According to the World Health Organization, high blood pressure is one of the most common diseases. High blood pressure occurs in every third person and is characterized by a high mortality rate in the severe stage. Only a complex treatment that combines medication with the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle can be successful.
What is high blood pressure
What is a chronic disease of high blood pressure, the pathology of the cardiovascular system. It results from the disruption of the work of the higher centers responsible for the functioning of the blood vessels. Dangerous high blood pressure accompanied by complications and internal diseases.
One of the main manifestations of the disease is high blood pressure (high blood pressure), which decreases only after taking special and strong medications.
Hypertension means a pressure of 140/90 mm Hg. and higher if confirmed by two medical examinations.
Hypertension is divided into several types:
- Essential arterial hypertension,
- Symptomatic arterial hypertension
- chronic high blood pressure
- Vascular hypertension.
Symptomatic or secondary hypertension accounts for only 10% of all reported cases of the disease. Hypertensive syndrome, the second name of the disease, is most commonly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, urolithiasis, anomalies and renal tumors, ischemia, late-onset pregnancy, and renal tuberculosis. Although high blood pressure does not have its own signs and characteristics, it severely aggravates the underlying disease.
Essential hypertension is an independent form of the disease.
Chronic hypertension is usually caused by excess calcium in the blood, infectious diseases (which have become chronic), diabetes, and heredity. It manifests itself in the form of nervousness, amusement, fatigue and weakness, frequent numbness in the arms and legs, speech problems, left ventricular hypertrophy and frequent heartache.
How does high blood pressure develop?
The mechanism of the development of hypertension is as follows: a stress factor causes a violation of the peripheral vessels of tone regulation. The result is spasm of the arterioles and the development of circulatory and dyskinetic syndromes. The secretion of neurohormones in the aldosterone system is significantly increased. This causes a delay in the vascular system of sodium and water, which increases blood circulation and increases pressure. During the disease, the viscosity of the blood also increases, leading to a decrease in the rate of metabolic processes in the tissues. The size of the walls of the vessels increases, the gap between them narrows, which affects the blood flow. High levels of peripheral resistance make the disease irreversible. Atherosclerosis and ellastofibrosis develop as a result of increased permeability of the blood vessel wall and impregnation with blood plasma, leading to severe changes in the tissues of some organs.
Spontaneously high blood pressure should not occur in humans. High blood pressure is usually preceded by vegetative-vascular dystonia (VD), often accompanied by varicose veins.
Varicose veins and hypertension are associated with increased activity of vascular walls in SVD leading to a decrease in their diameter. The resistance of the vessel wall to blood flow increases, which increases blood pressure. Varicose veins are characterized by thickening of the vessel wall, the formation of pockets and narrows inside, which interfere with normal blood flow. Sick veins are no longer able to cope with blood flow, leading to the development of edema in the tissues and chronic stagnation in the veins. This can lead to necrosis, sepsis and even death.
Classification of the disease
Hypertensive disease differs in the causes of hypertension, organ damage, blood pressure levels, and course. The disease can be benign or slowly progressive or rapidly progressive - malignant. Classification by pressure level and stability is much more important. Distinguish:
- normal GB (up to 129/85 mmHg),
- limit (up to 140/90 mmHg),
- high blood pressure (up to 160/100 mmHg),
- 2 degrees (up to 180/110 mmHg),
- 3 degrees (above 180/110 mmHg).
There are three stages to benign hypertension. The first or light is characterized by a pressure rise to 180-104 mmHg, but returns to normal after a short rest. Some people complain of headaches, sleep problems, fatigue and decreased performance. In most cases, however, the mild stage progresses without pronounced individual symptoms.
The second or middle section is characterized by a pressure of 200-115 mm Hg. resting. Strong and throbbing pains in the head, dizziness, pain around the heart. Cardiac damage is detected during the test. Subendocardial ischemia is sometimes observed. Cerebral stroke, transient cerebral ischemia is possible.
The third or severe stage is accompanied by a stable and strong increase in pressure. At the beginning of the stage, the increased pressure occurs intermittently and usually occurs after physical exertion as well as changes in atmospheric pressure, emotional shock. Normalization is possible after myocardial infarction or stroke. Headache high blood pressure often occurs after a heart attack. That is, a condition in which only systolic or pulse pressure decreases.
Causes of the disease
The causes of high blood pressure lie in the violation of the regulatory activity of the main parts of the central nervous system, which regulate the work of all internal organs. Frequent overload and overload, both physical and mental, prolonged, constant and severe restlessness, stress can lead to development.
Working at night, often in a noisy environment, can also trigger the disease.
