Disorders of the cardiovascular system are one of the most common health problems in humanity. Studies have been conducted that have proven that they are much more common among urban dwellers than among those who spend most of their time in rural areas. In addition, diseases in this category are "rejuvenating", they develop in people younger than 40 years old. One of the most common pathologies of this type is hypertension. It is a regular increase in blood pressure above average.
Symptoms of hypertension (signs)
Manifestations of the disease depend on the stage of development it is in. Normally, blood pressure is between 110-130 at 70-90 mmHg. Depending on the severity of the disease, in critical cases it can rise to the level of 260 to 110. This condition threatens people's health and life. At the same time, in the initial stages, hypertension can be expressed only by mild weakness, increased fatigue and headache. As the pathology develops, its course also becomes more complex. The most dangerous condition is a hypertensive crisis - a sharp jump in blood pressure. General symptoms of the disease are:
- headache, feeling of tightness, especially in the back of the head and temples;
- noise and ringing in the ears;
- "stains", spots, a veil before the eyes;
- reduced visual acuity;
- worsening of spatial coordination and fine motor skills;
- tremors, numbness in arms and legs;
- nausea and vomiting.
Signs of hypertension occur in varying degrees depending on the stage of the disease. Deterioration of the condition occurs gradually, often during life. There are three stages of disease development:
- I - with blood pressure readings from 140-160 to 90-100 mmHg;
- II - at a pressure of 160-180 to 100-110 mmHg;
- III - when the upper limits of the second phase are exceeded.
A constant increase in pressure leads to disturbances in the work of the heart - the most common consequence of this is the development of coronary artery disease. There is also a risk of developing a heart attack or stroke.
Causes of hypertension
Experts have not fully studied the nature of diseases of the cardiovascular system. A special difficulty lies in the fact that such disorders are often formed during the period of intrauterine development and appear much later. At the same time, it is not always possible to observe and study the beginning of the disease. Most often, hypertension occurs in combination with the following disorders:
- kidney disease;
- vascular pathologies;
- renal artery obstruction;
- pathologies of the thyroid gland;
- disorders in the work of the adrenal glands;
- smoking and drinking alcohol;
- insufficient or excessive physical activity.
Such causes cause a secondary form of the disease - that is, one that develops under the influence of provoking factors. Signs of hypertension usually appear after 35-40 years of age. The primary subtype of the disease is directly caused by congenital pathologies of blood vessels or heart. The following factors further increase the risk of developing hypertension:
- age over 55 years;
- obesity;
- elevated cholesterol level;
- genetic predisposition;
- diabetes mellitus;
- hormonal disorders;
- frequent stress and depression.
Diet directly affects blood pressure levels. Some foods - dark chocolate, coffee, alcohol - can cause an increase in blood pressure. Saturated fats, spices and sugar affect the condition of the blood vessels and the chemical composition of the blood, which indirectly affects the increase in blood pressure. It has been proven that smoking often leads to illness.
Which doctor should I contact?
Manifestation of hypertension symptoms requires mandatory medical intervention in the earliest stages. Delay can cause the development of complications and in the future lead to such serious conditions as stroke and heart attack. Timely diagnosis will significantly reduce the risk. The doctor will help you to solve the problem:
One of the most important points in identifying the disease is determining its causes, especially if hypertension is secondary. In this case, the effectiveness of the treatment will not be high without removing the prerequisites for the pathology. In order to deal with this, the doctor will have to specify the clinical picture as much as possible. To do this, he will ask the following questions:
- What symptoms are you concerned about?
- How long ago did they start showing up?
- How often do hypertensive attacks occur?
- Are they related to some external factors?
- Does the patient have heart, kidney or endocrine disease?
- What kind of life does he lead?
- What symptomatic treatment does he use for seizures?
After that, an external examination will be performed with listening to the heart and measuring blood pressure. In addition, laboratory tests of urine and blood, hardware tests and differential diagnostic tools are used.
