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

Hypertension is one of the most common heart pathologies, currently diagnosed in one in three inhabitants of our planet aged over 45.In recent years, the disease has become much younger and now quite often among hypertensive patients we find very young people suffering from high blood pressure.The main danger of the pathological condition lies in its complications.Hypertension can lead to heart attack and stroke, cause rupture of large vessel aneurysms, provoke the development of severe kidney failure and a sharp deterioration in the quality of vision.

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

Reasons

Unfortunately, modern medical science has not yet been able to elucidate 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 and who, in the diagnostic process, uses not only his knowledge, but also the results of numerous studies confirming or refuting the presence of signs of hypertension in a person.

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

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

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

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

Among endogenous factors, age and poor heredity come to the fore, when the disease can be transmitted from parents to child.The development of hypertension is also favored by:

1. vascular damage due to atherosclerosis;
2. obesity;
3. metabolic diseases, especially 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.

Ranking

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 between 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 above 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 – the presence of signs of damage to internal organs, among which the main target is the heart, blood vessels, eye structures, brain and kidneys;
• Stage 3 – a stable increase in blood pressure against the background of the development of complications from 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 increases in pressure, damage to target organs and frequent hypertensive crises are recorded (this variant of the disease is difficult to treat with medications).

Symptoms

In the early stages of its development, the disease is practically asymptomatic, which complicates its early detection.In these patients, high blood pressure may be discovered incidentally during a medical examination or during a routine clinic appointment.

A more complex type of hypertension is characterized by a number of signs that significantly deteriorate a person's quality of life and justify their referral to specialists.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 reflex narrowing of the blood vessels of the brain.As a rule, people prone to hypertension complain of the appearance of pain in the back of the head and temples, throbbing in nature, characterized by its severity and suddenness of development.Such pain and throbbing do not disappear after taking painkillers.

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

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 using nitrates.At this point, the organ functions in an improved manner so that it can 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 such a formidable complication of a pathological condition occurring, such as myocardial infarction.

In case of hypertension, eye dysfunction is determined by a sharp deterioration in vision and the development of hypertensive angiopathy of the retinal vessels.The disease process also involves the back of the eye, which swells and compresses the optic nerve.At this time, the person notices “goosebumps” before their eyes, dark circles, etc.

Complications of high blood pressure symptoms in women most often occur 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 in women.

Complications

HD is one of the insidious diseases that progress slowly and is very often diagnosed when the first complications of the pathological process appear.With a constant increase in blood pressure, dystrophic and sclerotic changes occur in the target organs, leading to serious functional disorders.First of all, high blood pressure affects the kidneys, brain, heart, visual analyzer and blood vessels.

There are several risk factors that affect the rate of development of hypertension complications and their severity:

• bad habits, including smoking;
• sedentary lifestyle and increased body mass index;
• high blood cholesterol levels and hyperglycemia;
• frequent stress;
• deficiency of potassium and magnesium in the body;
• age-related changes;
• hereditary predisposition.

In case of hypertension, the heart is forced to work under conditions of increased stress, associated with the need to push blood through narrowed vessels.Over time, the wall of the myocardium thickens and a person suffers from left ventricular hypertrophy and lack of oxygen to the heart muscle.

On the cardiac side, there are several types of complications of hypertension:

1. ischemic disease;
2. angina;
3. atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels;
4. acute form of heart failure in the form of myocardial infarction;
5. chronic heart failure.

A high level of blood pressure provokes the appearance of brain disorders in a person, which in practice manifests itself as severe dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, memory loss, etc.There are several options for complex brain 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 work.This contributes to a number of complications, including:

1. renal failure;
2. dysfunction of filtration and fluid secretion;
3. nephrosclerosis.

Such disorders lead to the development of a number of symptoms in hypertensive patients, indicating kidney pathology.A sick person begins to complain of general weakness, malaise, swelling and causeless nausea.

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

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of hypertension with the establishment of the stage and degree of development of the disease is an important step towards prescribing adequate treatment for the pathological condition.That is why, when the first signs indicating hypertensive disease appear, you should immediately contact a medical institution to find out the causes of high blood pressure and methods of 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 protein;
• electrocardiography (ECG);
• ultrasound examination of the heart;
• Doppler flowmetry;
• fundus examination.

The diagnostic process for hypertension, which makes it possible to determine the degree of impairment, includes two stages:

1. the first step consists of determining the clinical manifestations of the disease based on the hypertensive patient's comments and obtaining 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 therapy (MRI) or X-ray examination.

Daily monitoring of blood pressure provides an accurate picture of the progression of the disease.Thanks to it, you will be able to establish the amplitude of pressure fluctuations during the day and determine its average, which will characterize the degree of hypertension.The main disadvantage of this research is its high cost.

Treatment

Treatment of exacerbations of hypertension should take place in a cardiology hospital, where it is possible to constantly monitor blood pressure.In addition, if necessary, the doctor can change the patient's treatment plan and prescribe more effective drugs 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 of hypertensive patients is aimed at improving the general condition, preventing the development of edema, normalizing weight, etc.

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

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

The doctor pays particular attention to prescribing diuretics.The fact is that not all diuretics are safe for the body of a hypertensive patient due to its potassium-washing properties.That is why taking such drugs should be combined with the use of potassium supplements under the control of the biochemical composition of the blood.In addition, diuretics not only reduce 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.Prohibited actions, as the main contraindication, can cause an emergency hypertensive crisis and the need to immediately place the patient in a specialized hospital in order to determine the causes of complications and decide on further tactics for their elimination.

Prevention

To prevent hypertension, it is necessary to follow 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.In order to prevent the appearance of the first signs of the disease, a person should normalize his lifestyle, abandon bad habits and salt intake, 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 avoided by:

1. lead an active lifestyle (physiotherapy, fitness, massage, walks in the fresh air, skiing, swimming in the pool) and train regularly in the gym;
2. give up junk food, tobacco and alcohol consumption;
3. reduce salt consumption to 3-4 g per day;
4. prohibit yourself from eating foods high in animal fats, preservatives and cholesterol;
5. maintain a clear daily routine and get enough sleep;
6. prevent the appearance of excess fat that causes obesity;
7. prevent stressful situations;
8. regularly undergo preventive examinations by a cardiologist and take the necessary tests;
9. As soon as the first signs of high blood pressure appear, consult a doctor immediately.

People who have inherited a tendency to hypertension should pay attention to their health, exercise and undergo regular examinations.A ready-made diagnosis of hypertension involves clinical observation of patients and, if necessary, referral to a commission for determining disability.