According to statistics, hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease.The nature of the course and possible consequences give reason to classify it as one of the most dangerous pathologies.At the same time, there is no asymptomatic stage in the development of hypertension.That is, if you pay serious attention to your health, there is every chance for early diagnosis and timely treatment.The disease is not completely curable, but its course can be successfully managed.
Arterial hypertension is a chronic disease, its main symptom is persistent hypertension, high blood pressure.Pathology is indicated when the tonometer records a blood pressure level of more than 140/90 mm Hg.Art.
Men are more prone to hypertension;In the stronger sex, the disease develops at an earlier age.One of the main reasons for this phenomenon is female sex hormones that prevent the development of the disease.In the postmenopausal period, natural protection disappears, and the incidence among women and men decreases.
The symptoms of hypertension in men and women are almost the same, the causes of the development of the disease and the risk factors are slightly different.
Changes in blood pressure
Before talking about increased blood pressure, it is advisable to understand what indicators are normal.Blood pressure in children in the first year of life is considered normal at 90/40 ± 5 mm Hg.Art.With age, the indicators gradually increase and reach 120/80 ± 10 mm Hg.Art.
According to the World Health Organization, the upper limit of normal blood pressure is defined as 140/90 mmHg.Art.
It should be noted that blood pressure values change depending on the time of day and the corresponding physical activity of a person.At night, blood pressure drops, reaching a physiological minimum between midnight and three o'clock.At the end of the working day, around 5:00 p.m., blood pressure reaches its maximum and begins to fall below 8:00 p.m.A situational increase in pressure occurs during unusual or excessive physical activity, in stressful situations, especially against the background of vivid and strong emotions.
The basis for examination for suspected hypertension is at least three episodes of arterial pressure recorded on different days during the month.Instrumental confirmation of increased pressure is necessary to distinguish the disease from other pathologies.Early symptoms of hypertension are quite characteristic, but in the absence of special knowledge, they are mistaken for manifestations of other diseases.In addition, primary hypertension in hypertension should be distinguished from symptomatic (secondary) hypertension, which develops against the background of kidney disease and pathologies of the endocrine system.
Causes and risk factors
The main role in the pathogenesis of hypertension is played by the disruption of the regulatory function of the central nervous system, especially the departments that control the activity of vital organs.
The relationship between hypertension and disturbances in the processes of nervous regulation is indirectly confirmed, which is often provoked by long and severe anxiety, fear, deep nervous shocks and repeated episodes of nervous tension.Prerequisites for the development of primary arterial hypertension may be serious disturbances in the daily cycle of activity associated with the characteristics of professional activity (night shift work, long working hours), exposure to noise and vibration.
An imbalance in the ion balance caused by excess sodium also contributes to the development of hypertension.If you consume more than 5 g of table salt per day, the risk of developing hypertension increases.With a loaded heredity, addiction to salty foods is almost a death sentence.
The tendency to hypertension is determined genetically.Hypertension symptoms appearing in close blood relatives is a clear enough signal that you need to pay close attention to your health.
Hypertension and its further progression are also caused by atherosclerosis, obesity, dysfunction of the adrenal glands, thyroid gland, and chronic infections.
Age and gender contribute to the manifestations of pathology.Among people under the age of 40, hypertension symptoms are more common in men than in women.After 60 years, every second patient is diagnosed with hypertension.In women, the incidence of the disease increases after menopause, and older patients predominate in women.Changes in gender ratios are associated with increased premature death among men who develop the disease at an earlier age.
In addition, provoking factors:
- Violation of quality and diet;
- Bad habits and chronic intoxication;
- Abuse of caffeine;
- Physical inactivity and heavy physical labor;
- Socio-economic situation.
The main symptoms of the disease
The typical symptoms of hypertension in women and men are the same and appear at an early stage.A continuous increase in blood pressure is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- dizziness;
- Headache;
- Visual impairment;
- Numbness of the fingers;
- Sleep disorders;
- Deterioration of performance;
- irritation;
- Nosebleeds;
- tinnitus;
- Peripheral edema (mainly in women);
- sweating;
- Pain in the heart.
Symptoms of hypertension do not appear at once, but in various combinations as the disease progresses.Headache attacks may develop at the end of the day, coinciding with the physiological peak in blood pressure levels.It is not unusual to have a headache right after waking up.This symptom is often mistaken for the usual lack of sleep, overwork or the manifestation of other diseases not related to the cardiovascular system.
A headache caused by a hypertensive attack is accompanied by a feeling of pressure or heaviness at the back of the head, sometimes worsens when turning, bending, sudden movements, sneezing, coughing, and may be accompanied by total or partial swelling of the face.The intensity of the pain is in no way related to the level of blood pressure, but sometimes it indicates its sharp increase.In some patients, the headache is combined with nosebleeds, after which the condition usually improves.Especially in the first stage of hypertension, nosebleeds can be painless.
