How to recognize the signs of hypertension and avoid dangerous complications?

Hypertension is one of the most common heart pathologies and is currently diagnosed in every third inhabitant of our planet over the age of 45.In recent years, the disease has become much younger, and now among the number of hypertensive patients, many young people with high blood pressure can often be seen.The main danger of the pathological condition is its complications.Hypertension can lead to heart attack and stroke, rupture of aneurysms of large vessels, serious impairment of kidney function and sharp deterioration of vision.

A person's blood pressure has an upper, cardiac or systolic value, and a diastolic pressure, or its lower renal level.According to WHO standards, the norm for these indicators should not exceed 139/89 mmHg.Art., otherwise it is customary to talk about hypertension.Early diagnosis and timely treatment of hypertension is a person's chance to prevent pathological changes in many internal organs, which will allow them to maintain their health and lead a full life for many years.

Reasons

Unfortunately, modern medical science has not yet fully discovered all possible causes of hypertension, but most of them are known to doctors.Only an experienced specialist can determine which factor causes the development of the disease, he uses not only his knowledge in the diagnostic process, but also the results of numerous studies that confirm or deny the presence of hypertension symptoms in a person.

The main reason for the increase in arterial pressure is the violation of the activity of the sympathetic-adrenal system of a person, that is, the constant irritation of the center responsible for the narrowing of cerebral vessels.

This can occur under the influence of numerous exo- as well as endogenous factors that cause sudden vasospasm.

Symptoms of hypertension can be seen in people with exogenous risk factors for the development of the pathological condition:

• frequent stress and severe nervous tension;
• poor nutrition;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• long working hours, night shift work;
• regular consumption of large amounts of strong alcoholic beverages and smoking;
• drugs;
• intense sports activity.

Among the endogenous factors, when the disease can pass from parents to children, age and poor heredity come to the fore.The following also contribute to the development of hypertension:

1. vascular damage with atherosclerosis;
2. obesity;
3. metabolic diseases, especially diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism;
4. kidney diseases;
5. increased calcium and sodium levels in the blood;
6. Hormonal changes are the most common cause of high blood pressure in women during pregnancy and menopause.

Classification

Currently, there is more than one classification of hypertension.The disease generally differs in the nature of its course, the presence of complications, causes of development, pressure indicators and more.

Modern cardiologists distinguish several degrees of hypertension (depending on high blood pressure indicators):

• 1st degree – pressure rises to 159-140/99-90 mm Hg.Art.;
• 2nd degree - the indicator on the needles of the mechanical tonometer is diagnosed as 179-160/109-100 mm Hg.Art.;
• 3rd degree - continuous or periodic increase in pressure more than 180/110 mm Hg.Art.

According to the generally accepted WHO classification, the disease has the following stages:

• Stage 1 - temporary increase in pressure without damage to target organs;
• Stage 2 - the presence of signs of damage to internal organs, among which the main targets are the heart, blood vessels, eye structures, brain and kidneys;
• Stage 3 - a steady increase in blood pressure against the background of the development of complications from the manifestations of which a person may die.

Hypertensive disease has its own course types, including:

1. the benign type or indifferent variant of hypertension, when the symptoms of the pathology develop very slowly over decades and the risk of complications is estimated to be minimal;
2. a malignant disease in which a sudden increase in pressure, damage to target organs and frequent hypertensive crises are recorded (this variant of the disease is difficult to treat with drugs).

Symptoms

In the early stages of its development, the disease is practically asymptomatic, which makes it difficult to detect it early.In such patients, high blood pressure may be detected accidentally during a medical examination or during a routine visit to the clinic.

A more complex type of hypertension is characterized by a number of symptoms that significantly worsen a person's quality of life and cause him to turn to specialists.The main symptom of the disease is an increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg.Art.This condition leads to the development of headaches, which are the result of reflex constriction of blood vessels in the brain.As a rule, people prone to hypertension complain of the appearance of pain in the back of the head and temples, pulsating in nature, characterized by severity and suddenness of development.Even after taking analgesics, the pain and throbbing do not go away.

Often, hypertensive patients experience a single dizziness that can occur after performing a simple task.The symptom is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, as well as a general disorder due to increased intracranial pressure.Tinnitus is caused by narrowing of the vessels of the hearing aid, when a person feels that his ears are very blocked and practically loses the ability to perceive the surrounding sounds normally.

Disruption of coronary blood flow leads to the development of myocardial ischemia.Such patients develop shortness of breath and chest pain, which can be easily corrected with the help of nitrates.At this time, the body works in an enhanced mode to be able to push a bundle of blood into the narrowed main vessels.Each attack of angina is accompanied by the risk of such a terrible complication of the pathological condition as a rapid pulse, open heartbeat and myocardial infarction.

In the case of hypertension, eye dysfunction is determined by the sharp deterioration of vision and the development of hypertensive angiopathy of the retinal vessels.The pathological process also involves the fundus, which swells and compresses the optic nerve.At this time, "gas buds", darkened circles, etc. appear in front of the human eyes.

Complications of high blood pressure symptoms in women most often occur during menopause.During this period, hormonal changes occur in the body of the fairer sex, disrupting the production of biologically active substances that control the normal blood pressure level.Therefore, the most common consequence of menopause in women is hypertension.

Complications

HD is one of the insidious diseases that progresses slowly and is often diagnosed at the stage of appearance of the first complications of the pathological process.With a constant increase in blood pressure, dystrophic and sclerotic changes occur in the target organs, which leads to serious functional disorders.Kidneys, brain, heart, visual analyzer and blood vessels are primarily affected by arterial hypertension.

