HYPERTENSION
OVERVIEW
Hypertension continues to be one of the oldest and commonest medical problems affecting the adult population. It has caused countless strokes, heart attacks, kidney failures and a host of other medical complications. There are various guidelines on what the ideal blood pressure numbers should be. Generally, and for the purposes of simplification, I will say try to get the numbers at or below 130 for the systolic (top number) and at or below 80 for the diastolic (lower number). If someone has diabetes or heart disease, it is recommended that the numbers should even be pushed much lower. Ideal normal is 120/80
Definition:
Hyper (means elevated) Tension (Talks about pressure)
It is therefore the measurement of the pressure the blood exerts on the walls of your blood vessels as it is pushed from the heart
Causes:
Primary Hypertension
Most cases of hypertension are essential or primary. This means no identifiable cause of the blood pressure is known. It therefore occurs as we get older.
Secondary Hypertension
People with identifiable causes of hypertension have secondary hypertension. These causes could be:
• Kidney disease
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (where people snore and at times stop breathing when asleep)
• Narrowing of some blood vessels like those supplying the kidneys
• Some medications including anti-inflammatory pain medications and amphetamines
• Family History
• Obesity
• Stress
• Tobacco use
• Caffeine and excessive alcohol use
• Street Drugs as in cocaine and methamphetamines
• Tumors in the adrenal gland
• Overactive thyroid
Symptoms:
• No symptoms. Most people are in this category
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Bleeding from the nose
• Blurry Vision
Diagnosis:
Blood pressure checks
Multiple readings will give us a trend
Treatment:
• Weight loss
• low salt intake,
• Getting regular physical activity
• A diet rich in fruits and vegetables help
• Medications
• Getting enough rest
• Limiting alcohol use
Complications of Hypertension:
• Strokes
• Heart attacks
• Kidney failure
• Heart failure
• Blindness
• Memory Decline
• Erectile dysfunction
Summary:
Blood pressure has a lot of complications and it is of utmost importance to avoid all of them. The only way to do that is to identify if you have Hypertension. You cannot use how you feel to judge if you have hypertension or not. Neither can you use how you feel to know if your blood pressure medications are working or not.
The surest way is to check the blood pressure and discuss the findings with a healthcare provider.Lifestyle changes crucial with blood pressure control
Francis Obeng MD