Unbearable headaches cause irritability.The patient reacts painfully to bright lighting, loud and sharp sounds.
Visual impairment is described as a veil before the eyes, "spots", double vision.
A vague feeling of discomfort as a symptom of heartache and hypertension is more characteristic of the later stages of the disease.The pain is localized in the upper part of the heart or to the left of the sternum and is not always associated with emotional or physical stress.Unlike angina attacks, the pain may not subside within several hours and is not relieved by taking vasodilators from the class of organic nitrates.
Shortness of breath can occur as a reaction to physical activity, as the disease progresses, and at rest.
Peripheral edema with hypertension may indicate the development of heart failure.Edema can develop after taking certain medications, impaired kidney function, or excess sodium in the body.
Three stages are distinguished during hypertension, which differ in the symptoms manifested and the severity of the patient's condition.
When blood pressure rises to 140-149/90-99 mmHg.Art.hypertension is characterized as mild.Attacks are accompanied by dizziness, nosebleeds are possible.It is characterized by deterioration of performance, lethargy, nausea and tachycardia attacks.
Moderate hypertension is diagnosed at readings of 150-179 / 100-109 mmHg.Art.Patients feel sweating, tremors, swelling, numbness in the fingers, and during an attack, a dull pain in the heart is possible.Spasms of the retinal vessels manifest as flickering of flies before the eyes or flashes of lightning, and perhaps a gradual deterioration of vision, or even blindness due to bleeding in the retina.
Severe hypertension causes problems in the work of the heart and other organs.
Hypertensive crisis
A hypertensive crisis is possible with a sharp increase in blood pressure.Consequences of the crisis can affect the heart, brain and kidneys.The most characteristic feature of a crisis is an increase in diastolic (upper) pressure.
The crisis starts suddenly and the following are possible:
- Shortness of breath;
- nausea, sometimes vomiting;
- blurred vision and other visual disturbances;
- severe redness of the face;
- Severe headache;
- Oppressive pain in the region of the heart.
The symptoms that appear during a crisis can be different;The following types of crisis are distinguished according to the characteristics of the symptom complex:
- Neurovegetative.Neurological symptoms predominate.The patient is extremely agitated, anxious or afraid.Possible hand tremors, sweating and fever.As a rule, only systolic pressure increases;an attack of hypertension is accompanied by tachycardia.
- Hydropic.Both pressure indicators increase, patients quickly develop swelling of the face and hands, lethargy and drowsiness.The man is confused.The edematous form of the crisis develops mainly in women after consuming salty foods or a large amount of liquid.
- A rare convulsive form of crisis is possible in patients with a course of malignant hypertension.The possibility of hemorrhagic stroke is especially high during a convulsive crisis.
Features of the course of hypertension in women
Hypertension develops less often in women of reproductive age than in men.At the same time, hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, lactation and menopause are often accompanied by symptomatic hypertension.If the main symptoms of hypertension appear against the background of menopausal changes, a final diagnosis is possible after the complete cessation of reproductive function.Risk factors, especially for women, include taking oral contraceptives.
Intoxication with alcohol and nicotine affects women more than the stronger sex.Even one cigarette can cause a hypertensive crisis with a diagnosis of hypertension.
Another risk factor is increased emotionality of women.Due to this psychological feature, representatives of the fairer sex suffer from hypertensive crises more often.
Symptoms of hypertension are usually stronger in women;women are more careful about their health and, on average, consult a doctor much earlier than men.
Features of the development and course of hypertension in men
Since the male body does not undergo frequent and deep hormonal changes, the main risk factors are slightly different from those of women.
First of all, these are severe and chronic stress that causes an increase in the level of adrenaline and therefore blood pressure.Chronic intoxications of various origins play an equally important role, from air pollution in industrial areas, hazardous working conditions, and alcohol or tobacco addiction.
Diabetes mellitus, physical inactivity and excess body weight can also lead to the development of arterial hypertension.
Hereditary tendency to hypertension increases the risk of its development in both sexes.
In men, the symptoms of hypertension are less pronounced, and early symptoms are not always taken seriously.The first visit to a doctor often occurs at a fairly advanced stage of the disease.
Hypertension in children
Since family history is one of the main factors in the development of hypertension, parents with hypertension should know how to identify hypertension in children.
Hypertension can affect children of all ages, and adolescents are particularly susceptible to it.The triggering factors, development mechanisms and symptoms of hypertension are the same as in adults.To confirm / exclude the diagnosis of hypertension, the basis for examining a child is a continuous increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg.Art.