to the organs and tissues of the body. It is characterized by the total weakness of the patient, in which he is not able to endure elementary physical activity: independent lifting, walking, etc.
• Coronary artery disease- insufficient blood supply to the coronary arteries, resulting in insufficient nutrition of the heart. With careful adherence to the prescribed treatment of hypertension, it is not difficult to avoid the development of coronary disease.
• kidney failure- impaired kidney function, destruction of neurons, partial incapacity to remove toxins from the body. Arterial hypertension is the second cause of acute or chronic renal failure after diabetes mellitus.
• vision distortion- occurs as a result of impaired blood supply to the retina and optic nerve. A sharp increase in blood pressure can cause a spasm of the artery that feeds the optic nerve, damage the integrity of the retinal vessels. Hypertension is dangerous with pathologies such as retinal or vitreous hemorrhage: the first leads to the formation of a black spot in the field of vision, the second leads to loss of vision in the affected eye.

To avoid any complications that are so dangerous hypertension, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner and conduct an examination, which will help determine the stage of development of the disease and prescribe the required treatment.

Degrees of hypertension: classification, forms

By the nature of the assessment of one or more criteria, a number of classifications of hypertension are used.

Allocate such stages of development as the origin, the form of leakage, the level of blood pressure, the degree of damage to target organs.

The primary task in making a diagnosis of arterial hypertension is to differentiate the nature of the disease. There are two big groups here:

• primary or essential hypertension - increased blood pressure is the root cause;
• secondary or symptomatic arterial hypertension - high blood pressure is caused by diseases of other organs or systems: kidneys, heart, endocrine glands, lungs, thyroid gland.

According to experts

Treatment of symptomatic hypertension cannot occur without treatment of the disease that caused it, and begins with it. In some cases, along with the elimination of the underlying disease, hypertension also disappears.

Also, blood pressure, up to a hypertensive crisis, may increase due to improper intake of certain medications, with neuroses, excessive use of caffeine, and other stimulants.

When diagnosing essential hypertension, doctors usually classify the disease according to the level of blood pressure in order to choose the right tactics for treating essential hypertension. In international practice, there are three degrees of hypertension:

• Hypertension 1 degree- systolic pressure 140−159 mm Hg, diastolic pressure 90−99 mm Hg. A mild form of the disease, in which an abrupt change in blood pressure is characteristic, can both return to normal on its own and rise again.
• Hypertension 2 degrees- systolic 160-179 mm Hg, diastolic 100-109 mm Hg. Moderate form, the increase in pressure is more prolonged, rarely drops to normal values.
• Hypertension 3 degrees- systolic above 180 mm Hg, diastolic above 110 mm Hg. Severe form, pressure is stable at the level of pathological indicators, proceeds with severe complications, and is difficult to correct with medication.

Separately, isolated systolic hypertension is isolated, it occurs in about a third of elderly people with arterial hypertension. This form is due to age-related loss of elasticity of large vessels, often accompanied by myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy. Blood pressure indicators: systolic up to 160 mm Hg. and above, diastolic - below 90 mm Hg.

Helpful information

It is worth noting another minor group - the so-called "white coat hypertension", when, under the influence of psycho-emotional factors, a person's blood pressure rises only at the time of its measurement by a medical worker. In such cases, the diagnosis is clarified by repeated measurement of pressure in a calm home environment.

In addition to the degree of hypertension, when making a diagnosis, risk factors are also evaluated that can lead to complications of the cardiovascular system and the stage of the clinical course of the disease:

• Transistor (initial stage) hypertension. The increase in pressure is periodic, returning to normal values; drugs that reduce blood pressure are not used.
• labile hypertension. An increase in blood pressure is directly related to a provoking factor: stress, severe psychological or physical stress. To stabilize the pressure, medication is needed.
• Stable arterial hypertension. Persistent increase in pressure, in which serious supportive therapy is used.
• Malignant form. Increasing the pressure to very high rates, the disease progresses rapidly and leads to the development of serious complications.
• Crisis form. Periodic hypertensive crises against the background of normal or slightly elevated pressure are characteristic.

An assessment of the severity of hypertension and the risk of possible complications is possible only on the basis of a thorough examination: general and biochemical tests, ultrasound of the heart and other organs, ECG, fundus examination. A complete examination of a patient with arterial hypertension is usually carried out during inpatient treatment.

High blood pressure is the main warning symptom of hypertension in both men and women.

The symptoms of hypertension may be absent for a long time, and if a person does not constantly use a tonometer, he can find out about his disease, having already begun to treat its complications.

Often hypertension has no manifestations at all, except for its main symptom - persistent high blood pressure.

Moreover, the concept of "persistent" or "chronic" is the key here, because in a number of situations (stress, fear or anger), pressure can increase, and then return to normal on its own.