There are several risk factors that affect the speed of development of complications in hypertension and their severity:

• bad habits, especially smoking;
• sedentary lifestyle and increased body mass index;
• high blood cholesterol and hyperglycemia;
• frequent stress;
• lack of potassium and magnesium in the body;
• age-related changes;
• hereditary predisposition.

With hypertensive disease, the heart is forced to work under increased stress due to the need to push blood through narrowed vessels.Over time, the myocardial wall thickens and a person experiences left ventricular hypertrophy and oxygen starvation of the heart muscle.

There are several types of cardiac hypertension:

1. ischemic disease;
2. angina pectoris;
3. atherosclerosis of coronary vessels;
4. acute form of heart failure in the form of myocardial infarction;
5. chronic heart failure.

High blood pressure provokes the appearance of brain disorders in a person, in practice it manifests itself as severe dizziness, headache, tinnitus, memory loss, etc.There are several options for complex cerebral complications of hypertension:

• encephalopathy with vestibular disorders;
• ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke;
• cognitive impairment of brain activity.

As you know, the kidneys control the amount of water and salt in the body.But when blood pressure rises, they can fully perform their main work.It helps with a number of complications, including:

1. kidney failure;
2. dysfunction of filtration and fluid secretion;
3. nephrosclerosis.

Such disorders lead to the development of a number of symptoms indicating kidney pathology in hypertensive patients.A sick person begins to complain of general weakness, malaise, swelling and unexplained nausea.

Eye damage is manifested by retinal hemorrhages, swelling of the optic nerve head, and progressive loss of vision.The most dangerous complication of peripheral vessels in arterial hypertension is the rupture of their walls, especially the well-known aortic aneurysm, which is asymptomatic and often causes sudden death.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing hypertension by determining the stage and degree of the disease is an important step towards determining adequate treatment for the pathological condition.Therefore, when the first signs of a hypertensive disease appear, you should immediately contact a medical institution to find out the causes of high blood pressure and methods of its correction.

The complex of diagnostic measures for suspected hypertension includes a number of laboratory and instrumental studies, including:

• potassium and magnesium, creatinine, bad cholesterol, glucose, etc.laboratory blood test to determine its level;
• biochemical analysis of urine by determining the amount of protein;
• electrocardiography (ECG);
• ultrasound examination of the heart;
• Doppler flowmeter;
• fundus examination.

The diagnostic procedure of hypertension, which allows determining the degree of damage, consists of two stages:

1. the first stage is to determine the clinical manifestations of the disease from the hypertensive patient's words and obtain the results of additional studies;
2. the second stage is a special work that allows to determine the exact extent of the disease in the patient and the presence of its complications using magnetic resonance therapy (MRI) or X-ray examination.

Daily monitoring of blood pressure allows you to get an accurate picture of the course of the disease.Thanks to this, you can determine the range of pressure fluctuations during the day and determine the average score that will characterize the degree of hypertension.The main drawback of such research is its high cost.

Treatment

Treatment of exacerbation of hypertension should be carried out in a cardiology hospital, where it is possible to constantly monitor the level of blood pressure.In addition, if necessary, the doctor can change the patient's treatment plan and prescribe more effective drugs in each specific clinical situation.

Treatment of the disease begins with prescribing a special diet that strictly limits table salt, fatty and fried foods, as well as offal, smoked meats and flour products.Nutrition for hypertensive patients improves the general condition, prevents the development of edema, normalizes weight, etc.

According to the new European recommendations, the treatment of hypertension should be comprehensive and include a number of drugs whose actions are aimed at reducing blood pressure and eliminating the risks of the disease becoming a malignant version of its course or developing complications of the pathological condition.Among the most commonly used groups of drugs for hypertension:

• alpha-blockers;
• ganglion blockers;
• ACE inhibitors;
• beta blockers;
• calcium channel blockers;
• diuretics.

The doctor pays special attention to the appointment of diuretics.The fact is that not every diuretic is safe for the body of a hypertensive patient due to the properties of potassium leaching.Therefore, the intake of such drugs should be combined with the use of potassium preparations under the control of the biochemical composition of the blood.In addition, diuretics not only reduce blood pressure, but also eliminate tissue swelling by removing excess sodium.

Self-medication of hypertension is strictly prohibited.

It is not recommended to use traditional antihypertensive drugs without your doctor's permission.Prohibited actions, as the main contraindication, can cause an urgent hypertensive crisis, and the patient may need to be immediately admitted to a specialized hospital to determine the causes of complications and decide on further tactics for their elimination.

Prevention

In order to prevent hypertension, it is necessary to undergo a series of measures aimed at timely identification and elimination of the risks of development of the pathological condition, as well as stabilization of already high blood pressure.In order to prevent the first signs of the disease, a person should normalize his lifestyle, give up bad habits and salt consumption, increase physical activity, and also get rid of excess weight.Special attention should be paid to the health of potential patients with a hereditary risk of developing hypertension.People in this category should always have a device to measure pressure, with the help of which they can monitor its condition.

Blood pressure problems can be prevented by:

1. lead an active lifestyle (physical therapy, fitness, massage, walking in the fresh air, skiing, swimming in the pool) and exercise regularly in the gym;
2. give up junk food, smoking and alcoholic beverages;
3. reduce salt intake to 3-4 g per day;
4. forbid you to eat foods high in animal fats, preservatives and cholesterol;
5. maintain a clear daily routine and apply sufficient sleep;
6. prevent the appearance of excess fat deposits that cause obesity;
7. avoid stressful situations;
8. regularly undergo preventive examinations with a cardiologist and undergo the necessary tests;
9. When the first signs of increased pressure appear, consult a doctor immediately.

People with a hereditary predisposition to hypertension should pay attention to their health, exercise and undergo regular examinations.Ready diagnosis of hypertension involves clinical observation of patients and, if necessary, referral to a commission to determine disability.