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

Hypertension is one of the most common cardiac pathologies, currently being diagnosed in every third inhabitant of our planet over the age of 45.In recent years, the disease has become significantly younger and now very often among the number of hypertensive patients you can see very young people with hypertension.The main danger of the pathological condition lies in its complications.Hypertension can cause heart attack and stroke, cause rupture of aneurysms of large vessels, cause the development of serious impairment of kidney function and a marked deterioration in the quality of vision.

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

Reasons

Unfortunately, modern medical science has not yet been able to completely unravel all the probable causes of hypertension, but most of them are known to doctors.Only an experienced specialist can identify which factor led to the development of the disease, who in the diagnostic process uses not only his knowledge, but also the results of numerous studies that confirm or refute the presence of signs of hypertension in a person.

The main reason for an increase in blood pressure is a violation of the activity of the human sympathetic-adrenal system, that is, constant irritation of the center responsible for the narrowing of blood vessels in the brain.

This can occur under the influence of several exo- and endogenous factors that contribute to sudden vasospasm.

Symptoms of hypertension may appear in people with so-called exogenous risk factors for the development of the pathological condition:

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

Among the endogenous factors, age and poor heredity stand out, when the disease can be transmitted from parents to children.The development of hypertension is also promoted by:

1. vascular damage from atherosclerosis;
2. obesity;
3. metabolic diseases, in particular diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism;
4. kidney diseases;
5. increased levels of calcium and sodium in the blood;
6. hormonal changes, which 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 is usually distinguished by the nature of its course, the presence of complications, causes of development, pressure indicators and much more.

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

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

According to the generally accepted WHO classification, there are the following stages of the disease:

• Stage 1 – transient increase in pressure without damage to target organs;
• Stage 2 – presence of signs of damage to internal organs, among which the main target is the heart, blood vessels, ocular structures, brain and kidneys;
• Stage 3 – stable increase in blood pressure against the background of the development of complications, from the manifestations of which a person can die.

Hypertensive disease has its own types of course, including:

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

Symptoms

In the early stages of its development, the disease is practically asymptomatic, which makes early detection difficult.In these patients, hypertension may be discovered by chance during a medical examination or during a routine clinic visit.

A more complex type of hypertension is characterized by a series of signs that significantly worsen the person's quality of life and are the reason for referral to a specialist.The main symptom of the disease is an increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg.Art.This condition causes the development of headaches, which are the result of a reflex narrowing of the 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, which are pulsating in nature, characterized by severity and rapid development.This pain and throbbing does not go away after taking painkillers.

Often, hypertensive patients experience individual dizziness, which can occur after performing simple work.The symptom is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting, as well as general malaise due to increased intracranial pressure.The constriction of the hearing aid vessels causes tinnitus, when the person feels that their ears are very obstructed and practically loses the ability to normally perceive the sounds around them.

Violation of coronary blood flow leads to the development of myocardial ischemia.These patients develop shortness of breath and chest pain, which can be easily corrected with the help of nitrates.At this time, the organ works in an enhanced way to be able to push a batch of blood into the narrowed main vessels.Each attack of angina is accompanied by a rapid pulse, pronounced palpitations and the risk of a formidable complication of such a pathological condition as myocardial infarction.

In hypertension, ocular dysfunction is determined with a sharp deterioration in vision and the development of hypertensive angiopathy of the retinal vessels.The pathological process also involves the fundus of the eye, which swells and compresses the optic nerve.At this moment, the person notices “goosebumps” in front of the eyes, dark circles and the like.

Complications of hypertension symptoms in women occur most often during menopause, when menopause occurs.During this period, hormonal changes occur in the body of the fairer sex, disrupting the production of biologically active substances that control normal blood pressure levels.This is why hypertension is the most common consequence of menopause among women.

Complications

HD is one of the insidious diseases, which progresses slowly and is often diagnosed when the first complications of the pathological process appear.With the constant increase in blood pressure, dystrophic and sclerotic changes occur in target organs, leading to serious functional impairments.First of all, the kidneys, brain, heart, visual analyzer and blood vessels are affected by high blood pressure.

There are several risk factors that affect the rate 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;
• deficiency of potassium and magnesium in the body;
• age-related changes;
• hereditary predisposition.

In hypertensive disease, the heart is forced to work under conditions of increased stress, which is associated with the need to push blood into narrowed vessels.Over time, the myocardial wall becomes thicker and the person experiences left ventricular hypertrophy and lack of oxygen in the heart muscle.

From the heart side, there are several types of complications of 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.