Disease treatment methods
The scheme of influence on the pathology is based on the causes of hypertension in each individual case. It is also important to consider whether it is primary or secondary in nature, as the main purpose of the influence depends on it. The totality of this information allows the specialist to build an optimal individual treatment plan. It usually involves the following steps:
- body weight control through diet;
- performance of physical exercises of different intensity;
- taking diuretics;
- use of anti-tachycardia drugs;
- taking adrenergic blockers;
- use of antispasmodics and painkillers;
- the use of drugs containing potassium.
The therapeutic regimen is strongly influenced by the stage of the disease. In the first stage it is sometimes possible without medication, while the second and third stages require rather large doses or strong drugs. For the treatment of high blood pressure, only conservative therapy is used.
Diagnosis of hypertension
Detection of pathology requires observations over a certain period of time with constant monitoring of results. This makes it possible to determine whether it is primary in nature and whether there are associated disorders. In this case, the method of differential diagnosis is used. It consists of the following stages:
- Repeated blood pressure measurement. It is performed on both hands, in a sitting or standing position, depending on the age. The accuracy is about 85%.
- Daily pressure monitoring is a procedure that enables continuous monitoring over a certain period of time using portable equipment. The price depends on the required duration of monitoring. Accuracy exceeds 95%.
- Laboratory tests of urine and blood. Determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of the liquid and the speed of chemical reactions in the body. Accuracy is about 75%.
- Chest X-ray. It allows you to visually assess the state of the heart. Accuracy - less than 70%.
An electrocardiogram is prescribed for possible heart pathologies. In addition, an ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity can be performed to determine the condition of the kidneys and fundus diagnostics if vision deteriorates.
Possible complications
Symptoms of hypertension affect a significant part of organs and systems that are not directly related to blood circulation. However, overall health depends on the quantity and quality of nutrients and oxygen carried by the fluid stream. Severe attacks of hypertension can cause the following problems:
- vascular deformations;
- coronary heart disease;
- kidney pathologies;
- risk of stroke and heart attack;
- blurred vision due to damage to the eye vessels;
- development of "heart lung";
- exercise intolerance.
The possibility of complications of varying severity depends on the stage of the disease. In the initial and middle stages, attacks may be accompanied by nosebleeds, vomiting attacks and tachycardia. If the situation worsens significantly, loss of consciousness, heart failure, damage to the integrity of blood vessels are possible. The most serious conditions are crisis, heart attack and stroke.
Risk groups
Many people ask questions about what kind of disease hypertension is, because the prevalence of this problem is very wide. At the same time, the pathology tends to affect people of working age - from 20 to 45 years, although a few decades ago the threshold was much higher. Not everyone is equally likely to develop this disorder. The following groups are particularly at risk:
- people with increased body weight and obesity;
- those whose activities are associated with heavy physical activity or, conversely, with a lack thereof;
- people with a genetic predisposition to high blood pressure;
- living in ecologically polluted areas;
- smokers and alcohol addicts;
- people who do not monitor the content of fat and carbohydrates in their food;
- those diagnosed with severe heart, liver or kidney disease.
Pathology does not show preferences between men and women - statistics for both sexes are approximately the same. However, due to more frequent alcohol consumption and difficult working conditions, the risk for the stronger sex is somewhat higher. In women, the disease usually develops at the age of 55-60 years, and in men - at the age of 65-70 years.
Prevention of hypertension
Protecting yourself from cardiovascular diseases is not always easy, because many of them are caused by innate characteristics of the body or age. However, preventive measures will still have a positive effect on the situation and health in general. Hypertension can develop due to a bad lifestyle, so correcting some aspects will be beneficial. Recommendations are:
- timely treat all diseases that cause hypertension - heart, blood vessels, blood, kidneys;
- adhere to a daily routine;
- avoid lack of sleep and overwork;
- maintain a healthy diet - avoid foods rich in fat and cholesterol, alcoholic beverages, strong tea and coffee;
- perform moderate physical activity and avoid a sedentary lifestyle;
- undergo regular preventive examinations;
- take the vitamin-mineral complexes recommended by your doctor to maintain your health.
Hypertension can be prevented only by maintaining the general well-being of the body. Several systems influence the onset of this disease, so prevention with pills or exercise alone will not be effective. An important stage in its implementation is the timely diagnosis of accompanying and provoking factors.