High blood pressure or hypertension

The main symptom of a disease such as hypertension is a persistent increase in blood pressure, with which the heart pumps arterial blood into the body. Hypertension is dangerous due to its complications, which primarily affect the blood vessels. Strokes, heart attacks, and kidney diseases caused by their rapid wear and tear in our time affect not only long-term hypertensive patients, but also fairly young people of quite productive age. What do you need to know about this dangerous disease? What blood pressure is considered normal? Is it possible to control indicators without bringing them to a critical level?

Causes of pathology

High cardiac blood pressure can be caused by various factors. They can be divided into several groups: diseases of the cardiac and vascular systems, heredity, physical inactivity, and bad habits. Often the person himself, through an incorrect lifestyle, provokes this disease. Often the causes are diseases of other organs.

1. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Heart disease is the main cause of elevated diastolic pressure. It increases due to impaired contractile function of the left ventricle of the heart. Similar changes in myocardial functionality can be observed with infarction, arrhythmia, myocardiosclerosis, myocarditis, heart disease and other pathologies. When the functioning of the vascular system is disrupted, namely the return of venous blood to the heart, which is observed due to severe overexertion or in the presence of vascular diseases, only diastolic pressure tends to increase. At this moment, cardiac output does not change, and the upper pressure is normal. These diseases include atherosclerosis. It disrupts the muscle tone of blood vessels, reduces their elasticity, while accumulating cholesterol deposits, which narrow the lumen, preventing blood from moving at a normal speed.
2. Diseases of other organs. Increased heart pressure can develop against the background of existing diseases of the kidneys and adrenal glands, the thyroid gland and pathologies of the spinal canals. These problems lead to hormonal imbalance, which contributes to increased blood pressure. In this case, an increase occurs in both indicators (upper and lower pressure).
3. Heredity. The presence of pathology in parents makes it more likely that children will develop the disease. Therefore, knowing about possible heredity, it is necessary to undergo regular examination by a doctor for timely detection of the disease.
4. Physical inactivity. This is a very low physical activity, which leads to a decrease in the adaptive functions of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, even a small activity seems like too much work for the cardiovascular system. There is an increase in pressure, and subsequently, the development of arterial hypertension.
5. Bad habits. Smoking, drinking large quantities of alcohol, poor diet and obesity lead to many harmful diseases, of which hypertensive heart disease is no exception. These habits contribute to fluid retention in the body, which provokes an increased heart rate and an increase in lower pressure.

To all of the listed causes of high heart pressure, one can add disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, which are caused by frequent stress, tension, and sudden changes in mood. Having at least one of the reasons in your arsenal, you need to think about possible health problems.

“Indicators of normal pressure are different for everyone”

Doctors often hear this statement from patients themselves. Some say that they feel great with a pressure of 180 over 110, while others complain of weakness and poor health with readings of 120 over 80. In fact, the boundaries of the acceptable corridor are strictly limited: pressure that does not fall below 90/60 mm Hg is considered normal. Art. and not rising above 140/90 mmHg. Art. For some diseases, the values ​​of the upper acceptable corridor may decrease.

The top reading is called systolic pressure. It corresponds to the moment of contraction of the heart muscle. The lower one, diastolic pressure, is measured between heartbeats as blood flows toward the heart. The systolic pressure indicator is more important, as it demonstrates the peak load on the vessels with each heartbeat.

The World Health Organization has adopted a more detailed classification. Normal pressure indicators are divided into three categories: optimal - up to 120/80, normal - up to 130/85, and high normal - no higher than 130-139 mm Hg. Art./85–89 mm Hg. Art.

Arterial hypertension is diagnosed with the following indicators:

1. mild hypertension (stage I) - 140–159/90–99;
2. moderate (stage II) - 160–179/100–109;
3. severe (stage III) - over 180/110 mm Hg. Art.

A patient with persistently elevated blood pressure should make an appointment with a good therapist, as he needs mandatory treatment.

