Secondary high blood pressure, also known as secondary hypertension, is when you develop high blood pressure as a side effect of another disease. This could include problems like diabetes, thyroid problems, kidney or adrenal issues, and more. Unlike primary high blood pressure, which is when you have high blood pressure without an underlying ailment, secondary high blood pressure is less common.
In most cases, because your blood pressure is being caused by something else, the goal of treatment will be to fix the underlying problem. The reason is that if there is not anything that is causing your high blood pressure, your hypertension will go away. In the meantime, however, until the underlying condition is cured, it will be necessary to receive treatment to keep your secondary hypertension under control.
One of the first things that your doctor will recommend if you have secondary high blood pressure is making certain lifestyle changes. High blood pressure, even when it is being caused by an underlying condition, is most common in people living an unhealthy lifestyle. Here are some of the things your doctor may recommend.
While making lifestyle changes will improve your help and aid in controlling your blood pressure, the problem will persist if you do not fix the underlying condition. Therefore, it is essential that you find out what is causing your secondary hypertension and start treatment for it immediately.
Treating the underlying condition will usually involve some form of surgery or medications, but these will vary wildly depending on the underlying cause.
In most cases, you will need medications to keep your blood pressure under control until the underlying problem is resolved. Here are some of the different blood pressure medications you may need to take.
Beta-blockers, such as atenolol and bisoprolol, slow down the heart by relaxing it, resulting in lower blood pressure.
ARBs, such as azilsartan and eprosartan, make your arteries and veins slightly wider, which makes it easier for blood to flow through them, leading to lower blood pressure.
ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, such as benazepril, captopril, and moexipril, also help to relax your heart and make it easier for it to pump blood, which results in lower blood pressure.
Diuretics, such as Aldactone and enalapril, help to remove excess liquid inside your body through urination and other methods. Because there is less liquid in your bloodstream, blood flows easier through your arteries and veins, resulting in lower blood pressure.
Vasodilators, such as hydralazine and minoxidil, can help relax the muscles in your blood vessel walls, resulting in lower blood pressure.
While medications are the best option to treat secondary high blood pressure, they also have unwanted side effects, including the following.
As you can see, there are a number of good treatment options for secondary high blood pressure. The key to treatment is finding out if your blood pressure truly is secondary or if it is primary.
If you treat it as primary hypertension, you may be able to lower your blood pressure temporarily, but it will continue to spike because it is being caused by an underlying condition. Therefore, until the underlying condition is cured, you will continue to deal with secondary hypertension.