About high blood pressure (hypertension)
When the heart pumps blood through the arteries, the blood presses against the walls of the blood vessels. In people who suffer from hypertension, this pressure is abnormally high.
Whether blood pressure is high, low, or normal depends on several factors: the output from the heart, the resistance to blood flow of the blood vessels, the volume of blood, and blood distribution to the various organs. All of these factors in turn can be affected by the activities of the nervous system and certain hormones.
If blood pressure is elevated, the heart must work harder to pump an adequate amount of blood to all the tissues of the body. Ultimately, the condition often leads to kidney failure, heart failure, and stroke. In addition, high blood pressure is often associated with coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, kidney disorders, obesity, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and adrenal tumors.
Hypertension is a silent killer
A vast majority of the population is not aware that they are hypertensive, and of the few who do know that they have a problem, only two out of every five receive adequate treatment for this potentially dangerous condition. While high blood pressure was once thought of as a “man’s disease,” in fact women are very nearly as likely to suffer from this condition as men are, and more women than men die from complications of high blood pressure because women and, to some extent, their medical practitioners, often ignore or fail to detect their high blood pressure until it is too late.
Because high blood pressure usually causes no symptoms until complications develop, it is known as the ‘’silent killer.” Warning signs associated with advanced hypertension may include:
- headaches,
- sweating,
- rapid pulse,
- shortness of breath,
- dizziness, and
- visual disturbances.
Categories of high blood pressure
Blood pressure is usually divided into two categories, designated primary and secondary.
Primary Hypertension
Primary hypertension is high blood pressure that is not due to another underlying disease. The precise cause is unknown, but a number of definite risk factors have been identified. These include cigarette smoking, stress, obesity, excessive use of stimulants such as coffee or tea, drug abuse, and high sodium intake. The use of oral contraceptives used to be considered a contributing factor, but with the low-dose pills now available, this is not as much of a problem as it once was. Because too much water retention can exert pressure on the blood vessels, those who consume foods high in sodium may be at a greater risk for high blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure can rise due to stress as well because stress causes the walls of the arteries to constrict. Also, those with a family history of hypertension are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure.
Secondary Hypertension
When persistently elevated blood pressure arises as a result of another underlying health problem, such as hormonal abnormality or an inherited narrowing of the aorta, it is called secondary hypertension. A person may also have secondary hypertension because the blood vessels have chronically constricted or have lost elasticity from a build-up of fatty plaque on the inside walls of the vessel, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are common precursors of hypertension. The narrowing and/or hardening of the arteries makes the circulation of blood through the vessels difficult. As a result, blood pressure becomes elevated. Secondary hypertension can also be caused by poor kidney function, which results in the retention of excess sodium and fluid in the body. This increase in blood volume within the vessels causes elevated blood pressure levels. The kidneys may also elevate blood pressure by secreting substances that cause blood vessels to constrict.
Diagnoses
To diagnose high blood pressure, a physician uses a device called a sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure is represented as a pair of numbers. The first is systolic pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the blood when the heart beats, forcing blood into the blood vessels. This reading indicates blood pressure at its highest. The second reading is the diastolic pressure, which is recorded when the heart is at rest in between beats and when the blood pressure is at its lowest. Both figures represent the height (in millimeters, or mm) that a column of mercury (Hg) reaches under the pressure exerted by the blood. The combined blood pressure reading is then expressed as a ratio of systolic blood pressure to diastolic blood pressure.
Blood Pressure Levels for People without Heart Disease
| Blood Pressure | Good | Normal | Borderline | High |
| Systolic | 100 – 120 | 120 – 130 | 132 – 140 | 142 and higher |
| Diastolic | 60 – 80 | 80 – 86 | 88 – 90 | 92 and higher |
Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels for People without Heart Disease (mg/dL)
| Blood Lipid | Good | Borderline | High |
| Total Cholesterol | 200 or less | 200 – 239 | 240 and above |
| LD cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) | 130 or less | 130 – 159 | 160 and above |
| Triglycerides | 200 or less | 200 – 399 | 400 and above |
The desirable level of HDL (“good cholesterol”) is 60mg/dL or above.
It is impossible for a healthcare provider to make a correct diagnosis of high blood pressure with a single reading. The test must be repeated throughout the day to be accurate. Home testing is best because it enables you to monitor your condition periodically. Measuring blood pressure at home on a regular schedule may:
- Help determine whether your blood pressure is high only when taken during a medical visit.
- Enable you to collaborate with your health care provider in controlling your high blood pressure.
- Reduce the frequency with which you need to visit your healthcare provider for blood pressure evaluation.
Evaluation for high blood pressure
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• BAT for Brucellosis
• Lipid Profile
• Kidney Test (Uec’s)
• Liver Function Test (LFTS)
• Full Blood Count (FBC)
• Urine Analysis (u/a)
• Thyroid Function Test (TFTs)
• Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
• Chest X-Ray (CXR)
• Antibody Test Against Streptolysin O (ASOT)
• Echocardiography
• Abdominal Ultrasound (u/s)
Hypertension Treatment
Treatment of high blood pressure involves, but is not limited to:
- Calcium, magnesium, selenium, and potassium supplementation.
- Improvement of heart function.
- Lowering cholesterol levels and emulsifying fat.
- Improvement of adrenal function.
- Reducing blood clotting tendencies
- Prevention of heart disease.
- Cleansing the circulatory system.
- Strengthening of the heart muscle.
- Reducing water content in tissues to relieve pressure on the cardiovascular system.