What is Hypertension?

Commonly referred to as high blood pressure, hypertension is a medical condition characterized by the elevation of blood pressure. There are different kinds of hypertension but the most common is the arterial hypertension. This condition could also be classified into two – essential and secondary.

Essential hypertension refers to the condition when there is no specific medical cause that could explain the occurrence. On the other hand, secondary hypertension is caused by secondary conditions like kidney malfunctions or adrenal tumors. When not treated immediately, this condition could become persistent and could cause a lot of other ailments especially those that concern the heart. It has known to be the common risk strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm. It is also said to be the leading cause of chronic renal failure. As an effect of hypertension, a person who frequently suffers such is known to have lesser life expectancy.

Though medicine poses specific ranges of blood pressure that are considered to be at the level of hypertension, the condition is still relative to a person. Sometimes, hypertension is dependent on how a patient can sustain certain blood pressures. When the blood pressure rises 50 percent above what is known to be the normal to a person, it already calls for a treatment.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypertension

Hypertension is only determined through a blood pressure measurement equipment and reads the systolic and diastolic of the blood. There is actually no identified sign of hypertension; rather, it varies from one person to another. Some people report to have experienced headaches, fatigue, dizziness, blurring of vision and facial flushing.

One of the misconceptions of hypertension is its association with stress, mental tension and anxiety. These conditions may affect the flow of the blood but those could not alone cause the imbalance condition of the blood flow. However, accelerated hypertension is closely associated with somnolence, confusion, visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting.

Being in a hypertension condition is not permanent; and it could not be severe enough to cause symptoms. Symptoms only surface when signs of end-organ damage are determined or are possible; otherwise, the condition is still considered accelerated hypertension. Malignant hypertension, on the other hand, is caused by increased intracranial pressure. These could be diagnosed through retinal examination.

Another misconception is that hypertension is known to be only experienced with people in old age. However, this condition could also occur in children and teenagers. Obesity in children is known to be a factor of developing the occurrence of such phenomenon. The detection and intervention in childhood hypertension could be determined though early evidence of the development of atherosclerosis. Aside from that, temperature could also affect the condition in children especially that they are in the height of an active lifestyle.

Complications of Hypertension

Hypertension , as mentioned earlier, could cause a lot of complications. Alone, it is not considered as illness since it is temporary. However, this condition increases the risk in developing other health conditions. Complications include cerebrovascular accidents or strokes, heart attack, heart failure, damage to the retina of the eye and renal failure.

Originally posted 2009-10-30 06:49:47. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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If this is the case for you and you are diagnosed with this condition then you are at risk of a heart attack, stroke and even kidney disease. All of these can be fatal! In saying this, it doesn’t mean things cannot be reversed. Yes you can do something about this! First off you need to see your doctor to check out these high blood pressure symptoms or signs. Once you have been told that you are in the high catergory then you may need to go on medication straight away to bring it down. Once on medication though, you usually stay on it. You should try to avoid this.

Taking medication in itself maybe ok as it helps lower you blood pressure, which is important, but what you should be doing is trying to get it down by living a healthier lifestyle. Lose weight, quit smoking, cut out added suger and salt, exercise and try to cut back on stress. Ok, so the stress factor may be harder than you think but once you are healthier you will also feel better in other ways as well.

Some people have been known to show some form of symptom that can include fatigue, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, nausea but of course these could also be signs of many other conditions. So I suppose the one important thing to remember apart from keeping fit and healthy is regularly visiting your doctor. Having check ups to keep on top of things. It isn’t just high blood pressure symptoms that should be a concern to you but many other factors that can contribute to bad health. This is true especially as we age. Check ups and preventative measures are always the best option to living a full healthy life.

As I said before many people won’t know that they have high blood pressure as it is not a major visible condition but there are signs to look out for that can contribute to this. Take a good look at yourself and your life style and please go to the doctors for regular check ups. Life is too important to let slip away just because we live busy lives. Our work and families deserve us to be healthy.

Originally posted 2009-12-01 23:00:06. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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