Everything to Know About High BP or Hypertension

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a chronic condition that can cause silent death over time. The prevalence of hypertension, according to WHO statistics, has risen to 1.28 billion people worldwide.

Doctors call it a silent killer because of two main reasons:

1. Hypertension doesn’t get diagnosed early because of being symptom-less.

2. Hypertension is the underlying cause of many other severe illnesses such as heart failure, metabolic syndrome, and aneurysms.

This blog aims to educate you about hypertension from scratch so that possible lifestyle changes can be adopted to delay the onset of this condition, and an early diagnosis can be made before things get worse.

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension or high blood pressure is when systolic, and diastolic pressure rises above normal levels. One may not experience any symptoms of the condition for years, making it one of the severe medical conditions.

Types of Hypertension

While the physiology remains the same in both the types of hypertension, i.e., primary (essential) hypertension and secondary hypertension, the differences arise in the onset and the causes.

1. Primary (essential) hypertension: The onset of this kind of hypertension occurs over time with no definite identifiable cause. A large population often develops this type of hypertension.

2. Secondary hypertension: This type of condition is due to some underlying cause. Secondary hypertension often develops quickly, and the severity is also high. Some other causes include:

3. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

4. Kidney problems

5. Thyroid problems

6. Alcohol abuse

7. Drugs such as cocaine

8. Congenital heart anomalies

9. Adrenal gland problems

10. Tumors of various endocrine gland

Symptoms of Hypertension:

Severe symptoms include:

Risk Factors that Lead to Hypertension:

While the exact etiology of primary hypertension is yet to be known, the potential risk factors that start accumulating over time are as follows:

1. Aged people are at higher risk

2. Family history of hypertension

3. Some ethnicities are more prone to develop hypertension

4. Inactive lifestyle

5. Tobacco consumption

6. Too much salt in the diet

7. Stress

8. Alcohol abuse

9. Other chronic conditions

What to Expect from a Doctor:

Once the doctor is sure that there is no other underlying cause resulting in elevated blood pressure, they will start your treatment depending upon your readings.

Simple lifestyle changes often manage primary hypertension. In the case of secondary hypertension, more emphasis is laid on treating the other chronic condition.

Additionally, you may also be prescribed Diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and Calcium channel blockers. The end result of all the medication will be to dilate the blood vessels and relax to lower blood pressure.

Complications of Hypertension:

Untreated hypertension can lead to severe complications. It can damage other vital organs of the body. Some of the chronic effects are as follows:

1. Heart Failure

2. Heart Attack, or Stroke

3. Aneurysm

4. Narrowed blood vessels in the kidney

5. Constricted blood vessels in eyes

6. Dementia

7. Cardiometabolic syndromes such as diabetes or other cardiovascular diseases

Possible Lifestyle Changes to Adopt:

Say no to intoxicants. Stop alcohol usage. Quit smoking. And cut down any of your drug intakes.

Way Ahead if you have been Diagnosed with Hypertension:

Your blood pressure might come down to normal levels with time if you follow your treatment plan consistently.

Just don’t be too hard on yourself. A healthy diet, an active routine, and extra precautions will help you cope. Because in the end, discipline and persistence are the keys!