According to the World Health Organization, hypertension is one of the most common diseases. Hypertension occurs in every third person, and is characterized by high mortality rates in severe stages. Only complex treatment that combines medications and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be successful.
What is hypertension
What is hypertension is a chronic disease, a pathology of the cardiovascular system. It develops as a result of a disruption in the work of higher centers responsible for the functionality of blood vessels. Dangerous hypertension complications and accompanied by internal diseases.
One of the main manifestations of the disease is high blood pressure (blood pressure), which decreases only after taking special and strong medications.
Hypertension refers to pressure from 140/90 mm Hg. and above if it is confirmed during two medical examinations.
Hypertension is divided into several types:
- Essential arterial hypertension,
- Symptomatic arterial hypertension,
- chronic hypertension,
- Vascular hypertension.
Symptomatic or secondary hypertension accounts for only 10% of all reported cases of the disease. Hypertensive syndrome - the second name of the disease - most often accompanies systemic lupus erythematosus, urolithiasis, anomaly and tumors of the kidneys, ischemia, toxicosis in late pregnancy, renal tuberculosis. Despite the fact that hypertension does not have its own signs and characteristics, it seriously aggravates the underlying disease.
Essential hypertension is an independent form of the disease.
Chronic hypertension is usually caused by an excess of calcium in the blood, infectious diseases (turned into chronic ones), diabetes mellitus and heredity. It manifests itself in the form of nervousness, absent-mindedness, fatigue and weakness, frequent numbness of the arms and legs, speech impairment, left ventricular hypertrophy and frequent pains in the region of the heart.
How does hypertension develop?
The mechanism of the development of hypertension is as follows: in response to a stress factor, a violation occurs in the peripheral vessels of the regulation of tone. The result is a spasm of arterioles, and the formation of a dyscirculatory and dyskinetic syndrome. The secretion of neurohormones in the aldosterone system is significantly increased. This causes a delay in the vascular bed of sodium and water, which increases the volume of blood circulation and increases pressure. During the disease, the viscosity of the blood also increases, which leads to a decrease in the rate of the metabolic process in the tissues. The walls of the vessels increase in size, the gap between them narrows, which affects the blood flow. A high level of resistance in the periphery makes the disease irreversible. As a result of increased permeability and impregnation of the walls of blood vessels with blood plasma, arteriosclerosis and ellastofibrosis develop, and this leads to serious changes in the tissues of some organs.
Spontaneously, hypertension cannot occur in humans. Usually, hypertension is preceded by vegetative-vascular dystonia (VD), a frequent companion of which is varicose veins.
Varicose veins and hypertension are related: the increased activity of the vessel walls in SVD leads to a decrease in their diameter. The resistance of the vessel wall to blood flow increases, which increases blood pressure. Varicose veins are characterized by thickening of the vessel wall, the formation of pockets and constrictions inside, which interfere with the normal flow of blood. Diseased veins can no longer cope with the blood flow, which leads to the formation of edema in the tissues and chronic stagnation in the veins. This can turn into the development of gangrene, sepsis and even death.
Disease classification
Hypertensive disease differs in causes of pressure rise, organ damage, blood pressure level and course. The disease can be benign, or progressive slowly, or rapidly progressive - malignant. More important is the classification according to the level and stability of the pressure. Distinguish:
- normal GB (up to 129/85 mm Hg),
- border (up to 140/90 mm Hg),
- hypertension of the 1st degree (up to 160/100 mm Hg),
- 2 degrees (up to 180/110 mm Hg),
- 3 degrees (over 180/110 mm Hg).
Benign hypertension has three stages. The first or light one is characterized by rises in pressure up to 180 to 104 mm Hg, but after a short rest it returns to normal. Some people complain of headaches, sleep problems, fatigue, and reduced performance. However, in most cases, the mild stage proceeds without pronounced individual symptoms.
The second or middle stage is characterized by pressure up to 200 to 115 mm Hg. at rest. It is accompanied by strong and throbbing pains in the head, dizziness, pain in the region of the heart. During the examination, damage to the heart is detected. Sometimes subendocardial ischemia is detected. Cerebral strokes, transient ischemia of the brain are possible.
The third or severe stage is accompanied by stable and strong increases in pressure. At the beginning of the stage, increased pressure is intermittent, and usually manifests itself after physical exertion, as well as changes in atmospheric pressure, emotional upheavals. Normalization is possible after myocardial infarction or stroke. After a heart attack, headless hypertension often occurs. That is, a state when only systolic or pulse pressure decreases.
Reasons for the development of the disease
The causes of hypertension lie in the violation of the regulatory activity of the main parts of the central nervous system, which control the work of all internal organs. Frequent overstrain and overwork, both physical and mental, long-term, constant and strong unrest, stress can lead to development.