Symptoms

With cardiac hypertension at the initial stage, symptoms are practically not expressed, so it is difficult to notice the disease with the naked eye.

The symptomatic picture with increased diastolic pressure is similar in its symptoms to ordinary fatigue. During an attack, the patient has:

• slight loss of strength;
• mild headache;
• mild dizziness;
• during critical surges - nausea and vomiting.

Most often, hypertension is detected during the diagnosis of other diseases. This is due to the fact that the symptoms of cardiac hypertension are not pronounced and the patient does not have specific complaints that would indicate the development of the disease.

Dangers

The absence of symptoms with increased diastolic pressure makes the disease dangerous, since its complications contribute to the development of serious illnesses and fatal attacks.

When diastolic pressure increases, the heart is unable to relax, so during attacks it continuously works at an increased rhythm. These failures provoke disruption of blood flow in the heart muscle, which leads to a change in the structure of the vascular walls: loss of elasticity and impaired permeability. After some time, these pathological changes begin to progress.

Against the background of arterial hypertension, blood clots can form, which can lead to the development of myocardial infarction or stroke.

1. Vessels suffer from a regular increase in diastolic pressure, which provokes the development of atherosclerosis. Disturbances are observed both in large arteries and in medium and small ones. After the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, the lumen of the blood vessels narrows, which over time threatens their blockage.
2. High blood pressure is bad for your kidneys. Because of this reason, nephropathy may develop, which over time turns into renal failure.
3. Cardiac hypertension leads to a disorder of the blood supply to the brain, which contributes to the development of stroke, hypertensive intracranial pressure, ischemia or cerebral edema.
4. Also, increased diastolic pressure negatively affects vision: unhealthy changes occur in the small vessels of the retina, arterial walls thicken, bleeding into the retina occurs, and blindness occurs.

Arterial hypertension also contributes to the occurrence of other hypertensive conditions that affect the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system. The heart consists of 4 chambers (atria and ventricles) that work in perfect harmony. At the moment of the systolic mode of the atria, the cardiac ventricles relax, that is, they are in a state of diastole. With an increase in diastolic pressure, the tension of the cardiac ventricles increases, their function weakens, and this contributes to the occurrence of pathologies, among which hypertrophy is pronounced.

Can the signs of hypertension be recognized?

The insidiousness of the disease is that it does not make itself felt for a long time. A person with hypertension that has not been diagnosed by a doctor may feel well for quite a long time, while his heart muscle is already working at high pressure.

At the same time, experienced hypertensive patients can easily name the signs that accompany increased blood pressure. Experts do not call them symptoms of the disease, because, strictly speaking, they do not signal an increase in blood pressure, but a complicated course of the disease.

• The patient's vision deteriorates, headaches, and tinnitus occur.
• Decreased strength and sensation in one or both limbs.
• At rest, shortness of breath and dizziness occur.
• The daily urine output inexplicably decreases.

In case of undiagnosed hypertension of II and III degrees or when stopping taking antihypertensive, blood pressure-lowering drugs prescribed by a doctor, the patient may experience a hypertensive crisis, sharply exacerbating the symptoms of the disease. A significant surge in pressure is accompanied by:

• severe headache and chest pain;
• shortness of breath;
• vomiting;
• disturbances of consciousness and convulsions;
• paralysis and even death.

The only way to detect increased pressure is to measure it with specialized devices, tonometers. The gold standard for diagnosing arterial hypertension is 24-hour blood pressure monitoring performed under the patient’s usual conditions. Diagnosis is carried out using a specialized device attached to the body. It measures blood pressure levels day and night at a specified frequency, identifying “daytime” and “nighttime” hypertension. Often, based on the diagnostic results, the patient is prescribed a consultation with a cardiologist.

