High blood pressure (hypertension)

According to statistics, 30% of the adult population experiences periods of high blood pressure, and almost always this is a sign of an independent pathology or so-called primary hypertension. Our country ranks 49th in the world for the number of patients affected by this disease.

Without treatment, complications of hypertension occur:

• heart attack;
• hit;
• acute heart failure;
• hypertensive crisis.

The insidiousness of the pathology is that in half of the cases, patients do not even suspect that they have a dangerous disease, so they do not take any action, and hypertension begins to manifest itself with unpleasant symptoms. Many countries have launched preventive programs aimed at combating the disease. New safe drugs to control blood pressure levels are being developed. At the same time, only 1/3 of hypertensive patients take adequate therapy and take care of their health.

Doctors around the world believe that every home should have a device for measuring blood pressure, along with a thermometer. This is especially true for families where relatives have already suffered from cardiovascular diseases.

Causes of hypertension

The exact causes of hypertension have not yet been established. The main risk factor is prolonged or severe psycho-emotional stress. Other causes of pathology include:

• excess body weight: with excess weight, each kilogram increases blood pressure by two mmHg;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• eat canned food, smoked meat, fatty foods, spicy cheese;
• excessive use of salt in cooking;
• frequent stress;
• smoking: harmful substances contained in cigarettes contribute to mechanical damage to the walls of the arteries;
• intense work schedule;
• alcohol consumption;
• very tall or too short stature in men;
• physical and nervous tiredness;
• consumption of animal proteins, which is not limited.

Risk factors also include hereditary predisposition. High blood pressure in first-degree relatives guarantees a high risk of developing the disease.

It is worth paying attention to age: after 35 years, men are more likely to get this disease. In women the pathology is associated with the onset of menopause.

Symptoms of hypertension

Often there are no signs of pathology, but sometimes the following symptoms can be observed:

• heachache;
• fast or weak heartbeat;
• dizziness;
• swelling of the eyelids, legs and arms, swelling of the face;
• memory impairment;
• numbness of the fingers;
• facial redness;
• chills;
• increased sweating;
• anxiety;
• internal tension;
• decreased performance;
• irritability;
• the appearance of "midges" before the eyes.

All these manifestations do not constantly bother patients, but occur only during a certain period of time. This is the insidiousness of the disease, so if the above symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor for advice. If therapy is not started on time, over time the disease will begin to progress and can lead to serious complications. Therefore, it is important to control your blood pressure. For this purpose, many special tonometers exist today, from conventional mechanical devices to fully automated models. Operation of tonometers with a phonendoscope is more difficult; It's not always possible to distinguish pulse sounds, but after a little training and practice almost anyone can learn it.

Before measuring blood pressure you should not smoke, drink alcohol or coffee, it is advisable to spend a few minutes resting. The measurement is taken in a sitting position, the cuff should be fixed slightly above the elbow, where the pulse feels best. Most often, aneroid (lever and inflatable) and automatic devices are used to determine pressure. In the outpatient setting, devices capable of monitoring pressure variations during the day are used.

Each age has its own blood pressure standards:

• 16-20 years – blood pressure 100/70 – 120/80;
• up to the age of forty the norm is 120/70 – 130/80;
• from forty to sixty – up to 135/85;
• After sixty years, normal blood pressure is considered to be up to 140/90.

In cases where the values exceed the norm for several days in a row, this is a mandatory reason to visit a doctor, even if there are no symptoms other than the device data. A competent doctor will give lifestyle recommendations for hypertension at an early stage, which will help avoid complications.

Hypertension - classification

During the study of the disease, many different classifications have been developed with divisions: according to the etiology, the appearance of the patient, the stability and level of pressure, the reasons for the increase, the nature of the course. Some of them are still used by doctors today.

The very first classification of hypertension divided it into red and pale. The patient's appearance played a decisive role in this division. In the light variety the patient had cold extremities and an unhealthy complexion, which is explained by vasospasm. With red hypertension, when blood pressure increases, the patient's face, on the contrary, turns red and becomes covered with spots.

In practice, one of the most important classifications is the division of the disease by origin. There is a primary, or essential, form that presents itself as an isolated pathology. At the same time, there are no diseases of other organs and systems.

The secondary form is a symptom of the pathology of the organs that participate in the regulation of vascular tone. These include the kidneys, endocrine and nervous systems.

There is no unified systematization of hypertension, but, as a rule, doctors use the classification recommended by the World Health Organization. It is characterized by the degree of increase in pressure.