Working at night, often being in a noisy environment can also trigger the disease.
The risk group includes lovers of salty foods. Salt causes spasms of the arteries and prevents the removal of fluid. An important role is played by heredity. The likelihood of the disease increases if two or more relatives have hypertension.
Some diseases also provoke the development of hypertension. These include:
- Diseases of the adrenal glands and kidneys,
- thyroid disease,
- Obesity,
- diabetes diabetes,
- Tonsillitis,
- Atherosclerosis.
Among women in the highest risk group, those who are in menopause. This is due to hormonal changes in the body, emotional exacerbations, nervous reactions. It is during menopause that about 60% of all diseases in women occur.
In men, age and gender determine the increased risk. Hypertension at the age of 20 and 30 develops in about 9% of men. At the age of 40, the percentage increases to 35, and after 65 years - already 50%. Hypertension is more common in males under the age of 40 than in women. In the older age group, the ratio changes - this is explained by a large percentage of male mortality from complications.
The causes of hypertension lie in hypodynamia and bad habits. The components of tobacco smoke provoke spasms of blood vessels and damage the thin walls of the arteries. Physical inactivity is accompanied by a slow metabolism, and in the event of an increase in load, an untrained heart gets tired many times faster.
Symptoms
The clinic of hypertension in the initial stages may be mild. A person for a long time may not even be aware of increased pressure and processes developing in the vessels. Early and first signs of hypertension are irritability for no apparent reason and increased fatigue.
Symptoms of hypertension in the early stages: neurotic disorders, weakness, sleep disturbances, noise and ringing in the ears and dizziness, heart palpitations.
People note a decrease in efficiency, a loss of concentration. There is shortness of breath. Headache with hypertension appears more often in the morning in the temporal and occipital region. By the end of the day and in the supine position may increase. They are associated with a violation of the tone of venules and arterioles. Symptoms of hypertension include pain in the heart area. This is due to the increased work of the heart muscle to overcome the increasing resistance. As a result, a dissociation occurs between the needs and capabilities of the myocardium, which leads to angina pectoris.
Signs of hypertension at a later date are the veil and flickering of "flies" before the eyes, as well as other photopsies. They are explained by spasms of the arterioles of the retina. Malignant hypertension can be accompanied by retinal hemorrhages that lead to blindness. In rare cases, the symptoms of hypertension are manifested by vomiting, swelling of the hands and numbness of the fingers, chills, in the morning - heaviness in the eyelids and puffiness of the face, excessive sweating.
Complications during hypertension
Complications of hypertension:
- Hypertensive crisis,
- visual impairment,
- Circulatory disorders in the brain
- nephrosclerosis,
- subarachnoid hemorrhage,
- Dissecting aortic aneurysm,
- bradycadia,
- Damage to target organs (kidneys, heart, brain, veins and arteries, fundus vessels),
- Hypertensive cardiomyopathy (HLH, left ventricular hypertension)
- Angiodystonia of hypertonic type.
Hypertensive crisis
First you need to understand what a hypertensive crisis is. This term refers to an acute and significant rise in blood pressure, which is accompanied by symptoms characteristic of the disease. In addition to hypertension, it can be provoked by:
- Chronic and acute glomerulonephritis,
- Toxicosis in late pregnancy,
- renovascular hypertension,
- benign brain tumors,
- heavy metal poisoning,
- Renal failure.
Crises can be caused by hormonal imbalance and sudden changes in the weather. One of the most common causes is trauma of a psycho-emotional nature. Symptoms: severe and severe headache, nausea with the urge to vomit, dizziness, fainting, short-term blindness and other visual disturbances, weakness, mood swings, tearfulness. Brain symptoms:
- vasospasm,
- Violation of the permeability of the vascular walls,
- Entry of blood plasma into the medulla, which leads to edema.
In the initial stages of the disease, crises are mild and short-lived.
The danger of a crisis in the possible development:
- retinal detachment,
- stroke,
- Acute pulmonary edema
- cardiac asthma,
- myocardial infarction,
- Angina.
Complications of hypertension cause a serious threat to human life, and require regular monitoring by a doctor.
Bradycadia
A frequent and dangerous complication of hypertension. It manifests itself depending on the form. The mild form may go unnoticed. Severe, often and prolonged dizziness with hypertension may indicate a pronounced form of the disease. Also, the symptoms include - semi-fainting state and frequent fainting, sudden changes in pressure. The severe form is accompanied by fainting and short-term cardiac arrest. Treatment of bradycardia with hypertension can occur with homeopathic and medicinal remedies. Usually prescribed diuretics, alpha-blockers, nifedicipin. From homeopathy, calendula, St. John's wort, strawberries, shakers are prescribed.