Lovers of salty foods are at risk. Salt causes spasms in the arteries and prevents fluid from being removed. Inheritance plays an important role. The risk of developing the disease increases if two or more relatives have high blood pressure.
Some diseases also provoke the development of high blood pressure. These include:
- Diseases of the adrenal glands and kidneys,
- thyroid disease,
- Obesity,
- diabetes diabetes
- Tonsillitis,
- Arteriosclerosis.
Women in the highest risk group are those who are menopausal. The reasons for this are hormonal changes in the body, emotional exacerbations, nervous reactions. About 60% of all diseases in women occur during menopause.
In men, age and age do not determine the increased risk. High blood pressure develops in about 9% of men between the ages of 20 and 30. At the age of 40, this percentage rises to 35, and after the age of 65 it is already 50%. Hypertension is more common in men under the age of 40 than in women. In the older age group, the rate is changing - this is explained by the high percentage of men dying from complications.
The causes of high blood pressure lie in hypodynamics and bad habits. The components of tobacco smoke cause vasospasm and damage the thin walls of the arteries. Physical inactivity is accompanied by a slow metabolism, and with an increase in exercise, the untrained heart often gets tired faster.
Symptoms
The clinic for hypertension may be mild in the initial stage. For a long time, one may not even be aware of the increased pressure and processes in the blood vessels. Early and first signs of high blood pressure are irritability and increased fatigue for no apparent reason.
Symptoms of high blood pressure in the early stages: neurotic disorders, weakness, sleep disturbances, noise and tinnitus and dizziness, palpitations.
People experience a decrease in efficiency, a loss of concentration. Shortness of breath occurs. Headaches with high blood pressure are more common in the morning in the temporal and occipital regions. It may increase by the end of the day and in a supine position. They are associated with a violation of the tone of the venules and arterioles. Symptoms of high blood pressure include pain in the heart area. This is due to the increased work of the heart muscle to overcome the growing resistance. As a result, a dissociation occurs between the needs and abilities of the heart muscle, leading to angina pectoris.
Subsequent signs of high blood pressure are the veil and flicker of "flies" in front of the eyes and other light psoriasis. These are explained by the spasm of the retinal arterioles. manifested by numbness of the fingers, chills in the morning - heaviness of the eyelids and swelling of the face, excessive sweating.
Complications during high blood pressure
Complications of high blood pressure:
- Hypertensive crisis,
- vision impairment,
- Circulatory disorders in the brain
- nephrosclerosis,
- subarachnoid hemorrhage,
- Dissection of the aortic aneurysm,
- bradycadia,
- Damage to the target organs (kidneys, heart, brain, veins and arteries, fundus vessels),
- Hypertensive cardiomyopathy (HLH, left ventricular hypertension)
- Hypertensive type of angiodystonia.
Hypertensive crisis
First, you need to understand what a hypertensive crisis is. This term refers to an acute and significant increase in blood pressure with symptoms characteristic of the disease. In addition to high blood pressure, the following can also cause:
- Chronic and acute glomerulonephritis,
- Toxicity in late pregnancy,
- renovascular hypertension,
- benign brain tumors,
- heavy metal poisoning,
- Renal failure.
Crises can be caused by hormonal imbalances and sudden changes in the weather. One of the most common causes is trauma of a psycho-emotional nature. Symptoms: severe and severe headache, nausea with nausea, dizziness, fainting, short-term blindness and other visual disturbances, weakness, mood swings, tearing. Brain symptoms:
- vasospasm,
- violation of the permeability of the vessel walls,
- Plasma enters the medulla, leading to edema.
In the initial stages of the disease, crises are mild and short-lived.
Risk of crisis in possible development:
- retinal detachment,
- stroke,
- Acute pulmonary edema
- heart asthma
- myocardial infarction,
- Angina.
Complications of high blood pressure pose a serious threat to human life and require regular medical check-ups.
Bradycadia
High blood pressure is a common and dangerous complication. It manifests itself depending on its form. The slight shape may go unnoticed. Severe, frequent and prolonged dizziness with high blood pressure may indicate a pronounced form of the disease. In addition, symptoms include a state of semi-syncope and frequent fainting, sudden changes in pressure. The severe form is accompanied by fainting and short-term cardiac arrest. Bradycardia associated with hypertension can be treated with homeopathic and medicinal agents. Commonly prescribed diuretics, alpha-blockers, nifedicipin. Marigolds, St. John's wort, strawberries and shakers are prescribed from homeopathy.
Complications include the following hypertension syndromes:
- myocardial injury
- kidney damage
- vascular encephalopathy,
- Arterial hypertension syndrome.