• Stage 1 hypertension is a mild form, characterized by a blood pressure between 140/90 and 159/99 mmHg.
• 2nd degree hypertension - moderate hypertension, blood pressure rises to 79/109 mm Hg. Art. Sometimes doctors diagnose "hypertension stage 2 risk 2, " which means there are one or two risk factors and the possibility of complications has occurred.
• 3rd degree hypertension is characterized by a severe course, the pressure rises to 180/110 mm Hg. Art. and even taller. If, during the examination, the doctor diagnosed "hypertension, stage 3, risk 4", you should immediately start treatment and seek help in the hospital. In this case, the probability of complications increases to 30%.

The organs most susceptible to complications of hypertension are:

• brain – DEP, dementia, stroke, memory loss;
• kidneys – development of chronic renal failure;
• heart - heart failure, heart attack, coronary death;
• ships;
• eyes.

Doctors classify the disease based on damage to the above organs. Stages of hypertension:

• Stage I – the functioning of the cardiovascular system is not impaired, patients usually do not complain about their condition.
• Stage II – enlargement of the left ventricle, increased blood pressure. Local narrowing of the retinal vessels may be observed.
• Stage III - signs of organ damage appear: chronic renal failure, angina pectoris, hypertensive encephalopathy, disorders that an ophthalmologist can detect during fundus examination (swelling of the optic nerve, hemorrhages), aortic aneurysm.

During classification, options for increasing pressure are taken into account. In this case the following forms are distinguished:

• diastolic: increase in lower blood pressure;
• systolic – only the upper indicators increase;
• systolic-diastolic;
• labile form: in this case the pressure increases briefly and returns to normal without special drugs.

There are some types of hypertension that are not included in any classification. These are refractory hypertension and hypertensive crises.

Refractory hypertensionit is arterial hypertension that is not corrected with drugs. Pressure does not decrease even when using more than three drugs. Sometimes this form of the disease is misdiagnosed when drugs are chosen incorrectly or even the diagnosis is incorrect.

Hypertensive crisis is a condition in which blood pressure rises to critical levels. Because of this, the patient feels dizziness, severe headaches, cerebral circulation is impaired, and cerebral hyperthermia may occur.

Hypertension during pregnancy

In a healthy woman, blood pressure should remain within normal limits throughout pregnancy. However, starting from week 20, some patients may develop gigantesis, which occurs due to vasospasm. The result is increased blood pressure, bloating and nausea. In severe cases, hypertension threatens a stroke; this condition is dangerous for both the child and the woman.

Therefore, it is important for pregnant women to constantly monitor their blood pressure. If blood pressure increases, you need to inform your doctor about this, who will select an adequate and safe treatment for hypertension during this period.

If you notice similar symptoms, see your doctor immediately. It is easier to prevent a disease than to deal with its consequences.

Diagnostics

Depending on the degree and stage of hypertension, treatment is selected. Before starting therapy, the doctor will certainly prescribe diagnostic tests that will confirm the presence of the disease.

Laboratory tests include: general blood and urine tests, urinalysis according to Nechiporenko, biochemical blood test and bacterial culture.

The mandatory diagnostic program includes:

• clinical examination;
• take medical history;
• measurement of body weight and waist circumference;
• blood pressure measurement in both arms;
• ECG and FCG;
• fundus examination.

Treatment of hypertension

Stage 1 hypertension, symptoms and treatment

Stage 1 hypertension is characterized by a periodic increase in pressure, which after a certain time returns to normal on its own. In this case, the patient may feel headache, dizziness, tinnitus, and "spots" may flash before the eyes. In the first stage of the disease, the doctor will tell you how to treat hypertension without special drugs. The patient must adapt his lifestyle, monitor his weight, stop drinking alcohol and smoking, exercise regularly, as well as review his diet and try to avoid stress and excessive physical exertion.

Treatment aids include: foot reflexology, massage, physiotherapy, herbal therapy.

Drugs are rarely prescribed, only in cases where other therapeutic methods have proven ineffective and the disease passes to the next stage of development.

Hypertension 2 degrees, symptoms and treatment

As a rule, the disease does not develop in a short period of time. Several years pass before hypertension progresses to stage 2. Symptoms of the condition include:

• nausea;
• dizziness;
• heachache;
• numbness in fingers and toes;
• fatigue;
• heart-pounding.

When a persistent increase in blood pressure develops, the doctor prescribes special medications to treat hypertension. They must be used continuously, regardless of tonometer readings. It is recommended to take diuretics, which help remove excess fluid from the body.

