All You Need to Know about Hypertension

Are you aware of the adverse consequences of hypertension? Are you or someone in your family suffering from hypertension? If yes, you can take precautions to prevent it from occurring. The best way is to seek professional help from your health care provider. Read on to know the common risk factors, causes, symptoms, and preventions of hypertension.

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension is the second name of high blood pressure. It leads to severe health complications and increases the risk of heart attack, aneurysm, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and death in more severe cases. High blood pressure is the most prevalent disease in the US. When blood pressure in your body is high, it exerts by circulating blood against the walls of your body’s arteries. 

World Health Organization reports that is 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 suffer from hypertension worldwide. 

Causes of Hypertension

Hypertension can be either primary or secondary.

• When high blood pressure does not have a known cause, it is primary hypertension. 
• When blood pressure has a known cause, it is secondary hypertension. 

Primary hypertension

Primary hypertension is the consequence of the following factors:

• Blood plasma volume
• Hormonal activity in individuals who use medication to manage blood volume and pressure
• Some environmental factors also cause hypertension, like depression, lack of exercise, stress, and so on. 

Secondary Hypertension 

Secondary hypertension has specific causes and may impede another health condition. 

• Chronic Kidney Disease 
• It is the most common factor that causes high blood pressure. The excess fluid in the kidney leads to hypertension. 

Other health conditions that cause hypertension are as follows:

• Diabetes that develops due to kidney problems and nerve damage 
• Pheochromocytoma and rarely cancer of an adrenal gland
• Corticosteroid drugs are also one of the reasons
• Hyperthyroidism and overactive thyroid gland
• Sleep Apnea
• Obesity
• Pregnancy

Hypertension Symptoms

Most often, people do not experience any specific signs and symptoms of high blood pressure. Symptoms of hypertension are not specific until it reaches a life-threatening stage. 

If your blood pressure is excessively high, you can experience the following symptoms: 

• Severe Headache
• Shortness of breath 
• Nosebleed
• Chest pain
• Fatigue or confusion
• Vision problems
• Nosebleed
• Difficulty breathing
• Blood in the urine
• Irregular heartbeat

Preventive Measures for Hypertension

Prevention for hypertension is possible by adopting a healthy lifestyle. You need to follow healthy habits to prevent high blood pressure to reduce heart disease and stroke risk. 

1. Healthy Diet

Choosing a healthy diet helps prevent high blood pressure and its complications. You can eat fresh fruits and vegetables. 

You can seek professional advice to maintain your diet plan. Make sure to include a variety of foods containing potassium, protein, fiber, less salt, and saturated fat. A healthy diet can maintain your blood pressure and protect you from certain diseases.

2. Maintain your Weight

Maintaining your weight is another good prevention method for hypertension. Being overweight and obese can increase the risk of high blood pressure. You can consult your health care provider to recommend specific ways to help you reach a healthy weight, including healthy food and physical activity. 

3. Avoid Drugs and Smoking

Drugs intake and smoking increase your blood pressure and put you at high risk of heart attack and stroke. Illegal drugs can elevate blood pressure by narrowing the arteries that supply blood to your heart.

These drugs give rise to your heart rate and damage your heart muscles. Moreover, cigarettes contain nicotine and other tobacco products make your blood vessels slender and faster your heartbeat. So, it is best to quit smoking or limit it.

Take Away

Hypertension is a common condition among adults, and certain risk factors make you more susceptible to developing the problem. You can minimize the risk of hypertension by following the above-mentioned preventive measures. So, live a healthy life! For professional advice, you can contact Dr. Mingliarti Tjahjana at One Health Medical Care.