According to statistics, hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease.The nature of the course and the possible consequences make it possible to classify it among the most dangerous pathologies.At the same time, there is no asymptomatic stage in the development of hypertension.In other words, if you pay close attention to your health, you have every chance of getting an early diagnosis and prompt treatment.The disease is not completely cured, but its progression can be successfully controlled.
High blood pressure is a chronic disease whose main symptom is persistent hypertension, high blood pressure.Pathology is indicated when the tonometer records a blood pressure level above 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, which inhibit the development of the disease.During the postmenopausal period, the natural protection disappears and the incidence stabilizes in women and men.
The symptoms of hypertension in men and women are almost the same, the causes and risk factors for developing the disease are somewhat different.
Changes in blood pressure
Before talking about increased blood pressure, it is advisable to understand which indicators are normal.In children of the first year of life, blood pressure is considered normal at 90/40 ± 5 mm Hg. Art.With age, the indicators gradually increase, reaching 120/80 ± 10 mm Hg. Art.
According to the World Health Organization, the upper limit of normal blood pressure is set at 140/90 mmHg.Art.
It should be noted that blood pressure values vary depending on the time of day and the corresponding physical activity of a person.Blood pressure drops at night, 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 a maximum and begins to decrease from 8:00 p.m.A situational increase in pressure occurs during unusual or excessive physical activity, in stressful situations, against the background of particularly bright and strong emotions.
The basis for examination in case of suspected hypertension is at least three episodes of increased blood pressure recorded on different days of the month.Instrumental confirmation of increased pressure is necessary to differentiate the disease from other pathologies.The first symptoms of hypertension are quite characteristic, but in the absence of special knowledge, they are mistakenly confused with the 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 disorders of the regulatory function of the central nervous system, in particular those departments that control the functioning of vital organs.
The connection between hypertension and disturbances in the processes of nervous regulation is indirectly confirmed by the fact that it is often provoked by prolonged and severe anxiety, fears, deep nervous shocks and repeated episodes of nervous tension.Prerequisites for the development of primary arterial hypertension can be severe disruptions in the daily activity cycle associated with the characteristics of professional activity (night work, long working hours), exposure to noise and vibration.
The development of hypertension is also facilitated by an imbalance in the ionic balance caused by excess sodium.When you consume table salt in quantities more than 5 g per day, the risk of developing hypertension increases.With heavy heredity, an addiction to salty foods is almost a death sentence.
The predisposition to hypertension is genetically determined.Symptoms of hypertension that appear in close blood relatives are a fairly clear signal about the 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.In people under 40, symptoms of hypertension are more common in men than in women.After the age of 60, hypertension is diagnosed in every second patient.The incidence of the disease in women increases after menopause, and in older patients, women predominate.Changes in male-to-female ratios are associated with increased premature mortality among men who develop the disease at an earlier age.
In addition, the provoking factors are:
- Quality and food violations;
- Bad habits and chronic intoxication;
- Caffeine abuse;
- Physical inactivity and heavy physical work;
- Socioeconomic status.
Main symptoms of the disease
Typical signs of hypertension in women and men are the same and appear at an early stage.A sustained increase in blood pressure is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Dizziness;
- Headache;
- Visual impairment;
- Numbness of fingers;
- Sleep disorders;
- Performance deterioration;
- Irritability;
- Nosebleeds;
- Tinnitus;
- Peripheral edema (mainly in women);
- Sweating;
- Pain in the heart.
Symptoms of hypertension appear in different combinations, not all at once, but as the disease progresses.Headache attacks may occur at the end of the day, coinciding with the physiological peak in blood pressure.It is not uncommon to have a headache immediately after waking up.This symptom is often confused with ordinary lack of sleep, overwork or the manifestation of other diseases not related to the cardiovascular system.
A headache caused by an attack of hypertension is accompanied by a feeling of pressure or heaviness in the back of the head, sometimes worsening when turning, tilting the head, sudden movements, sneezing, coughing, and may be accompanied by swelling of the face, general or partial.The intensity of pain is in no way related to the level of blood pressure, but sometimes indicates its sharp increase.In some patients, the headache is associated with nosebleeds, after which the condition usually improves.Nosebleeds can be painless, especially in the first stage of hypertension.