Right ventricular hypertrophy

Blood from organs and tissues that deplete oxygen reserves and give off carbon dioxide enters the right atrium.
Then it passes through the right ventricle to the lungs to be enriched with oxygen. With minimal malfunctions (with an increase in diastolic pressure), the myocardium begins to work harder, which provokes pathological changes. The mass of the cardiac ventricle begins to increase and the muscle fibers thicken. These changes are called ventricular hypertrophy. The initial stage of the disease does not have pronounced symptoms. They appear later. It becomes difficult for the patient to breathe, shortness of breath occurs, the heart rate increases, dizziness appears with possible loss of consciousness, and the limbs swell.

The consequences of hypertrophy of the right ventricle of the heart are very destructive for the body. Its work is responsible for the pulmonary circulation, which has lower pressure. It connects the myocardium with the lungs, therefore, with hypertensive changes that increase the right ventricle, pulmonary pressure intensifies, which provokes the development of diseases of the bronchopulmonary system.

Cardiac right ventricular hypertrophy is a very rare syndrome that leads to serious illness. If the first signs of the disease occur, you should contact a cardiologist to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe rational treatment.

Heart pressure is the top or bottom

People who are faced with the problem of low or high blood pressure for the first time are interested in whether their heart pressure is high or low. The tonometer shows two numbers: the first is the value of systole, the second is diastole. Upper pressure is formed due to contractions of the myocardial ventricles. The left side plays a particularly important role. It is responsible for supplying the vascular system with blood. Heart pressure is usually called the top number of the tonometer. It characterizes the force of myocardial contraction, the degree of vascular tension, and heart rate. Lower blood pressure is usually called renal blood pressure, since it reflects the state of the vessels supplying blood to the paired organ.

Today, most people have problems with blood pressure. Heart pressure may rise or fall below normal. There are various reasons for such jumps.

Some doctors note that it is incorrect to separate pressure into cardiac and renal pressure, since systole and diastole are formed by the myocardium and arteries.

Left ventricular hypertrophy

The development of cardiac left ventricular hypertrophy is based on a factor such as arterial hypertension, which provokes intense work of the myocardial ventricle. Due to hard work, the walls of the chambers increase, which after some time lose their elasticity and stop working normally.

With the development of left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiac functionality is impaired, which accompanies the appearance of unpleasant symptoms. Prominent among them are:

• dyspnea;
• dizziness;
• loss of consciousness;
• angina pectoris;
• tachycardia;
• fast fatiguability.

Cardiac left ventricular hypertrophy can be a symptom of serious pathologies, among which the most common are pulmonary edema, heart disease, atherosclerosis, heart failure, myocardial infarction and other diseases that can increase the size of muscle tissue.

The left ventricle is the connecting link that is responsible for supplying oxygen-rich blood to organs and tissues. Hypertrophy itself is not a fatal disease, but it can cause a number of dangerous pathologies.

1. The heart is unable to pump enough blood, causing heart failure.
2. Abnormal disturbances in the heart rhythm lead to arrhythmia.
3. Insufficient oxygen supply to the heart and organs causes coronary heart disease.
4. A short-term interruption in the blood supply to the heart provokes the development of a stroke.
5. Sudden loss of heart function, breathing or consciousness can cause it to stop.

Because of the above possible complications of the disease, it is important to identify it in the early stages, before hypertrophy can provoke heart damage. To diagnose the disease, you need to consult a cardiologist.

Before treating left or right ventricular hypertrophy, it is necessary to determine the cause of the development of the disease, since health therapy is aimed at eliminating the main provocateur, in combination with therapeutic measures that stop pathological changes in the ventricle. By stopping the factors influencing the development of hypertrophy, treatment of the disease becomes very simple.

Brief conclusions

• The causes of high blood pressure can be either humoral (tension of the vascular walls under the influence of biologically active substances) or neurogenic (hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system).
• Blood pressure can rise due to a number of factors, such as stress, tension, overwork, and physical activity.
• High blood pressure can also be caused by a specific disease (example: kidney disease, brain tumors, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, taking corticosteroid hormones).
• In children, high blood pressure often develops under the influence of psycho-emotional stress.