A high level of blood pressure causes brain disorders to appear in a person, which in practice manifest themselves as severe dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, memory loss and much more.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 task.This contributes to 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 in hypertensive patients that indicate kidney pathology.A sick person begins to complain of general weakness, malaise, bloating and causeless nausea.

Eye damage is manifested by the occurrence of hemorrhages in the retina, swelling of the optic nerve head and progressive loss of vision.On the part of the peripheral vessels in arterial hypertension, the most dangerous complication is the dissection of their walls, in particular, the well-known aortic aneurysm, which forms and is asymptomatic, often causing sudden death.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing hypertension and establishing the stage and degree of progression of the disease is an important step towards prescribing appropriate treatment for the pathological condition.Therefore, when the first signs indicating hypertensive disease appear, you should immediately contact a medical institution to find out the causes of hypertension and methods for its correction.

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

• laboratory blood test to determine the level of potassium and magnesium, creatinine, bad cholesterol, glucose, etc.;
• biochemical study of urine with determination of the amount of proteins;
• electrocardiography (ECG);
• ultrasound examination of the heart;
• Doppler flowmetry;
• fundus examination.

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

1. the first stage is to determine the clinical manifestations of the disease based on the words of the hypertensive person and obtain the results of additional studies;
2. the second stage is a special study that allows you to determine the exact extent of the disease and the presence of its complications in the patient using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or x-ray examination.

Daily blood pressure monitoring allows you to obtain an accurate picture of the course of the disease.Thanks to it, it is possible to establish the amplitude of pressure fluctuations throughout the day and determine their average, which will characterize the degree of hypertension.The main disadvantage of this type of research is its high cost.

Treatment

Treatment of exacerbations of hypertension should take place in a cardiological hospital, where it is possible to constantly monitor blood pressure levels.Furthermore, if necessary, the doctor can change the patient's treatment plan and prescribe more effective medications in each specific clinical case.

Treatment of the disease begins with the appointment of a special diet, which strictly limits table salt, fatty and fried foods, as well as offal, smoked meats and flour products.Nutrition for hypertensive patients is aimed at improving the general condition, preventing the development of edema, normalizing weight, and so on.

According to new European recommendations, the treatment of hypertension must be comprehensive and necessarily include a series of medications, the action of which is aimed at reducing blood pressure and eliminating the risks of the disease transforming into a malignant version of its course or the development of complications of the pathological condition.Among the groups of medications most used for hypertension are:

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

The doctor pays special attention to prescribing diuretics.The fact is that not all diuretics are safe for the hypertensive patient's body due to their potassium leaching properties.That is why the use of these medications must be combined with the use of potassium supplements under control of the biochemical composition of the blood.In addition, diuretics not only lower blood pressure, but also eliminate tissue swelling by removing excess sodium.

Self-treatment of hypertension is strictly prohibited.

It is also not recommended to use traditional antihypertensive medications without your doctor's approval for such use.Prohibited actions, as the main contraindication, can provoke an emergency hypertensive crisis and the need for immediate hospitalization of the patient in a specialized hospital to determine the causes of complications and decide on new tactics for their elimination.

Prevention

To prevent hypertension, it is necessary to carry out a set of measures aimed at timely identifying and eliminating the risks of developing a pathological condition, as well as stabilizing already high blood pressure.To prevent the appearance of the first signs of the disease, a person must normalize their lifestyle, abandon bad habits and salt consumption, increase physical activity, and also lose excess weight.Particular attention should be paid to the health of potential patients whose risk of developing hypertension is hereditary.This category of people should always have a pressure measuring device at hand, with which they can monitor their condition.

Blood pressure problems can be prevented by:

1. lead an active lifestyle (physiotherapy, fitness, massages, walks in the fresh air, skiing, swimming in the pool) and regularly train in the gym;
2. give up junk food, smoking and drinking alcohol;
3. reduce salt intake to 3-4 g per day;
4. prohibit yourself from eating foods rich in animal fats, preservatives and cholesterol;
5. maintain a clear daily routine and practice adequate sleep;
6. prevent the appearance of excessive fat deposits, which cause obesity;
7. prevent stressful situations;
8. regularly carry out preventive examinations with a cardiologist and take the necessary tests;
9. When the first signs of increased blood pressure appear, seek medical help immediately.

People who have inherited a tendency to high blood pressure should pay attention to their health, exercise and have regular checkups.A prompt diagnosis of hypertension involves clinical observation of the patient and, if necessary, referral to a committee to determine disability.