Hypertension

Hypertension is persistent high blood pressure above normal, usually above 140/90 millimeters of mercury.

Essential high blood pressure is another name for it. It is responsible for more than ninety percent of cases of high blood pressure. In other cases, secondary arterial hypertension is diagnosed. These include renal up to 4%, endocrine up to 0. 4%, hemodynamic and neurological, stress, which are caused by the ingestion of iatrogenic substances. There is also hypertension in pregnant women, in which increased blood pressure is one of the symptoms of the underlying disease.

Among the various types of iatrogenic hypertension, the methods of various dietary supplements and contraceptives differ. In general, the occurrence of hypertension contributes to more than 25 combinations in the genetic code of the human body.

causes of hypertension

When doctors talk about the cause of hypertension, they admit that the cause of its occurrence is still unclear. Therefore, this disease is also called essential or, a disease with uncertain etiology.

The theories that exist in our time and that try to explain the occurrence of hypertension are in themselves untenable and can lead a person to a desperate situation (when all methods have been tried), without explaining anything concretely or scientifically. The patient, to say the least, is put on treatment for the sake of treatment. A person is almost constantly forced to resort to the help of drugs to relieve the hypertensive state.

In the human body, there is a so-called system that regulates blood pressure. It can also increase for various reasons. In the event of an increase in blood pressure, the walls of vessels such as the aortic arch or the carotid artery become very tense. Because of this, the receptors that are located on them get irritated. The resulting excitation, passing through the nerves, reaches the medulla oblongata. There is a vasomotor center. The activity of depressor neurons, unlike pressor neurons, will increase, causing blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to decrease. In the case of a decrease in blood pressure, such processes occur in complete contrast. This explains the normal process of increasing and decreasing blood pressure in the human body. Without a reason, the pressure will not increase. Everything in the body is interconnected.

Causes of hypertension include:

1. Obesity and overweight. People with this problem often have an increase in blood pressure and, as a result, hypertension. As a rule, people with such disorders in the body's metabolism must control it.
2. In five percent of patients, the causes of hypertension can be disorders of the kidneys or thyroid gland.
3. If a person is not overweight and has a slender build. He has no problems with his kidneys and thyroid gland, so the cause of hypertension could be a lack of magnesium in the body.
4. Hypertension is caused in five percent of patients: a tumor of the adrenal glands, a tumor of the pituitary gland, poisoning with mercury, lead, etc.

In more detail, the main cause of hypertension in most patients is metabolic syndrome. As a rule, in such patients, the cholesterol content in the blood level is disturbed. Metabolic syndrome is determined by several reasons: increased waist circumference (more than 80 cm in women, more than 94 cm in men); an increase in triglycerides (called fats) in the blood of more than 1. 75 mmol per litre, or the patient is already receiving medication to correct the condition; high-density lipoproteins in women should be less than 1. 3 mmol per liter, in men less than 1. 0 mmol per liter; systolic blood pressure exceeds 140 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure exceeds 85 mm Hg; the blood glucose level on an empty stomach is more than 5. 5 mmol per litre. Altogether, if hypertension is combined with excess weight, you should check for the presence of metabolic syndrome.

In addition, the causes of hypertension are: psychological stress, diabetes, kidney and thyroid diseases, heredity also plays a role.

Hypertension symptoms

Clinical manifestations of hypertensive disease do not present specific symptoms. Patients for many years may not even guess which disease they have. They will feel a high vitality. Although sometimes they can still be overcome by bouts of dizziness, weakness, sometimes with dizziness. But, as a rule, these people believe that it is from overwork. Complaints arise when, as they are called, target organs are affected. These are the organs most sensitive to changes in blood pressure.

The occurrence of headaches and dizziness in a person, noise in the head, decreased ability to work and memory indicate initial changes in the cerebral blood supply. Later on, double vision, flies before the eyes, weakness, difficulty in speech, numbness of the arms and legs come together, but at the initial level, these changes in blood supply are close in nature.

If the stage of hypertension has gone far, it can bring about complications in the form of heart attack or stroke. The earliest and most constant sign of high blood pressure is an enlargement (hypertrophy) of the left ventricle of the myocardium. In this regard, an increase in their mass is accompanied by the fact that the walls of the vessels thicken. First, the thickness of the wall of the left ventricle thickens, then the expansion of the heart chamber of this ventricle occurs. The same is true of hypertension. Otherwise, this condition may be called cardiac hypertension or hypertensive heart disease. With this form of hypertension, gross morphological changes in the aorta (atherosclerosis) can coalesce, can expand, resulting in rupture or dissection. Hypertension of the heart in this regard is very insidious.

