Causes, Symptoms, and Statistics of Hypertension - Essay Example

A Report on Hypertension Introduction Hypertension is often known as "high blood pressure", it is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated in the sense that is always above normal. We will define what is normal at a later stage in this essay it was previously referred to as arterial hypertension, but in current usage, the word "hypertension" without a qualifier normally refers to arterial hypertension.1 Hypertension can be classified as either primary or secondary. Hypertension is dangerous. Even moderate elevation of arterial blood pressure leads to shortened life expectancy. At severely high pressures, defined as mean arterial pressures 50% or more above average, a person can expect to live no more than a few years unless appropriately treated. This is not a condition which can be treated lightly. If you have Hypertension, you have to get it treated. You ignore it only at your peril. Causes of Hypertension Doctors think that many things combine to cause Hypertension2. Hypertension can be caused by other illnesses and it is often cured once the original medical problem is cured Essential hypertension indicates that no specific medical cause can be found to explain a patient's condition and the symptoms just show chronically high blood pressure. Secondary hypertension indicates that the high blood pressure is a result of another condition, such as kidney disease or tumors, Being overweight, drinking too much alcohol, and eating too much salt, stress ,genetics, older age, family history of high blood pressure , chronic kidney disease and adrenal and thyroid disorders are risk factors because they raise your risk of having hypertension. They do not cause it directly but they can contribute to it and if not watched can aggravate it.. It is interesting to know, that while you cannot accuse a disease of being racist or sexist, if you are an African American you are more likely to get Hypertension. If you are a pregnant woman you are again more susceptible to it. These are things which can't be ignored and many times these risk factors can add up and can be even more dangerous. A pregnant African American woman may need to look at the possibility of hypertension with that much more care. Now it does not mean that if you have any of these you are likely to get hypertension and that if you have none of these, that you won't get hypertension. It just means that if you have any of the above risk factors, you should make an effort to take precautions. Statistics on Hypertension The number of people suffering from Hypertension in the United States is staggering. In reports given by the department of Health, the percent of non-institutionalized adults ages 20 and over is 29% (2001-2004)3. That is more than one out of every four adults has Hypertension. This is a staggering number. And this is not some benign number either. This is a number which directly translates into fatalities. The number of deaths in 2004 was 23,076. In other words deaths per 100,000 populations are 7.9. These are real and frightening numbers. Symptoms of Hypertension Now, how would one know if they have hypertension There are usually no symptoms or signs of hypertension. In fact, nearly one-third of those who have it don't know it. The only way to know if you have hypertension definitely is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. If your blood pressure is extremely high, there may be certain symptoms to look out for, including, Severe headache , Fatigue or confusion , Vision problems , Chest pain , difficulty breathing , Irregular heartbeat Blood in the urine . People often think that High Blood Pressure is dangerous and while very often it is true, we deal with high blood pressure constantly on a daily basis. Blood pressure goes up in all people during periods of stress or exercise. But avoiding stress will not prevent high blood pressure. You can have High Blood Pressure even though you are usually a calm, relaxed person. High Blood pressure is fairly common and that is precisely why, everyone should have his or her blood pressure tested once a year. Blood pressure readings are given in two numbers. Although the average blood pressure reading for adults is 120/80, a slightly higher or lower reading (for either number) may not be a problem. If blood pressure goes above 140/90, however, some form of treatment diet or drugs may be needed. Lower blood pressure readings (for example, 110/70) are thought to be safe for most people, although too low a blood pressure is dangerous in itself. Indeed it should be clear by now that we are dealing with something very serious and something which is fairly prevalent. To understand the Symptoms better it is important for us to picture this disease. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carry the blood throughout the body. Hypertension is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood to the body. This could result in many things it could harden the arteries (Arteriosclerosis). Simply put imagine a pump having to work extra hard to pump water because it is at high pressure. The pipes will be damaged and the pump will be damaged. The pump can be damaged to the extent that it cannot work. The pipes are your arteries and the pump is your heart. What exactly is normal For this we need to briefly measure how blood pressure is measured. Normal blood pressure numbers have been stated earlier . Then there is Prehypertension, which is a possible precursor for hypertension if not addressed and that number range is 120-139/80-89. The follows stage 1 hypertension which has a range of 140-159/90-99. And finally stage 2 hypertension has a range of 160 and above/100 and above. Stage 1 and Stage 2 clearly refer to higher intensity of hypertension. Clearly the higher that number is, the more dangerous it is. People whose blood pressure is above the normal range should immediately consult their doctor about methods for lowering it. Your health care provider can tell if you have hypertension by checking your blood pressure with a special meter called a sphygmomanometer, which consists of a stethoscope, arm cuff, dial, pump, and valve. You can also measure your own blood pressure at home. You should have your blood pressure checked at least once a year to make sure you don't have hypertension. Hypertension can cause a plethora of other diseases. It is a serious condition that can damage the heart and blood vessels, and can eventually lead to several other conditions, including Stroke, Heart failure, Heart attack, Kidney failure, Vision problems. An occurrence of any of these diseases could also indicate the presence of hypertension , but indeed having any of the above diseases could be the worst way of finding out. Taking Care of Hypertension: Then the final thing anybody would want to know is how can hypertension be cured or treated. Most people have primary hypertension. This kind does not have a cure but can be kept under control by regular, ongoing treatment. It seems odd that in this day and age that there are medical conditions which do not have a cure. But there are many such conditions ranging from the Common Cold to AIDS. But modern medicine provides us with means that these conditions can be kept under control and indeed if that happens these medical conditions rarely become lethal. Hypertension is typically treated by making changes in your lifestyle, and with drug therapy. If you are overweight try to reduce your weight or if you consume more than two glasses of alcohol a day, see if you can reduce that amount. Lifestyle changes could also include, stopping smoking, eating a healthier diet (such as the DASH diet, which includes lowering sodium but including daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods), and getting enough exercise, especially aerobic exercise. If you have just slightly higher blood pressure than normal , your doctor may suggest that you eat less salt as well in addition to the some of the things mentioned above. You may bring your blood pressure down simply by following this advice. Even if medicine is needed, these daily habits may help it work better there are several types of drugs are available to treat hypertension, including ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), diuretics, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers. . Some people think that when their blood pressure comes down, they no longer need treatment. If your doctor has prescribed medicine, you may have to take it for the rest of your life. Later on, though, you may be able to reduce its intake. Conclusion: Hypertension is a silent killer. Most people don't even know if they have it. The best way to find out about it is regularly have your blood pressure checked. Examine your lifestyle, if you are overweight; lose weight, if you drink too much drink in moderation. If you are sedentary start exercising. Most often we think it is the others who get serious diseases. Hypertension is not only something which is serious, it is more common and you are more susceptible to it than you could realize and underestimating it could be lethal. Read More