Hypertension Symptoms
This article is for people who have high blood pressure or for people who would like information about high blood pressure. About 30% adults have high blood pressure in the UK and 7 out of 10 people in their 70s have hypertension.Blood pressure is a measure of the force that the blood applies to the walls of the arteries as it flows through them. When your blood pressure is consistently higher than normal at rest, this is high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.
Reason for Hypertension
• The walls of your larger arteries lose their elasticity and become rigid due to high cholesterol in your blood.
• the small blood vessels become narrower due to deposit of cholesterol on the wall.
Blood pressure is measured with a monitor called a sphygmomanometer. This is a digital box attached to a tube with a cuff on the end. Test result is expressed as two numbers, such as 120/80 mm HG ("one hundred and twenty over eighty millimeters of mercury").
• The top figure - the systolic blood pressure - is a measure of the pressure when your heart muscle is contracting and pumping blood. This is the maximum pressure in your blood system.
• The bottom figure - the diastolic blood pressure - is the pressure between heartbeats when the heart is resting and filling with blood. This is the minimum pressure in your blood system.
Types of high blood pressure
A. More than 9 in 10 people with high blood pressure suffers from 'primary' or 'essential hypertension'. This means that there is no single clear cause of it.
Some most possible reasons for hypertension
1. smoking and drinking alcohol
2. Genetic history
3. Excessive overweight
4. a lack of physical exercise
B. Around 5 in 10 people with high blood pressure have 'secondary hypertension'. This means it may be a symptom of another underlying disease like kidney disease, endocrine disease, narrowing of the aorta, steroid medicines, the contraceptive pill
Hypertension Symptoms
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Hypertension listed below:
No symptoms - many people are unaware they have hypertension until it is accidentally found at a doctor visit or they develop complications of hypertension
Non-specific symptoms - symptoms of hypertension may be mild and vague Headache , Morning headache, Tinnitus , Dizziness, Papilloedema (Swelling of the optic disc) are some of the symptoms occur from complications of hypertension.What are the complications of hypertension
People with high blood pressure have an increased risk of major illnesses including:
• cardiovascular disease such as angina, stroke, heart attack
• kidney damage
• damaged sight Diagnosis
As most people with hypertension don't have any symptoms, they are diagnosed when they have their blood pressure taken as part of a medical examination. That's one good reason to have a regular check-up with your doctor, especially if you're over 50. Your doctor may request that you come back for repeat measurements over a number of weeks before suggesting that you have treatment. This is so he or she can check that the high reading is an ongoing problem and not a one-off.
You may also need some tests to see if high blood pressure is having an effect on the rest of your body. These may include:
• an analysis of your urine (protein in your urine may be the first sign of a kidney problem)
• a blood test, to check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as the condition of your kidneys
• an ECG (electrocardiogram), which records the electrical changes happening in your heart Monitoring
24-hour ambulatory monitoring - You may need 24-hour testing to measure your blood pressure over 24 hours. A monitoring device will be strapped round your waist and it will be attached to a cuff wrapped around your upper arm. The cuff will inflate and deflate throughout the 24 hours and take blood pressure recordings.
Blood pressure monitors - You might consider getting a blood pressure monitor to use yourself at home - discuss this option with your doctor, who should be able to help you choose a suitable one. The Blood Pressure Association (see Further information) also has advice and a list of suppliers. It is important to take readings on different days - for example you should not just measure yourself when you feel stressed. Set days in the week to take the measurement so that you can get an objective reading. You should continue to get your blood tested regularly by your doctor even if you use a blood pressure monitor at home.
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