A common sign or symptom of hypertension is, of course, a headache. And as the most characteristic sign of this disease, with its progression, it can appear at different times of the day (patients often complain about the night and the hour after waking up from sleep). The nature of the headache can be just as intense or heavy in the occipital region, and it can cover other areas of the head as well. With hypertension, there may be swelling of the legs, which also indicates heart failure. Also, they can be a sign of impaired kidney function.

arterial hypertension

Arterial hypertension is the most common disease of the entire cardiovascular system. The word "high blood pressure" refers to blood pressure that remains constantly high. An increase in blood pressure occurs when there is a narrowing of the arteries and arterioles.

An artery is the main transport route through which blood is delivered to all tissues in the body. In many people, arterioles often constrict. Initially due to spasm, and later, its lumen remains almost constantly narrowed due to wall thickening. And then, in order for the blood flow to overcome the constrictions, a greater effort is applied, as a result of which the work of the heart muscle is increased and a large amount of blood flows into the vascular bed. These people usually suffer from hypertension more often.

This condition is chronic. In about 1 in 10 hypertensive patients, high blood pressure is caused by damage to a specific organ.

In these cases, we are talking about symptomatic arterial hypertension, or as it is also called secondary. About 90 percent of patients suffer from an essential form of hypertension, or as it is called primary. Patients with high blood pressure often suffer from headaches.

With high blood pressure, a hypertensive crisis is a frequent occurrence. There are two types of hypertensive crisis:

• The first stage of the crisis (when an immediate reduction in blood pressure is required) is classified: hypertrophic encephalopathy, acute left ventricular failure, acute aortic dissection, eclampsia, post-coronary arterial shunt. In some cases, hypertension is observed, which combines with an increase in the level of catecholamines circulating in the blood.
• In the second phase of the crisis (when conditions necessary to lower blood pressure within 12-24 hours): malignant arterial hypertension without special complications, high hypertension, characterized by an increase in diastolic pressure above 140 mm Hg.

Emergency cupirization of a hypertensive crisis is carried out in the conditions in which it appears: a convulsive form (hypertensive encephalopathy), a crisis in the presence of pheochromocytoma, a crisis in myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary edema, aortic aneurysm.

Studies prescribed by a doctor for high blood pressure should include: an eye fundus exam, a kidney function study, a heart study. He may also prescribe antihypertensive therapy to patients, which will help identify complications that may occur during hypertension (hypertension).

degrees of hypertension

To correctly diagnose hypertension, doctors first need to determine the degree or stage of hypertension in a patient and make, so to speak, an appropriate entry in their medical record. If the diagnosis of the disease of hypertension occurred in the later stages, the second or third, then the consequences for the body can be more serious than in the first stage of the disease. But, however, few of the patients go to the doctor in the early or early stages of the disease. And, in general, few people measure their own blood pressure at home.

Determine: normal blood pressure, where systolic blood pressure, where the indicator is less than 130 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure, where values are below 85 mm Hg. Normal high, where systolic blood pressure, where the indicator is 130-140 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure, where the indicator is 85-90 mm Hg.

• Hypertension 1 degree (mild), in which systolic blood pressure has an indicator of 140-160 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure, in which the indicators are 90-100 mmHg;
• 2nd degree (moderate) hypertension, in which systolic blood pressure has an indicator of 160-180 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure, in which the indicators are 100-110 mmHg;
• Grade 3 (severe) hypertension, where systolic blood pressure is greater than 180 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure, where values are greater than 110 mm Hg.

stages of hypertension

First stage hypertension - characterized by an increase in blood pressure of up to 160/100 mm, which can occur in a few days or weeks. But under favorable conditions, it usually drops to a normal level.

At this stage, there are usually no symptoms of the disease. Sometimes there may be complaints of recurrent headache, sleep problems, mild heart pain.

In the second stage of hypertension, the pressure rises to 180/100 mm. Even if the patient rests, he does not fall to a normal level. In addition to the increase in blood pressure, there may be a narrowing of the retinal artery, hypertrophy of the left ventricle of the heart, protein appears in the urine during analysis and a slight increase in plasma creatine. There may be headache, dizziness, sleep disturbances, angina pectoris, shortness of breath. With this phase, misfortunes such as heart attacks, strokes can come. At this stage, it is necessary to take medication for hypertension.