Related clinical conditions: ischemic stroke, CHF, coronary revascularization, renal failure, arterial disease, papilloedema.
Target organ damage
Heart
Left ventricular hypertrophy most commonly develops. This is because the heart muscle has to push the blood into the deformed blood vessels with great effort. Such work leads to thickening of the muscle wall and a lack of blood circulation. This is dangerous in case of muscle tension and heart fatigue. Another pathology is a violation of the diastolic function of lzh. The growing fatigue of the heart muscle leads to a moment when you can’t relax. The thickened wall cannot relax in the diastolic phase, in which oxygen saturation usually occurs. All this leads to the third pathology - chronic insufficiency. It is formed as a result of constant oxygen starvation. It is very difficult to treat the disease and in combination with other pathologies leads to death.
Ships
Arterial vessels with high blood pressure are constantly narrowed due to the contraction of the muscle layer. This leads to the fact that the blood vessels stop relaxing and the muscle tissue is replaced by connective tissue. This is called vascular remodeling. Loss of vision, peripheral atherosclerosis of the limbs, and other diseases are associated with this complex and irreversible consequence.
Brain
Bleeding causes nearly 25% of all strokes. High blood pressure is the leading cause of bleeding, with a high mortality rate. Insufficient blood supply to the brain leads to ischemic stroke. This complication accounts for more than 70% of cases. It is caused by narrowing of the cerebral arteries or blockage of the duct by a thrombus. Another pathology is hypertensive encephalopathy. It is an emergency, accompanied by severe headaches, high blood pressure, neurological symptoms. If you have high blood pressure, there is a chance of developing cognitive impairment and dementia. These are changes in the subcortical material and atrophy of the brain that are responsible for violating thought processes.
kidney
One of the most common complications is microalbuminuria. It is the earliest sign of developing kidney damage and kidney failure. Chronic renal failure is characterized by the loss of the ability of the kidneys to remove metabolites from the blood.
Diagnosis of the disease
Effective treatment of high blood pressure is only possible with early diagnosis and adherence to all rules and recommendations. High blood pressure does not always indicate high blood pressure, but can also be situation-dependent. And repeated visits to the doctor are not detected. A single pressure measurement does not necessarily reveal the disease: recurrent symptoms require dynamic blood pressure measurement. Once the diagnosis is made, doctors make a differential diagnosis to determine the symptomatic form of the disease.
Pressure measurement
Dynamic pressure measurements are used to determine the extent and presence of the disease. This is done as follows: the atmosphere should be comfortable and calm. Measurements are started no earlier than ten minutes after patient admission. One hour before the visit, smoking, any food and strong drink (tea, coffee, alcohol), any physical activity, eye or nasal drops are excluded. During the first treatment, the patient's blood pressure is measured from both hands, followed by a second measurement 2 minutes later.
With a reading difference greater than 5 mmHg. continue the measurement with high pressure on the arm.
Treatment of high blood pressure
How you treat high blood pressure depends on the stage of the disease, the complications, your age, and many other parameters. Medical treatment options are selected by your doctor. The desire to fight the disease on its own can have catastrophic consequences. Modern treatment of high blood pressure begins with non-drug methods that multiply the effectiveness of drugs. You should start by developing a daily routine that eliminates stress, don’t forget to exercise and long walks. One of the important points in the treatment of high blood pressure is diet. The patient should refuse or significantly reduce their salt intake, drink less, and completely eliminate alcohol and coffee. If you follow all the recommendations, you can avoid medication for the disease.
During treatment, not only how to treat high blood pressure is important, but also how to eliminate the causes of high blood pressure.
The following medications are commonly used to treat:
- diuretic,
- Inhibitors
- Type 2 receptor antagonists
- Calcium channel blockers.
Antihypertensive drugs - prescription only
homeopathic treatment
Considering the question of how to get rid of high blood pressure, it is worth paying attention to homeopathic remedies. It is usually recommended if the target organs are already affected. Homeopathy for high blood pressure has an important advantage: a mild effect. The drugs have no contraindications or side effects. The disadvantage is that treatment with homeopathic remedies is rather slow. When choosing a method, consider:
- Homeopathic medicines are prescribed at the same time as medicines,
- Combining medication and a healthy lifestyle
- With an average degree of risk, this type is often the only possible one.
Inpatient treatment of hypertension
Inpatient treatment is usually given in patients with a complicated hypertensive crisis:
- Acute hypertensive encephalopathy,
- heart asthma
- pulmonary edema,
- Acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina and myocardial infarction),
- aortic aneurysm,
- Severe arterial bleeding
- Eclampsia.