In some cases, it is decided to prescribe ACE inhibitors, which affect the narrowing of blood vessels. They can enhance the effects of diuretics by reducing the ability to produce aldosterone.

Drugs that reduce blood viscosity are used, as well as drugs that reduce cholesterol levels.

A large selection of drugs allows you to choose treatment individually for each patient. At the same time, do not forget about non-pharmacological and auxiliary means. Combined therapy gives positive results.

3 degree hypertension, symptoms and treatment

A doctor can diagnose stage 3 hypertension when target organ damage is present. Because today blood pressure levels can be successfully regulated with medications, less attention is paid to the magnitude of blood pressure readings.

The reason for the development of this degree of the disease, in most cases, is late access to a doctor and lack of adequate treatment. Modern diagnostic capabilities make it possible to detect even the smallest changes in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Often patients themselves neglect the opportunity to visit a specialist. Taking drugs (pills) for hypertension at certain stages of the disease helps to reach the level of the physiological norm, not limited to "working blood pressure". This allows patients to avoid the third stage of the disease and significantly improve their quality of life.

Signs of organ damage add to the symptoms of the disease. Most often, damage to blood vessels and central nervous system structures is diagnosed in the brain. The risk of myocardial infarction and the development of hemodynamic instability increases significantly. The kidneys suffer, problems appear associated with damage to the retina.

It is important to understand that when organs are damaged, a vicious cycle occurs. Emerging diseases worsen the course of hypertension; it is difficult to treat.

As in other cases, treatment should consist of several stages. These are measured physical activities and recreational activities. Patients should maintain a work and rest schedule, establish a healthy diet and not forget about drug therapy.

Treatment of hypertension in the elderly

Elderly people suffering from this disease constitute a separate group of patients who require a special approach to treatment. Pharmacological reduction of blood pressure in the elderly has its own characteristics.

Standard therapy is not always suitable for patients over 60 years of age, but this is not a reason to abandon treatment. Here it is important to individually select effective drugs and tune in to a positive result.

In case elderly people do not have complications, it is recommended to start treatment with a thiazide diuretic. Their effectiveness increases with the age of the patient, so after 55 years these drugs are much more effective than at an earlier age. It is important to remember that diuretics are prescribed in small doses, as increasing them can cause an increase in cholesterol. In case a patient has low potassium or sodium levels, potassium-sparing agents are recommended.

If the patient, for objective reasons, cannot take diuretics, beta-blockers become the drugs of choice.

In the low-renin form of hypertension, calcium channel blockers are prescribed to support cerebral and renal blood flow. Furthermore, these drugs are effective remedies against angina pectoris and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers and ACE inhibitors are not as effective as the drugs mentioned above, but they can be used when other drugs do not provide the desired effect. Strong medications are rarely prescribed because they cause drowsiness, depression and low blood pressure even when standing.

Combined medications to treat hypertension have been shown to reduce blood pressure more effectively than a single, higher-dose medication. Therefore, in modern medicine, combinations of drugs are prescribed:

• diuretics and calcium channel blockers;
• beta blockers with diuretic;
• ACE inhibitor with calcium channel blocker;
• ACE inhibitor diuretic.

When a hypertensive crisis occurs, the patient requires rehabilitation. Usually this problem is solved in a sanatorium. The following measures are recommended for patients:

• Physiotherapy;
• dietary nutrition;
• medicinal baths;
• hardware physiotherapy;
• phytotherapy;
• aromatherapy;
• oxygen cocktail;
• courses of pharmacological treatment.

As maintenance therapy, patients are advised to use electrosleep, laser therapy and electrophoresis. Thanks to the electrical impulses, blood pressure decreases and the kidneys and heart become healthier.

With the help of sulfide and carbon dioxide baths, the functioning of the immune system improves and blood pressure is normalized. The choice of procedures is determined by the patient's age and the stage of the disease.

Folk remedies in treatment

Treatment of hypertension should be comprehensive; along with traditional dosage forms, you can use traditional medicine, which contains many effective recipes.