Complications include the following syndromes in hypertension:
- myocardial injury,
- kidney damage,
- vascular encephalopathy,
- Syndrome of arterial hypertension.
Associated clinical conditions: ischemic stroke, CHF, coronary revascularization, renal failure, arterial disease, papilledema.
Target organ damage
A heart
Most often, left ventricular hypertrophy develops. This happens because the heart muscle has to push blood into the deformed vessels with great effort. Such work leads to thickening of the muscle wall and lack of blood circulation. This is dangerous with muscle strain and heart fatigue. Another pathology is a violation of the diastolic function of the lzh. The growing fatigue of the heart muscle leads to a moment when it cannot take a relaxed position. The thickened wall cannot relax during the diastolic phase, in which oxygen saturation normally occurs. All this leads to the third pathology - chronic insufficiency. It develops as a result of constant oxygen starvation. It is very difficult to treat the disease, and in combination with other pathologies, it leads to death.
Vessels
Arterial vessels in hypertension are in a constant narrowed state due to the contraction of the muscle layer. This leads to the fact that the vessels cease to relax, and the muscle tissue is replaced by connective tissue. This is called vascular remodeling. Loss of vision, peripheral atherosclerosis of the extremities and other diseases are associated with this complex and irreversible consequence.
Brain
Hemorrhage causes almost 25% of all strokes. And hypertension is the main cause of hemorrhages, which have a high percentage of deaths. Inadequate blood supply to the brain leads to ischemic stroke. This complication accounts for more than 70% of cases. It is caused by narrowing of the cerebral arteries or blockage of the canal by a thrombus. Another pathology is hypertensive encephalopathy. This is an emergency condition, accompanied by a severe headache, high blood pressure, and neurological symptoms. If you run hypertension, then there is a chance of developing cognitive impairment and dementia. These are changes in the subcortical substance and brain atrophy, which are responsible for violations of thought processes.
kidneys
One of the most common complications is microalbuminuria. The earliest sign of kidney damage and the development of renal failure. Chronic renal failure is characterized by the loss of the ability of the kidneys to remove metabolic products from the blood.
Diagnosis of the disease
Effective treatment of hypertension is possible only with early diagnosis and compliance with all rules and recommendations. Not always high blood pressure is an indicator of hypertension, it can be situational. And with repeated visits to the doctor is not detected. A single measurement of pressure may not reveal the disease: with recurring symptoms, it is necessary to measure blood pressure in dynamics. After making a diagnosis, doctors conduct a differential diagnosis to determine the symptomatic form of the disease.
Pressure measurement
To determine the degree and presence of the disease, dynamic pressure measurement is used. It is carried out as follows: the atmosphere should be comfortable and calm. Measurements begin no earlier than ten minutes after the start of the patient's admission. An hour before the visit, smoking, taking any food and strong drinks (tea, coffee, alcohol), any physical activity, the use of eye or nasal drops are excluded. During the first treatment, blood pressure readings are taken from both hands of the patient, with a second measurement after 2 minutes.
With a difference in readings of more than 5 mm Hg. continue measurements on the arm with high pressure.
Treatment of hypertension
How to treat hypertension depends on the stage of the disease, complications, age and many other parameters. Medical treatment options are selected by the attending physician. The desire to fight on your own with the disease can turn into disastrous consequences. Modern treatment of hypertension begins with non-drug methods that increase the effectiveness of drugs several times over. You need to start by establishing a daily routine, eliminating any stress, do not forget about exercise and long walks. An important point in how to deal with hypertension is diet. The patient should refuse or significantly reduce the intake of salt, drink less, completely eliminate alcoholic beverages and coffee. If you follow all the recommendations, you can avoid drug treatment of the disease.
In treatment, it is important not only how to deal with hypertension, but also how to eliminate the causes of high blood pressure.
Usually drugs are used for treatment:
- diuretic,
- Inhibitors
- Type 2 receptor antagonists
- Calcium channel blockers.
Blood pressure medications - by prescription only
homeopathic treatment
Considering the question of how to get rid of hypertension, it is worth paying attention to homeopathic remedies. They are usually recommended when the target organs are already affected. Homeopathy for hypertension has an important advantage: a mild effect. Medicines have no contraindications or side effects. The disadvantage is that the treatment with homeopathic remedies is rather slow. When choosing this method, consider:
- Homeopathic medicines are prescribed simultaneously with medicines,
- Combining medication and a healthy lifestyle
- With an average degree of risk, this type is often the only possible one.
Inpatient treatment of hypertension
Inpatient treatment is usually admitted with a complicated hypertensive crisis:
- Acute hypertensive encephalopathy,
- cardiac asthma,
- pulmonary edema,
- Acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina and myocardial infarction),
- aortic aneurysm,
- Severe arterial bleeding
- Eclampsia.