After admission, the clinic's physicians begin performing the main diagnostic procedures:
- Blood pressure measurement every 15 minutes
- electrocardiography,
- general analysis of blood and urine,
- echocardiography,
- Biochemical analysis for potassium, sodium, urea, calcium, creatinine, fibrinogen, coagulogram,
- Ophthalmoscopy.
In addition, the patient should prescribe an appointment with a neurologist, a Reberg test and reoencephalography, and determine the type of cerebral hemodynamics. Inpatient treatment in a hospital depends on the presence of complications, the severity of the attack, and other illnesses. The purpose of first aid is to reduce left ventricular activity and reduce symptoms such as:
- peripheral vasoconstriction,
- cerebral ischemia
- Heart failure.
The introduction of antihypertensive drugs, hospitalization in the intensive care unit, and regular monitoring of blood pressure are of great importance in the treatment of a complex seizure.
Non-pharmacological treatment of a hypertensive condition includes boosting immunity, body cleansing, massage, gymnastics, and diet. It is important that you follow your doctor's instructions and do not break the established order.
How to deal with high blood pressure
For those who have been diagnosed, an important question is how long people will live with hypertension. The consequences of the disease depend on the stage and nature of the course. Severe form, vascular damage, stage III disease, and target organ dysfunction worsen the prognosis. Early death is due to heart attack and stroke, acute heart failure. Unfavorable prognosis for those who fell ill early.
The life expectancy of hypertensive patients depends not only on the correctness of medication and regular doctor visits, but also on personal attitude and adherence to basic rules. These include:
- psychological atmosphere,
- Diet,
- Exercise,
- There are no bad habits.
Another important condition is to understand what the disease is, how it develops and what the consequences are for the whole body. No medical degree is required to understand the course of the disease. There are many good books and manuals for ordinary people. One of these is A. Yakovlev's "Propaedeutics of Internal Medicine. " The book briefly and clearly outlines the main provisions for high blood pressure and the most popular treatments for hypertension.
Psychological climate
Once you figure out how to treat high blood pressure and choose a treatment method, you need to move on to an equally important issue - a healthy lifestyle. Impossible in night shifts, frequent quarrels, constant and long-term business trips, strong emotional stress, negative emotions, fears, anger. All of these conditions are accompanied by the production of large amounts of adrenaline, which leads to circulatory and nervous system disorders. It is important to control your emotions, think more positively, and exclude all sources of stress from your environment. Herbal teas, meditations, walks, dealing with what you love will help you with this.
By creating the most comfortable conditions around you, one increases your chances of recovery.
Diet
Being overweight and high blood pressure are incompatible. Even if you do not have an extra pound, treatment begins with a correction in your diet. In the initial stage, this is enough to control the pressure and prevent it from rising. There are several ways to lose weight with high blood pressure. The most important thing is calorie restriction. This can be achieved by eliminating or reducing the daily diet of sweet and fatty foods and flour products. The diet should not be confused with fasting: it is contraindicated in patients with high blood pressure. You should also monitor the amount of animal fat in your food to normalize weight loss and blood pressure. Cholesterol-rich foods should be excluded as much as possible and switched to low-fat fish, fruits and vegetables and natural vegetable oils. It is worth giving up completely on sausages, fat, fried meatballs and fatty meats, butter, fatty cheeses.
Contraindications for high blood pressure - all drinks and foods that irritate the nervous system. This includes not only tea, coffee and alcohol, but also carbonated drinks, spicy spices, fragrant spices.
It is important to include foods rich in potassium and magnesium in your diet. These elements have a good effect on the heart muscle, strengthening the walls of blood vessels and the nervous system. Many potassium are found in:
- prunes,
- apricot,
- cabbage,
- pumpkin,
- Banana.
Rich in magnesium:
- Buckwheat, oats and millet groats,
- Carrot,
- Sugar beet,
- Black currant,
- Parsley and lettuce leaves
- Walnut.
Important rule: these products should not be combined with milk. Calcium negatively affects the digestibility of the elements.
Exercise
The complications of arterial hypertension and the disease itself do not mean that the patient has to stop any activity. For patients with high blood pressure, exercise, simple exercises, yoga or long walks, swimming are recommended. Exercise not only carries a charge of positive emotions, but also helps in the fight against obesity.
You should start with the simplest workouts, gradually increasing the time and complexity of your exercises. This also applies to swimming and walking.
Rehabilitation of stage 3 hypertension and complications such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris should only be performed under medical supervision. Usually, patients are sent to special resorts for sanatorium treatment. Which includes the full range of measures: proper nutrition, physical activity, medications.