1. Red clover decoction. The plant is prepared in the same way as ordinary tea, then consumed half a glass at night. It is recommended to use only fresh decoction, but you can store the medicine in the refrigerator for up to three days.
2. Honey and garlic. You need to take half a glass of honey, crush five cloves of garlic and grind one lemon together with the peel. Mix everything well and place it in a dark place for a week, after which the composition should be stored in the refrigerator, in a closed jar (you can wrap it in a cloth or film). Take one teaspoon three times a day.
3. Vegetable juices. Mix a glass of carrot, black radish and beetroot juice with a glass of honey and the juice of one lemon. Take one tablespoon three times a day before meals. The duration of the course is one and a half months.
4. Rosehip infusion can be drunk without restrictions.
5. Seeds. Pour the well-washed and unpeeled sunflower seeds into the pan. Pour one and a half liters of cold water and boil for about two hours over low heat. The broth must be filtered, then drink a glass of it throughout the day.
6. Golden mustache. Finely chop the dark purple knee and pour 0. 5 liters of vodka into it. Leave for twelve days in a dark place, gently shaking the contents every three days. Take a dessert spoon half an hour before meals.
7. Lemon Mix 1 glass of white onion juice and 1 glass of honey and add 50 grams of pre-crushed lemon peels. Hermetically close the container in which the infusion will be stored and place it in a dark place. Take the infusion one teaspoon after meals, two or three hours later. Or mix a spoonful of grated lemon 1: 1 with chopped cranberries, add half a spoonful of fresh rosehip (you can grind it with a meat grinder). Add the mixture to a glass of honey and take a spoonful in the morning and evening.
8. Honey. Mix five hundred grams of May honey with half a liter of vodka and heat until foam appears. In this case, the mixture must be constantly stirred. Let it ferment. For the second composition, in one liter of water it is necessary to prepare a pinch of the following herbs: chamomile, cudweed, valerian, knotweed, motherwort. Let the broth ferment, then filter it and add it to the first mixture. Place the tincture in a dark place for three days. In the first week the composition is taken twice a day, one teaspoon, the following week one tablespoon, until the decoction is exhausted. Treatment in this way is long-term, with interruptions of 7-10 days.

Diet for hypertension

Proper and balanced nutrition for hypertension is the key to successfully combating the disease. It is worth remembering that every extra kilogram increases the numbers on the tonometer. The main task is to achieve optimal weight if it does not meet the standards. To normalize blood pressure, you should follow the following recommendations.

• Reduce salt intake. Since sodium retains water in the body, the volume of circulating blood increases, which affects increased blood pressure. The amount of salt will be approximately 4 grams. Ideally, there is no need to add additional salt to your food while cooking.
• To normalize the metabolism, you need to drink a sufficient amount of fluid, about 1. 5 liters per day. It is necessary to give preference to clean water, rosehip decoction and "healthy" soups.
• Eliminate coffee, strong tea and alcohol from your diet.
• Split meals. It is important to distribute your diet so that you also eat portions five to eight times a day.
• Reduce the amount of meat and animal fats you consume. Patients are advised to choose lean meat: turkey, veal, chicken, rabbit. It is preferable to cook without oil; if the meat seems bland you can add aromatic herbs and lemon juice to replace the salt. You should include smoked meat, sausages and butter in your diet as rarely as possible.
• It is important to increase the amount of vegetables and foods rich in potassium and magnesium consumed: cereals, beets, carrots, dried apricots, cabbage.
• It is advisable to avoid the consumption of confectionery products with high quantities of sugar; dried fruit, honey and wholemeal products are preferred.
• Patients with hypertension should not fast. Strict fasting and diets are contraindicated.

Disability due to hypertension

Hypertension is a serious disease and in some cases patients are considered disabled. It is usually administered to patients in the second or third stage of the disease or with constant progression.

In case of stage 1 hypertension, the labor medical commission should help with employment, as increased stress, night work and work associated with contact with dangerous substances should be avoided.

When determining disability, a special medical commission evaluates impairments, the presence of complications and the history of hypertensive crisis. Sometimes, already at the second stage of hypertension, it is possible to diagnose the third group.

Disability of the second group can be obtained by patients with a malignant disease; in most cases it doesn't work.

In patients with grade 3 hypertension, the first group of disabilities can be established in case of:

• constant progression;
• severe heart failure;
• serious disorders in the functioning of organs;
• the patient cannot take care of himself and is limited in movement and communication.

Prevention of hypertension

Primary prevention should eliminate the risk factors that contribute to the onset of hypertension:

• maintenance of normal body weight;
• limit the use of table salt;
• elimination of bad habits: smoking, alcohol;
• try to avoid physical and nervous stress;
• prevention of physical inactivity;
• treatment of chronic diseases.

Secondary prevention consists of choosing drugs that stabilize blood pressure and choosing a series of supportive measures.