Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is classified as a systolic blood pressure that is higher than 130 and a diastolic blood pressure that is over 80. Hypertension is connected to various conditions, such as heart attacks, heart failure, or kidney disease. When treating this condition, the goal is to lower the blood pressure to protect the organs from damage and to prevent the risk of stroke.
Hypertension can be dangerous to the health of those who suffer from it because many people are not aware that they have it. The early symptoms of this condition can be mild enough that they are easy to ignore until more significant problems arise.
The most common symptoms of primary hypertension are:
Primary hypertension is caused by the force of the blood pushing against blood vessel walls being too high. This makes the heart work harder than it should, which can contribute to the hardening of the arteries, stroke, kidney disease, and heart failure. High blood pressure can be associated with a variety of common causes:
Genetics play a large role in primary hypertension, if you have a history of this condition in your family, you are much more likely to become hypertensive yourself. Diet and lifestyle are a factor to this condition, you will need to be sure that you are not ingesting too much salt or drinking too much alcohol if you want to avoid high blood pressure.
Primary hypertension is diagnosed using a few tests. The first is taking your blood pressure. If your blood pressure comes out in the prescribed range for hypertension, your doctor will conduct a physical exam. They will listen for abnormal sounds in your heart, which can be linked to a valve that is not functioning correctly or with blocked arteries. They will also check your pulses manually to see if they feel like they are fluttering or pounding.
Other tests that might be requested during the diagnosis phase are:
Treatment of high blood pressure is usually done through a combination of lifestyle and diet changes and supportive medications. There are various kinds of high blood pressure medications that can be used to control and lower blood pressure. You will be asked to reduce the salt in your diet and to reduce your alcohol consumption as well. If you smoke, you will need to consider quitting.
Prevention of high blood pressure can be difficult if you have a family predisposition for the condition, but avoiding things like smoking, drinking, and salty food can help a lot. Be sure that you are active on a daily basis and that you reduce the stress in your life if possible. Taking care of your health can help to prevent hypertension, even if you have a family predisposition for the condition.