Upon admission, the doctors of the clinic begin to carry out the main diagnostic actions:
- Every 15 minutes measurement of blood pressure dynamics,
- electrocardiography,
- General analysis of blood and urine,
- echocardiography,
- Biochemical analysis for the detection of potassium, sodium, urea, calcium, creatinine, fibrinogen, coagulogram,
- Ophthalmoscopy.
Also, the patient must be prescribed an appointment with a neurologist, Reberg's test and rheoencephalography, as well as determining the type of cerebral hemodynamics. While in the hospital, inpatient treatment depends on the presence of complications, the severity of the attack and other diseases. First aid is aimed at reducing the activity of the left heart ventricle and eliminating symptoms such as:
- peripheral vasoconstriction,
- cerebral ischemia,
- Heart failure.
Of great importance in the treatment of a complicated attack is the introduction of antihypertensive drugs, hospitalization in the ICU and regular checking of blood pressure.
Non-drug treatment of a hypertensive state includes an increase in immunity, body cleansing, massage, gymnastics, and diet. It is important to follow the instructions of the doctors, and not to violate the established regimen.
How to live with hypertension
How long people live with hypertension is an important question for those who have been diagnosed. The consequences of the disease depend on the stage and nature of its course. Severe form, vascular damage, the third stage of the disease and disruption of the target organs worsen the prognosis. Premature death occurs from heart attacks and strokes, acute heart failure. Unfavorable prognosis for those who fell ill at an early age.
The life expectancy of hypertensive patients depends not only on the correctness of taking medications and regular visits to the doctor, but also on personal attitude and compliance with the basic rules. These include:
- psychological climate,
- Diet,
- Physical exercise,
- No bad habits.
Another important condition is to understand what kind of disease it is, how it develops and what consequences it has on the whole body. In order to understand the features of the course of the disease, it is not necessary to have a medical education. There are many good books and manuals written for ordinary people. One of them is "Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases" by A. Yakovlev. The book briefly and clearly outlines the main provisions on hypertension, as well as the most popular treatment regimens for hypertension.
Psychological climate
Having realized how to treat hypertension and choosing a treatment method, you need to move on to an equally important issue - a healthy lifestyle. It is impossible when working on a night shift, frequent quarrels, constant and long-distance business trips, strong emotional stress, negative emotions, fears, anger. All these conditions are accompanied by the production of adrenaline in large quantities, which leads to disruption of the circulatory and nervous systems. It is important to control your emotions, think more about the positive, exclude any sources of stress from your environment. Herbal teas, meditations, walks, doing what you love will help in this.
By creating the most comfortable conditions around him, a person increases the chances of his recovery.
Diet
Excess weight and hypertension are incompatible. Even if there are no extra pounds, treatment begins with nutritional correction. In the initial stages, this is enough to control the pressure and prevent its increase. There are several ways to lose weight with hypertension. And the main one is calorie restriction. This can be achieved by eliminating or reducing the daily diet of sweet and fatty foods, flour products. A diet for weight loss should not be confused with fasting: it is prohibited for hypertensive patients. For weight loss and normalization of pressure, it is also worth monitoring the amount of animal fats in food. It is necessary to exclude foods rich in cholesterol as much as possible, as well as switch to low-fat varieties of fish, fruits and vegetables, and natural vegetable oils. It is worth completely abandoning sausages, lard, fried meatballs and fatty meats, butter, fatty cheeses.
Contraindications for hypertension - any drinks and foods that excite the nervous system. These include not only tea, coffee and alcohol, but also carbonated drinks, hot spices, odorous spices.
It is important to include foods rich in potassium and magnesium in your diet. These elements have a good effect on the heart muscle, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and the nervous system. A lot of potassium is found in:
- prunes,
- apricots,
- cabbage,
- pumpkin,
- Bananas.
Magnesium rich:
- Buckwheat, oat and millet groats,
- Carrot,
- Beet,
- Black currant,
- Parsley and lettuce leaves
- Walnuts.
An important rule: these products should not be combined with milk. Calcium negatively affects the digestibility of elements.
Physical exercise
Complications of arterial hypertension and the disease itself do not mean that the patient should give up any activity. Gymnastics, simple exercises, yoga or long walks, swimming are indicated for hypertensive patients. The movement not only carries a charge of positive emotions, but also helps to fight excess weight.
You should start with the simplest workouts, gradually increasing the time and complexity of the exercises. This also applies to swimming and walking.
Rehabilitation for hypertension of the third stage, as well as with such complications as hypertensive stroke, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, should take place only under the supervision of doctors. Usually, for rehabilitation, patients are sent to special resorts, to sanatorium treatment. Which includes a full range of measures: proper nutrition, physical activity, medications.