Excruciating 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.
Heart pain and a vague feeling of anxiety as a symptom of hypertension are more typical for later stages of the disease.The pain is located 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 for several hours and is not relieved by taking organic nitrate class vasodilators.
Shortness of breath may occur in response to physical activity, as the disease progresses, and at rest.
Peripheral edema accompanied by hypertension may indicate the development of heart failure.Swelling may develop after taking certain medications, kidney failure, or excess sodium in the body.
During hypertension, there are three stages which differ in the symptoms they manifest and the severity of the patient's condition.
When blood pressure reaches 140-149/90-99 mmHg.Art.hypertension is classified as mild.Attacks are accompanied by dizziness and nosebleeds are possible.Characterized by deterioration in performance, lethargy, possible attacks of nausea and tachycardia.
Moderate hypertension is diagnosed when values vary between 150 and 179/100 and 109 mmHg.Art.Patients experience sweating, chills, swelling, numbness of the fingers, and dull pain in the heart is possible during an attack.Spasms of the retinal vessels are manifested by the flickering of flies or lightning in front of the eyes, and possibly by a progressive deterioration of vision, even blindness due to hemorrhage of the retina.
Severe hypertension leads to problems with the functioning of the heart and other organs.
Hypertensive crisis
With a sharp increase in blood pressure, a hypertensive crisis is possible.The consequences of a seizure can affect the heart, brain and kidneys.The most characteristic feature of a seizure is an increase in diastolic (upper) pressure.
The crisis begins suddenly, and the following events are possible:
- Shortness of breath;
- Nausea, sometimes vomiting;
- blurred vision and other visual disturbances;
- Severe redness of the face;
- Severe headache;
- Constricting pain in the region of the heart.
The symptoms that appear during an attack can vary;depending on the characteristics of the symptom complex, the following types of crises are distinguished:
- Neurovegetative.Neurological symptoms predominate.The patient is overexcited, agitated, or frightened.Hand tremors, sweating and fever possible.Typically, only systolic pressure increases;a hypertensive crisis is accompanied by tachycardia.
- Dropsical.Both pressure indicators increase, patients quickly develop swelling of the face and hands, lethargy and drowsiness.The man is disoriented.The edematous crisis form develops mainly in women after eating salty foods or large amounts of fluids.
- A rare form of seizure is possible in patients with a malignant course of hypertension.During a seizure, the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is particularly high.
Features of the course of hypertension in women
Women of childbearing age develop hypertension less frequently than men.At the same time, hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause are often accompanied by symptomatic hypertension.If the main signs of hypertension appear against the background of menopausal changes, a final diagnosis is possible after the complete extinction of reproductive function.Particularly female risk factors include taking oral contraceptives.
Alcohol and nicotine poisoning have a much greater impact on women than on the stronger sex.Even a cigarette can cause a hypertensive crisis with diagnosed hypertension.
Another risk factor is the increased emotionality of women.Due to this psychological characteristic, the fair sex suffers from hypertensive crises more often.
The symptoms of hypertension in women are generally stronger;Women are more attentive to their health and consult a doctor, on average, much earlier than men.
Features of the development and course of hypertension in men
Since the male body does not experience such frequent and profound hormonal changes, the main risk factors are somewhat different from those of women.
First of all, it is severe and chronic stress, causing an increase in adrenaline levels, and therefore blood pressure.Chronic poisonings of various origins also play an equally important role, ranging from air pollution in industrial regions to dangerous working conditions and ending with addiction to alcohol or tobacco.
Diabetes mellitus, physical inactivity and excess weight can also provoke the development of high blood pressure.
A hereditary predisposition to hypertension increases the risk of its development in both sexes.
The signs of hypertension in men are less pronounced and the first symptoms are not always taken seriously.The first visit to the doctor often occurs at a fairly advanced stage of the disease.
Hypertension in children
Since family history is one of the key factors in the development of hypertension, hypertensive parents should know how to identify hypertension in children.
Hypertension can affect children of all ages, and adolescents during puberty are particularly susceptible.The triggering factors, development mechanisms and symptoms of hypertension are similar to those in adults.The basis for examining a child to confirm/exclude the diagnosis of hypertension is a sustained increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg.Art.