subject: Clinical Signs And Symptoms Of Hypertension [print this page] Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. Along with continual heart beats, the heart pumps blood to the rest of the body through the arteries. Blood pressure is the force of blood that pushes up against the walls of the blood vessels. If the pressure is exorbitant, it makes the heart work harder to pump the blood. This is likely to result in organ damage and several illnesses such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, and so on.
Hypertension can cause headaches, vision problems, dizziness, or shortness of breath once in a while, but surprisingly most people who suffer this disease have no symptoms. So, this disease is referred to as a special disease that can kill people secretly suddenly. hypertension is usually discovered at a regular medical checkup when a doctor takes your blood pressure readings. If your blood pressure is found to be above the normal range for up to 5 times, your doctor will decide that you suffer high blood pressure.
There are a series of factors that cause hypertension. The common causes may include narrowing of the arteries, a greater than normal volume of blood, or the heart beating faster or more forcefully than it should. The above-stated conditions will cause increased blood pressure against the artery walls. High blood pressure can also result from some medical problems. To be honest, the cause can't be known accurately. Although high blood pressure generally cannot be cured, we should know that this disease can be prevented and controlled.
Hypertension can be treated by having medicines, by changing your lifestyle, or a combination of the two. You should bring about big lifestyle changes, include losing weight, giving up smoking, having a good diet, reducing sodium intake, exercising more and drinking less alcohol.
There are several kinds of drugs that can be used to treat hypertension. Usually, ACE inhibitors, ARB drugs, beta-blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, alpha-blockers, and peripheral vasodilators are often used in the treatment. These medications can be had alone or in combination, however some can only be had in combination. Besides, some of these drugs are used more frequently than others, depending on the conditions of the patient.
If you succeed in lowering the blood pressure, it is advisable that you have frequent checkups and take preventive measures to prevent high blood pressure from appearing again. At the same time, it is of vital importance to keep a healthy weight, have less salt, drink less alcohol, reduce stress, and do more exercise.
