INTRODUCTION: High blood pressure aka hypertension means elevated pressure (tension) in the arteries. It does not mean excessive emotional tension, although emotional tension and stress can temporarily elevate your blood pressure.
Hypertension often has no symptoms, but it can produce serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.
It causes the heart to work much harder and can harm the arteries, causing them to narrow faster. It can also damage many parts of the body and is a major health problem in the United States affecting one out of every three Americans or 65 million people, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
HYPERTENSION: Frequently referred to as “high blood pressure”, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition that is caused by the blood pressure being chronically elevated and is considered to be present when a person’s systolic blood pressure is continously 140 mmHg or greater, and/or their diastolic blood pressure is consistently 90 mmHg or higher.
It can be categorized as either essential (primary) or secondary and is one of the most frequent occuring complex disorders, with genetic implication averaging 30 percent. Hypertension can be a short term or lifelong disease, depending on the cause and is dangerous because it forces the heart to work extra hard.
Pre-hypertension is blood pressure between 120 and 139 for the higher number, or between 80 and 89 for the lower number. For example, blood pressure readings of 138/82, 128/89, or 130/86 are all in the pre-hypertension category. If your blood pressure is in the pre-hypertension category, it is more likely that you will eventually have hypertension unless you take action to prevent it. If you have this kind of high blood pressure, you may not have to take medication.
HEART: Some people may not find out they have HBP until they have trouble with their heart, brain, or kidneys. When it is not found and treated, it can cause the heart to get larger, which may lead to heart failure. With HBP, the heart works harder, your arteries take a beating, and your chances of a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems are greater.
If you don’t have high blood pressure by age 55, you have a 90 percent chance of developing it at some point in your life, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Untreated, it will cause the heart to eventually overwork itself to the point at which serious damage can occur. About half of people having first-time heart attacks and two-thirds of people having first-time strokes suffer from high blood pressure.
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TREATMENT: Treatment is focused on reducing water retention and lowering blood pressure to normal limits. When you first start treatment, your doctor may want you to come to the office regularly. Your doctor will review the information with you and decide if your treatment program is working or if you need to make changes to it.
Among the 61 percent who are under going treatment, only 35% have their blood pressure adequately controlled. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, see your doctor.
CONCLUSION: High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it often has no symptoms and is a risk factor for heart and kidney disease and stroke. High blood pressure is not evenly spread throughout the population and happens disproportionately more often in minority communities.
High blood pressure rates are also growing among American children, paralleling an epidemic of obesity. Hypertension in grownups will usually be measured on at least two different trips to the doctor before a diagnosis is made. It can be treated by both modifying lifestyles, usually as the first step, and, if necessary, with medications. Diuretics work in the kidney and flush out excess water and sodium from the body.
Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure. Once It develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. Fortunately, it can be easily detected, and once you know you have it, you can work with your doctor to control it.