HYPERTENSION (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE)

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 HYPERTENSION

(CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENTS)

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a serious health condition and is a major cause of premature deaths worldwide. It affects a population of almost 1 billion and is a more common problem in low and middle-income countries.
 


According to the WHO, hypertension is diagnosed if, when it is measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥90 mmHg.



Hypertension can either be essential (primary) or secondary. 
Primary hypertension is not caused by any underlying medical condition, instead, it is a result of improper lifestyle including obesity, excessive salt intake in the diet, or maybe due to family history. 
On the other hand, secondary hypertension is caused by an underlying medical condition, for example, kidney disease, which causes the rise of blood pressure. For instance, a low renal blood flow stimulates the kidney to release an excess of renin which increases water resorption in the tubules, leading to high blood pressure.

SYMPTOMS:

According to the WHO, as many as 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have this condition. The only reason behind this is that it often presents with no symptoms. And when the symptoms manifest they can include, early morning headaches, visual disturbances, nosebleeds. A severe form of hypertension may cause symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, chest pain( angina), anxiety, and muscle tremors. 
 



COMPLICATIONS: 
 
Uncontrolled hypertension may lead to end-organ failure. It may cause serious damage to the heart, brain, and kidney. 
The constant high pressure may damage the arterial walls and lead to disturbance of blood supply to the heart and thus causing, heart attack, heart failure, chest pain.
This constant high pressure in the arteries may even affect the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain, causing them to rupture and leading to stroke.
Also, high blood pressure may cause the vessels around the kidney to weaken, narrow, or harden, thus reducing the blood supply to the kidneys and leading to kidney failure.
Complications o hypertension



TREATMENT: 

NON-PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT-
Primary hypertension can be treated by lifestyle modifications, which include, eating a healthy balanced diet with less salt intake, regularly involving in physical activities, limiting the amount of alcohol, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight.
 

PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT-
Drugs used to treat hypertension include:
1) Diuretics:- 
Diuretics commonly used to treat blood pressure include chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide). These drugs increase urination and help in the elimination of salt and water from the body, which helps reduce your blood pressure.
2) Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors ( ACE Inhibitors):- 
These include drugs such as lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), benazepril (Lotensin), captopril. These drugs help relax blood vessels and prevent them from narrowing.
3) Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB Blockers):- 
They block the action of angiotensin and thus help in relaxing the blood vessels. These include candesartan, losartan.

 ** Vasodilators such as nitroprusside and nitroglycerin are also used to treat a hypertensive emergency.**
 
REFERENCES:
1) Hypertension. (2021, August 25). Www.Who.Int. Retrieved January 8, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension
2) Hypertension- causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology. (2021, November 29). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm5kB5X70oA
3) Managing Hypertension. (2019, November 28). [Photograph]. https://iconhealthscreening.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Managing-Hypertension-1-1600x1504.jpg
4) Health Threats From High Blood Pressure. (2016, October 31). [PHOTOGRAPH]. https://www.heart.org/-/media/Images/Health-Topics/High-Blood-Pressure/Health-threats-diagram.png
5) Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure. (n.d.). [PHOTOGRAPH]. https://chblob.blob.core.windows.net/imagecontainer/2-High-blood-pressure-3531758e-acd6-4301-a598-68178e016f92.jpg
6) diagnostic criteria for hypertension. (n.d.). [PHOTOGRAPH]. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brett-Martin/publication/236024604/figure/tbl1/AS:393562698076167@1470844067526/for-the-diagnostic-criteria-for-hypertension.png
7) [A healthcare worker measuring a patient’s blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer]. (n.d.).


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