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 attention to your health, there is every chance for early diagnosis and timely treatment.The disease is not completely cured, but its development can be successfully controlled.
Arterial hypertension is a chronic disease, the main symptom of which 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, which prevent the development of the disease.During menopause, natural protection disappears, the incidence among women and men decreases.
The symptoms of hypertension in men and women are almost the same, the causes and risk factors for developing this disease are quite different.
Changes in blood pressure
Before talking about increased blood pressure, it is advisable to understand what 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 indicator gradually increases, 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.Towards the end of the working day, around 17:00, blood pressure reaches its maximum and starts to decrease from 20:00.Increased stress in the situation occurs during unusual or excessive physical activity, in a stressful situation, with a clear and strong emotional background.
The basis of examination for 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 distinguish the disease from other pathologies.Early symptoms of hypertension are quite characteristic, but in the absence of specific 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 pathology 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, in particular, the department that controls the functions of vital organs.
The relationship between hypertension and disturbances in the process of nervous regulation is indirectly confirmed by the fact that it is often provoked by prolonged and severe anxiety, fear, deep nervous shock, and repeated episodes of nervous tension.Prerequisites for the development of primary arterial hypertension may be severe disturbances in the daily cycle of activities associated with the characteristics of professional activity (working on night shifts, long working hours), exposure to noise and vibration.
The development of hypertension is also facilitated by an imbalance in ion balance caused by excess sodium.When consuming table salt in quantities exceeding 5 g per day, the risk of hypertension increases.With a burdened lineage, addiction to salty foods is almost a death sentence.
The tendency to hypertension is determined genetically.Symptoms of hypertension that appear in close blood relatives are a clear enough signal of the need to pay attention to your health.
Hypertension and further development are also triggered by atherosclerosis, obesity, adrenal gland dysfunction, thyroid gland, and chronic infections.
Age and gender contribute to pathological manifestations.Among people under the age of 40, symptoms of hypertension occur more often in men than in women.After 60 years, hypertension is diagnosed in every second patient.The incidence of the disease in women increases after menopause and in the older patient age group women predominate.Changes in the sex ratio are associated with an increase in premature death among men who develop the disease at an earlier age.
In addition, the provoking factors are:
- Violation of quality and diet;
- Bad habits and chronic drunkenness;
- Abuse of caffeine;
- Physical inactivity and heavy physical labor;
- Socio-economic status.
The main symptoms of this disease
The typical signs of hypertension in women and men are the same and appear at an early stage.A persistent increase in blood pressure is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Dizziness;
- Headache;
- Visual impairment;
- Finger numbness;
- Sleep disturbances;
- Deterioration in performance;
- Irritation;
- Bleeding nose;
- Tinnitus;
- Peripheral edema (especially 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 can develop at the end of the day, coinciding with the physiological peak in blood pressure levels.It is not uncommon to have a headache right after waking up.These symptoms are often mistaken for normal lack of sleep, overwork, or manifestations of other diseases unrelated to the cardiovascular system.
A headache caused by a hypertensive attack is accompanied by a feeling of pressure or heaviness in the back of the head, sometimes aggravated by turning, tilting the head, sudden movements, sneezing, coughing, and may be accompanied by swelling of the face, general or partial.The intensity of the pain is not at all related to the level of blood pressure, but sometimes shows a sudden increase.In some patients, the headache is combined with nosebleeds, after which the condition usually improves.Nosebleeds can be painless, especially in the first stage of hypertension.
Painful headaches cause irritation.Patients react painfully to bright lighting, loud and sharp sounds.
Visual impairment is described as a veil in front of the eyes, "spots", double vision.
Heart pain and a vague feeling of anxiety as symptoms of hypertension are more typical for the later stages of the disease.The pain is localized in the upper part of the heart or on the left side of the sternum, and is not always associated with emotional or physical stress.Unlike an angina attack, the pain may not subside for several hours and is not relieved by taking vasodilators from the organic nitrate class.
Shortness of breath can occur in response to physical activity, as the disease progresses, and while resting.
Peripheral edema with hypertension may indicate the development of heart failure.Swelling can develop after taking certain medications, impaired kidney function, or excess sodium in the body.
During hypertension, three stages are distinguished, which differ in the symptoms they express 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, and nosebleeds are possible.Characterized by impaired performance, lethargy, possible attacks of nausea and tachycardia.
Moderate hypertension is diagnosed when readings range between 150-179/100-109 mmHg.Art.Patients experience sweating, chills, swelling, numbness in the fingers, and dull pain in the heart is possible during the attack.Spasm of the retinal vessels manifests itself as flickering of flies or lightning in front of the eyes, and perhaps progressive deterioration of vision, even blindness due to bleeding in the retina.
Severe hypertension leads to problems with the functioning of the heart and other organs.
Hypertensive crisis
With a sudden increase in blood pressure, a hypertensive crisis is possible.Consequences of a crisis can affect the heart, brain, and kidneys.The most characteristic feature of a crisis is an increase in diastolic (upper) pressure.
A crisis starts suddenly, and the following things are possible:
- Breathing difficulties;
- Nausea, sometimes vomiting;
- blurred vision and other visual disturbances;
- A sharp flush of the face;
- Severe headache;
- Constrictive pain in cardiac region.
Symptoms that appear during a crisis can vary;according to the characteristics of the symptom complex, the following types of crisis are distinguished:
- Neurovegetative.Neurological symptoms predominate.The patient is overly excited, agitated or frightened.Possible hand tremors, sweating, and fever.As a rule, only systolic pressure increases;hypertensive attacks accompanied by tachycardia.
- Hydropic.Both pressure indicators increase, the patient quickly experiences swelling of the face and hands, lethargy, and sleepiness.The man was confused.The edematous form of the crisis develops mainly in women after eating salty food or a large amount of liquid.
- A rare form of convulsive crisis is possible in patients with malignant hypertensive disease.During a seizure crisis, the possibility of a hemorrhagic stroke is very high.
Features of the course of hypertension in women
Women of childbearing age experience hypertension less often 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, the final diagnosis is possible after the complete extinction of reproductive function.Mainly female risk factors include taking oral contraceptives.
Drunkenness with alcohol and nicotine has a greater effect on women than the stronger sex.Even one cigarette can trigger a hypertensive crisis with diagnosed hypertension.
Another risk factor is increased emotionality in women.Due to this psychological feature, representatives of the fair sex more often experience hypertensive crises.
Symptoms of hypertension in women are usually stronger;women are more concerned about their health and consult a doctor, on average, earlier than men.
Features of the development and course of hypertension in men
Since men's bodies do not undergo frequent and profound hormonal changes, the main risk factors are quite different from women's.
First of all, this is severe and chronic stress, causing an increase in adrenaline levels, and therefore blood pressure.Chronic poisoning of various origins also plays an equally important role, starting from air pollution in industrial areas, dangerous working conditions and ending with alcohol or tobacco addiction.
Diabetes mellitus, physical inactivity, and overweight can also trigger the development of arterial hypertension.
Hereditary tendency to hypertension increases the risk of its development in both sexes.
Signs of hypertension in men are less obvious, and early symptoms are not always taken seriously.The first visit to the doctor often occurs at a relatively advanced stage of the disease.
Hypertension in children
Since one of the main factors in the development of hypertension is family history, parents with hypertension should know how to identify hypertension in children.
Hypertension can affect children of all ages, and adolescents during puberty are especially vulnerable to it.Trigger factors, mechanisms of development and symptoms of hypertension are the same as in adults.The basis for examining children to confirm / exclude the diagnosis of hypertension is a persistent increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg.Art.