{"id":3495,"date":"2022-10-06T10:59:22","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T05:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.myhealthvectors.com\/?p=3495"},"modified":"2025-03-21T16:40:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:10:12","slug":"all-you-need-to-know-hypertension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/all-you-need-to-know-hypertension\/","title":{"rendered":"All you need to know - Hypertension"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

What is hypertension? <\/strong>
Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating\u00a0blood against the walls of the body\u2019s arteries, the\u00a0major blood vessels in the body.\u00a0
Hypertension is another name for high blood\u00a0pressure.\u00a0
It can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sometimes death.\u200b<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Diagnosis <\/strong>
Blood pressure is written as two numbers.\u00a0
*The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts or beats.\u00a0
*The second (diastolic) number represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart rests between beats.
According to WHO, hypertension is diagnosed\u00a0if, when it is measured on two different days,\u00a0the systolic blood pressure readings on both\u00a0days is\u00a0\u2265140 mmHg<\/strong>\u00a0and\/or the diastolic blood\u00a0pressure readings on both days is\u00a0\u226590 mmHg.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Which number is more important? <\/strong>
Typically, more attention is given to systolic blood pressure\u00a0(the first number) as a major risk factor for cardiovascular\u00a0disease for people over 50.\u00a0
In most people, systolic blood pressure rises steadily with\u00a0age due to the increasing stiffness of large arteries, long-term buildup of plaque and an increased incidence of\u00a0cardiac and vascular disease.
However, either an elevated systolic or an elevated\u00a0diastolic blood pressure reading may be used to make a\u00a0diagnosis of high blood pressure.\u00a0
According to recent studies, the risk of death from\u00a0ischemic heart disease and stroke doubles with every 20\u00a0mm Hg systolic or 10 mm Hg diastolic increase among\u00a0people from age 40 to 89.
Reference<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Diagram<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Types of hypertension <\/strong>
You can be diagnosed with one of two\u00a0types of high blood pressure:
Primary,<\/strong>\u00a0or essential, high blood pressure is\u00a0the most common type of high blood\u00a0pressure. For most people who get this kind\u00a0of blood pressure, it develops over time as\u00a0you get older. Secondary<\/strong>\u00a0high blood pressure is caused by\u00a0another medical condition or use of certain\u00a0medicines. It usually gets better after you\u00a0treat that condition or stop taking the\u00a0medicines that are causing it.\u200b<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hypertension in pregnancy <\/strong>
Hypertension occurs in approximately 8\u201310% of pregnancies.\u00a0
High blood pressure in pregnancy can be classified as pre-existing\u00a0hypertension,\u00a0gestational hypertension, or\u00a0pre-eclampsia.
Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition of the second half of\u00a0pregnancy and\u00a0following delivery\u00a0characterized by increased\u00a0blood pressure and the presence of\u00a0protein in the urine.
Usually there are no symptoms in pre-eclampsia, and it is\u00a0detected by routine screening.\u00a0
When symptoms of pre-eclampsia occur the most common are\u00a0headache, visual disturbance (often \"flashing lights\"), vomiting,\u00a0pain over the stomach, and\u00a0swelling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"A<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Symptoms of hypertension <\/strong>
Hypertension is called a \"silent killer\".\u00a0
Most people with hypertension are unaware of the\u00a0problem because it may have no warning signs or\u00a0symptoms. For this reason, it is essential that blood\u00a0pressure is measured regularly.
When symptoms do occur, they can include early\u00a0morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heart\u00a0rhythms, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears.\u00a0
Severe hypertension can cause fatigue, nausea,\u00a0vomiting, confusion, anxiety, chest pain, and\u00a0muscle tremors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Causes of hypertension<\/strong>
Primary (essential)\u00a0hypertension<\/strong>
For most adults, there's no\u00a0identifiable cause of high\u00a0blood pressure.\u00a0
This type of high blood\u00a0pressure, called primary\u00a0(essential) hypertension,\u00a0tends to develop gradually\u00a0over many years.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Causes of hypertension<\/strong>
Secondary hypertension\u00a0<\/strong>has specific causes and is a\u00a0complication of another health problem.\u00a0
Chronic kidney disease (CKD)\u00a0is a common cause of high\u00a0blood pressure, as the kidneys no longer filter out fluid.\u00a0This excess fluid leads to hypertension. Hypertension can\u00a0also cause CKD.
Other conditions that can lead to hypertension include:
*Obstructive sleep apnea
*Adrenal gland tumors
*Thyroid problems
*Certain defects you're born with (congenital) in blood vessels
*Certain medications, such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs
*Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Vector<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Risk factors for hypertension <\/strong>
High blood pressure has many risk factors, including:
*Family History.
*Age.
*Being overweight or obese.
*Not being physically active
*Using tobacco.\u00a0
*Too much salt (sodium) in your diet.\u00a0
*Too little potassium in your diet.
*Drinking too much alcohol
*Stress
*Certain chronic conditions<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Complications<\/strong>
Hypertension\u00a0can cause serious damage to the heart.\u00a0Excessive pressure can harden arteries, decreasing the\u00a0flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. This elevated\u00a0pressure and reduced blood flow can cause:
*Chest pain, also called angina.
*Heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked, and heart muscle cells die from lack of oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
*Heart failure, which occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to other vital body organs.
*Irregular heartbeat which can lead to a sudden death.
Hypertension can also burst or block arteries that supply\u00a0blood and oxygen to the brain, causing a stroke.
In addition, hypertension can cause kidney damage,\u00a0leading to kidney failure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Spilled<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How can the risk\u00a0of hypertension\u00a0be reduced?<\/strong>
Reducing hypertension prevents heart attack,\u00a0stroke, and kidney damage, as well as other\u00a0health problems.
*Reducing salt intake (to less than 5g daily).
*Eating more fruit and vegetables.
*Being physically active on a regular basis.
*Avoiding use of tobacco.
*Reducing alcohol consumption.
*Limiting the intake of foods high in saturated fats.
*Eliminating\/reducing trans fats in diet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Pink<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hypertension management <\/strong>
Steps to manage hypertension\u00a0once you are diagnosed with it.
*Reducing and managing stress.
*Regularly checking blood pressure.
*Treating high blood pressure.
*Managing other medical conditions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Disclaimer:<\/strong> The advice provided is intended for informational purpose only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.\u00a0\u00a0Consult with your doctor if you\u2019re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.\u200b<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is hypertension? Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating\u00a0blood against the walls of the body\u2019s arteries, the\u00a0major blood vessels in the body.\u00a0 Hypertension is another name for high blood\u00a0pressure.\u00a0 It can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sometimes death.\u200b Diagnosis Blood pressure is written as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}