However, few control the level of their pressure, so you should pay attention to the following symptoms, indicating the development of arterial hypertension:

• Headache. Most often manifested in the occipital, parietal region or in the temples. It can occur both at night and immediately after waking up. As a rule, it increases with mental or physical exertion. Sometimes accompanied by swelling of the eyelids and face.
• Dizziness. Sometimes even with little physical effort: coughing, turning or tilting the head, a sharp rise.
• Pain in the region of the heart. Occur not only with emotional stress, but also at rest. Both long-lasting aching, squeezing pains and short-term, stabbing pains are possible. Do not disappear after taking nitroglycerin.
• Strong heartbeat.
• Noise in ears.
• Visual impairment: veil, fog, "flies" before the eyes.
• Arterial disease: cold extremities, intermittent claudication.
• Swelling of the legs. Indicate a violation of the excretory function of the kidneys or heart failure.
• Dyspnea. It occurs both during physical exertion and at rest.

It is important to know

Hypertensive crisis - an emergency caused by excessively high blood pressure levels, can also be classified as symptoms of hypertension 2 and 3 degrees. At the same time, patients with arterial hypertension of the 1st degree, strictly following the doctor's recommendations and following a diet for hypertensive patients, can achieve the complete disappearance of unpleasant symptoms of the disease.

It cannot be said that the symptoms of hypertension in men and women are significantly different, but in fact, men are indeed more susceptible to this disease, especially in the age group from 40 to 55 years. This is partly due to the difference in the physiological structure: men, unlike women, have a larger body weight, respectively, and the volume of blood circulating in their vessels is significantly higher, which creates favorable conditions for high blood pressure.

On the other hand, women are more responsible for their health, proper lifestyle. The number of stressful situations at work, alcohol consumed and cigarettes smoked is greater in men, but this no longer refers to the symptoms of hypertension, but to the causes of its development.

Treatment of hypertension with medication and folk remedies

Treatment of hypertension, as well as other diseases that are difficult to diagnose and require constant therapy (diabetes mellitus, allergies, prostatitis and impotence), should be compiled and prescribed only by a specialist. If restrictions on food, salt intake, avoidance of alcohol and smoking, avoidance of stress and other correctable causes of hypertension do not help normalize blood pressure levels, high blood pressure pills will be prescribed.

When treating hypertension with folk remedies, side effects are usually absent. You do not have to run to the pharmacy for expensive drugs and stand in line for the doctor to write out another prescription. All you have to do is take some time for yourself, change your diet, and learn how to manage stress.

Causes of high blood pressure and the development of hypertension

The causes of arterial hypertension are still not completely clear; both the internal systems of the body and external factors play an important role in the development of the disease.

The main causes of hypertension are impaired blood circulation through the vessels, limited flow into the left ventricle of the heart. In modern medicine, there is a completely logical explanation for this - structural changes in blood vessels with age, the formation of blood clots and atherosclerotic plaques in their cavities.

If in symptomatic hypertension the causes of high blood pressure are caused by other diseases, then in essential hypertension, namely this form is recorded in 85% of cases, the exact causes of high pressure cannot be established, it occurs independently.

There are many risk factors that contribute to a persistent increase in blood pressure, they are usually considered as the causes of hypertension. These include:

• Age, for men over 55 years old, for women over 65 years old. With age, the walls of blood vessels lose their elasticity, which increases their resistance to blood flow, as a result, pressure increases.
• hereditary predisposition.
• Floor. As already mentioned, men are more likely to suffer from hypertension.
• Violation of fat metabolism, obesity (men with a waist circumference of more than 102 cm, women - more than 88 cm).
• Diabetes.
• Smoking. It causes an immediate rise in blood pressure, and smokers with many years of experience are prone to vascular diseases.
• Alcohol abuse. The blood pressure of a person who quit drinking is reduced by at least fifteen points.
• Excessive salt intake. Excessive intake of sodium, the main component of table salt, is one of the most significant causes of high blood pressure in hypertensive patients: sodium chloride prevents the removal of fluid from the body, which increases the already high vascular tone of the patient. Remember, the average person consumes three times the amount of salt he needs, learn not to add salt to your food.
• Lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle.
• Exposure to stress.
• Cholesterol metabolism disorder.
• Insufficient dietary intake of potassium.
• Increased level of adrenaline in the blood.
• Congenital heart defects.

Various kidney diseases, late toxicosis of pregnant women, regular intake of certain drugs, in some cases this also applies to oral contraceptives, should be attributed to the causes of secondary hypertension.

The above risk factors can be divided into two large groups:

• Which can be eliminated on their own or with the help of doctors: treat obesity, reduce blood cholesterol levels, the number of cigarettes smoked, alcohol or salt consumed, lose weight, and so on.
• Avoid which there is no possibility: age and hereditary predisposition.

Therefore, those who are in the so-called second risk group need to carefully monitor their health, control and prevent hypertension. And for everyone who has at least one of the above factors, constantly monitor the level of blood pressure and, of course, lead a normal and active lifestyle.