In the third stage of hypertension, there is an increase in blood pressure to 180/110 mm and above. Almost all patients have (severe) changes in Organs internal organs. There are frequent bouts of shortness of breath, angina pectoris, heart rhythm disorders, headaches, dizziness, sleep and hearing disorders, vision and memory problems. Development of kidney and heart failure. Strokes and heart attacks are guaranteed. Urgent treatment must be carried out.

treatment of hypertension

There are two methods of treating hypertension: drug and non-drug treatment.

There are several treatments for hypertension, but treatment should begin with treating conditions whose symptoms are secondary hypertension as well as symptomatic components of hypertension. Non-drug treatment of high blood pressure consists of following a salt-restricted diet, a favorable regime of rest and work, dealing with stressful situations, abstaining from drinking alcohol and quitting smoking, and normalizing body weight. Only with a low efficiency of this method, drug therapy should be connected.

The goal of drug therapy is to lower blood pressure, that is, to eliminate the cause of this vascular condition. At the beginning of treatment, monotherapy and combination therapy are appropriate. When it is ineffective, I use low doses of antihypertensive combinations. The first line of treatment is prescription drugs that improve the prognosis.

• Beta blockers. This is an outdated group of drugs that have a hypotensive effect, reducing heart rate and blood volume per minute. They improve the heart's work in your ischemic disease. But a side effect of such drugs is bronchospasm, so in our time, most doctors are moving away from this treatment method as monotherapy. And also with long-term use, they contribute to the development of diabetes and erectile dysfunction.
• Diuretics. For the treatment of hypertension, saluretics are also used, drugs that remove sodium and chlorine ions from the body. But most diuretic drugs cause the body to excrete potassium. It is better to combine them.
• Potassium antagonists. Used to prevent brain damage. In no case should you self-medicate in case of hypertension.

Only a doctor can prescribe the correct means of treating hypertension after a properly performed examination.

In general, although hypertension is not completely curable, it can be safely said that good treatment results can be achieved in the coordinated work of the patient and the attending physician. It is possible to obtain a stable improvement in the state of the vascular system and the work of the heart, as well as improve the level of cholesterol in the blood, which will also contribute to a good relief of the patient's condition. Adhering to the doctor's absolute instructions and recommendations will help the patient get rid of many of the symptoms that this insidious disease can provide.

diet for hypertension

Rational nutrition is a diet that maintains health. It also satisfies all the human body's needs for vitamins, nutrients and minerals as well as energy.

The work of the entire cardiac system is closely linked to the processes of digestion. With hypertension, the diet has a beneficial effect on the patient's general condition. A large meal can put a lot of strain on the stomach and thus can displace the diaphragm, which makes it difficult for the heart to function. Excess fluid also creates a large load. Well, if the diet is overloaded with a lot of sodium chloride, then water is retained in the tissues of the body, and this causes an increase in blood pressure, which sometimes also leads to swelling of the extremities.

Diet principles. nutrition: adherence to the diet is considered a prerequisite - regular meals at the same time, the best way would also be to adhere to frequent and fractional meals - three to five times a day, which is very important for overweight; dinner is recommended to be taken no later than two hours before bedtime - a rich meal before resting causes the accumulation of excess weight and obesity and also contributes to restless sleep; food during the diet should be varied and include products from different sources (vegetable and animal).

What needs to be limited:

