High blood pressure in hypertension is an indicator of chronic persistent hypertension that needs to be treated. Even high blood pressure poses a risk of complications.
The level of blood pressure indicates the force with which blood presses on their walls as it moves through the vessels. Blood pressure monitor readings may fluctuate upward or downward throughout the day. This is considered the norm. But if the blood pressure level is consistently high, we are talking about a disease called hypertension.
Hypertension, or arterial hypertension, causes serious complications.
The so-called target organs are negatively affected: heart, kidneys, brain, blood vessels, retina. Very often, the consequences of high blood pressure are heart attacks and strokes.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure in hypertension is dangerous and depends on the margin of error. Normal systolic blood pressure ranges from 120 to 129 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure ranges from 80 to 84 mmHg.
The diagnosis of "Hypertension of the 1st degree" is made if blood pressure readings remain at a level from 140/90 to 160/100 mmHg. This is a mild degree of the disease, in which constantly elevated blood pressure is not accompanied by damage to internal organs.
In the initial stage of hypertension, blood pressure rises periodically. Constant stress can provoke frequent and prolonged rises. With a calm neuropsychic state, periods of its increase are short-term and infrequent.
Persistent high blood pressure in hypertension poses a great threat of developing a hypertensive crisis. It's only a matter of time!
The success of treatment of arterial hypertension directly depends on compliance with treatment measures and regimen. Strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations will speed up the decrease in tonometer readings to normal levels. The effect can last for a very long time.
You should check your blood pressure if you have the following symptoms:
- headaches in the back of the head (often throbbing);
- dizziness;
- sleep disorders;
- visual effect of "flies";
- heart pain.
The danger of hypertension lies in the fact that its initial stage is often asymptomatic.
A person may not even realize that he has high blood pressure. The body quickly adapts to new indicators and the patient feels quite normal. Meanwhile, the pathological process spreads and affects internal organs.
Catastrophic changes in blood vessels can cause kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, which come as a complete surprise to the patient.
Lifestyle changes can have a positive effect on blood pressure levels.
To do this, the patient needs:
- ensure restful sleep;
- avoid stressful situations;
- practice exercises to relax the body;
- follow a diet;
- increase physical activity.
If these measures do not help cope with high blood pressure, the patient is prescribed medication. The doctor will tell you which drug is best for normalizing blood pressure after examination.
High pressure
High blood pressure due to hypertension must be treated immediately! The 2nd degree of hypertension (moderate) is characterized by its increase to a level from 160/100 to 180/110 mmHg. To bring its indicators back to normal at this stage of the disease, the use of medications is required. When examining patients diagnosed with stage 2 hypertension, an enlargement of the left ventricle of the heart is often detected.
Severe hypertension is diagnosed in cases with a persistent increase in blood pressure above 180/110 mmHg. Such high rates are usually accompanied by serious complications such as strokes, heart attacks, and renal dysfunction.
High blood pressure due to hypertension is the most common cause of death and disability.
Symptoms of very high blood pressure and severe hypertension include:
- cardiac arrhythmia;
- nosebleeds;
- pain in the heart area;
- headache;
- disturbance of gait and coordination of movements;
- severe visual impairment;
- muscle weakness;
- paralysis (as a result of impaired cerebral circulation);
- coughing up blood;
- inability to self-service;
- speech disorder;
- clouding of consciousness.
To treat severe hypertension, potent drugs are prescribed or the doses of usual medications are increased. Patients with chronic pathology take pills for the rest of their lives.
Prevention of hypertension
If you have not yet been diagnosed with hypertension, lowering your blood pressure to normal levels should be a daily goal.
To maintain normal levels, you must follow a few simple rules:
- maintain normal body weight;
- eat less salt;
- maintain a regime of moderate physical activity;
- stop smoking and reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages;
- consume foods containing potassium (the average daily requirement is 3500 mg of potassium for an adult);
- include fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products in your daily diet.
Proper nutrition
In case of arterial hypertension, it is necessary to follow the basic principles of nutrition:
- The daily diet should be balanced in the content of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Daily intake for an adult: proteins - 100 g, fats - 100 g, carbohydrates - 400 g.
- It is necessary to reduce the consumption of light (quickly converted into glucose) carbohydrates.
- Reduce the amount of salt you consume.
- Enrich your daily menu with foods rich in vitamins, potassium, magnesium and other beneficial microelements.
- Replace animal fats with vegetable oils.
- Include seafood rich in iodine and fatty acids in your diet.
- Create the correct diet: the number of meals per day is 5, the last meal is 2 hours before bedtime.
- Give preference to boiled or steamed dishes.
- The daily fluid intake should not exceed 1. 5 liters (including liquid dishes and tea).
If there are no chronic abnormalities or vascular diseases, then such simple measures should be enough to normalize blood pressure.
For stage 1 hypertension, it is necessary to limit the consumption of certain foods. For grades 2 and 3 - completely exclude.
Hypertensive patients are strictly not recommended to include in their diet:
- rich fish and meat broths;
- fatty pork and lamb meat;
- strong coffee and tea;
- beef fat, lard;
- hot spices;
- baked goods, cakes, pastries;
- salted and pickled vegetables, radishes;
- mayonnaise, fatty sauces;
- chocolate, cocoa;
- sweet soda;
- alcohol and tobacco.
Products that reduce blood pressure
For hypertensive patients, the greatest benefit will come from products containing antioxidants and capable of breaking down fats, thinning the blood, and preventing the formation of blood clots.
| Content of nutrients in products | Sample list of products |
|---|---|
| Folic acid | Tomatoes, spinach, citrus fruits, peas, beans |
| Lactic acid | Sauerkraut, low-fat fermented milk products |
| Vitamin C | Rose hips, garlic, currants, lemon |
| Coarse fiber | Potatoes, cereals, vegetables, herbs, berries and fruits |
| Phosphorus, magnesium, potassium | Nuts, seafood, seeds |
The list of products can be expanded by adhering to the basic principles of creating a menu for hypertensive patients.
Blood pressure changes throughout the day. Particularly sharp fluctuations are observed in hypertensive patients. In the morning it is low, then it rises after meals and decreases again. In the evening, blood pressure is significantly higher than the morning level. And at night during sleep, in patients with arterial hypertension, it can drop sharply. These surges are more severe than in healthy people.
Normalizing blood pressure in hypertension can save a person’s life and protect him from heart attack or stroke.