• Salt. It is recommended to limit to the minimum volumes and to add only lightly to already cooked dishes. In general, salt itself causes fluid retention in the body and contributes to the accumulation of excess body weight. When dieting, it is usually taken at five grams a day. For an increase in blood pressure, it is recommended that salt be taken as a "preventive" type, that is, low in sodium. It may also contain essential health minerals such as magnesium, iodine, and potassium ions. Products with a low sodium content are products of plant origin: fish, cottage cheese, meat. Prepared foods, like cheese or sausage, contain an incredible amount of salt. It is ten times more in them than in natural meat. If the food is not salty or not salty, its flavor can be improved by adding cranberries, citric acid, parsley, cinnamon, coriander or dill. Salt restriction is very important in the diet for the treatment of hypertension.
• Liquid. Reducing the volume of drink to one liter per day, including jam, soup, milk and tea. The purpose of this restriction is to offload the work of the heart muscle and the work of the kidneys. You should also limit the intake of substances that stimulate the work of the cardiovascular system. These substances include caffeine and other tonic substances. They can cause heart palpitations, high blood pressure and insomnia. Also be careful with instant coffee as it contains much more caffeine than regular coffee. Animal fat intake should be limited to 25 grams per day. Hypertension and atherosclerosis are closely related. High blood pressure contributes to the development of a disease such as atherosclerosis and itself can occur in its context. To combat this syndrome, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of animal fats, rich in saturated fatty acids, and replace them with vegetable oils (olive, sunflower, cottonseed and similar). Patients should avoid eating foods that contain cholesterol (kidneys, liver, fatty meats, egg yolks).
• Sugar. Sugar restriction should be up to 40 grams per day. Its excess is involved in the development of atherosclerosis.
• Bakery products. Patients with hypertension are often overweight. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the caloric content of food products, thus limiting not only the consumption of sugar, but also the consumption of jams, flour products, white bread, etc. In such cases, a very effective remedy like fasting days is very welcome. But again, only on the recommendation of a doctor who observes the patient. You can arrange fasting days once a week. That is, absolutely nothing to eat, just water to drink. This will greatly contribute to weight loss. You can also organize cottage cheese days: 400 grams of cottage cheese for five servings, two glasses of kefir, two cups of unsweetened weak tea. And you can also organize apple days: two kilos of apples for five servings.

You should increase your intake of the following:

• Potassium. Products that contain it are very useful in the treatment of hypertension. And there must be more of these products. Potassium improves the functioning of the heart muscle and also helps to remove excess fluid. Potassium salts can be found in large amounts in vegetables, fruits and berries, as well as in juices. They are also rich in cabbage, potatoes, squash, apricots, plums, raisins, dried apricots, rose hips.
• Magnesium. It is necessary to supply the body with magnesium. It, like potassium, is necessary in the treatment of hypertension. Magnesium salts have a vasodilating effect, which contributes to the prevention of vasospasm. This macronutrient is found in bran bread and rye bread, as well as oats, wheat, corn, buckwheat, barley groats, beets, carrots, lettuce, parsley, black currants, walnuts, and almonds.
• Iodine. Iodine also has a good effect on metabolism and metabolism in general in hypertension. Foods that contain iodine: fish, seaweed, squid. Salt restriction, providing the body with a sufficient amount of products containing magnesium and potassium salts, which are among the main features of therapeutic and preventive nutrition for high blood pressure.

In general, the proportion of diet and treatment should be agreed with the doctor who observes the patient, as if any prescriptions are violated, there can be serious consequences for the body.

Folk remedies for hypertension

The treatment of folk remedies for hypertension is very, very effective. Its effect will be more and more lasting and positive, but only if the patient leads a healthy lifestyle and adheres to a strict diet.

How exactly to treat hypertension folk remedies?

Herbal decoctions, as well as infusions for the treatment of hypertension, which are prepared according to folk recipes, doctors recommend using them for a long time. You can take breaks of five or ten days every two or three months. The composition of these fees and decoctions includes special plants for lowering blood pressure. They also have sedative, sedative, diuretic and antispasmodic effects. Such collections contain a plurality of certain compounds that have a beneficial effect on our body. They are called biologically active compounds. They include: macroelements and microelements, vitamins, phytonides, organic acids and other substances.

Examples of popular recipes used for hypertension:

1. Peeled onions - three kilograms, flower honey - half a kilogram, vodka - half a liter, partition nuts - about thirty pieces. The method of preparation consists of squeezing the juice from the onion, mixing it with honey, adding walnut partitions to this mixture. All this is poured with vodka and infused for about ten days. After that, this infusion can be taken three times a day, one tablespoon.
2. A lemon, two glasses of beet juice, a glass and a half of cranberry juice, a glass of vodka, 250 grams of flower honey. All this mix and take a tablespoon on an empty stomach twice a day.
3. Take half a glass of honey and chopped beets. Mix everything together and take a tablespoon before meals three times a day for three months.

In addition, bee venom has good diuretic properties and blocks blood vessel spasms by expanding them. This action leads to a decrease in blood pressure. Therefore, it is also recommended to sting the limbs with bees twice a week.

Traditional medicine gives recommendations on the use of royal jelly and propolis. They are good powerful antioxidants, and they also reduce fatigue and help cleanse the body, increasing its resistance to nervous and physical stress.

In the treatment of hypertension, chokeberry fruits are also prescribed. They can be cooked in the form of jellies, jams, fruit drinks, syrups and even jams. The juice of these fruits has a great therapeutic effect, which is taken half an hour before meals, three times a day.