Hypertension or high blood pressure is a silent disease that can cause extensive damage to many organ systems if left untreated. It is defined as a systolic blood pressure of more than 140 and/or a diastolic blood pressure of more than 90. It in not diagnosed based on one abnormal reading, but on 3 measurements over a period of time. It is divided into Primary (Essential) hypertension, and Secondary hypertension.
Primary hypertension is the more common form of high blood pressure. It is linked to many causative factors such as a family history of high blood pressure, heart disease, high sodium diet, smoking, obesity, and advanced age. It is usually doesn’t present with any symptoms until complications develop. It can affect many organs including the brain causing possible stroke and dementia. It can affect the heart causing left ventricular enlargement due to the high pressure gradient that the heart must work against. It can affect the kidneys causing renal artery stenosis, protein to leak into the urine and chronic kidney disease.
Secondary hypertension is due to an identifiable organic cause resulting in high blood pressure. It can be the result of kidney disease since the kidneys help in regulating our blood pressure, the use of oral contraceptives, in some heart conditions (Aortic Coarctation), and some endocrine disorders like Conn’s syndrome, Cushing’s disease, and Pheochromocytoma.
The best way to treat high blood pressure is by preventing its possible complications. The first step is by properly monitoring your blood pressure. The best time to take your blood pressure is before you get out of bed in the morning. When the person awakes, they should take their blood pressure while still lying horizontally in bed before they stand up. This reading would be very accurate because the body is at complete rest. Many times people walk into pharmacies and measure their blood pressure on the automatic machines and get fluctuating readings. This is due to the body being active (walking, running, stress) and suddenly sitting to measure the blood pressure. It is advised to place the arm in the cuff and sit for a few minutes to relax before taking the reading. Another good tip is to write down the time when the readings were taken and if there were any associated symptom at the time (headache, visual disturbances, etc.). Taking up to three measurements in a day is optimal and can help in choosing the proper therapy. Another important factor is choosing the right blood pressure monitor. There are many brands out there but key factors to bear in mind when choosing are having a backlit screen (easy to see without turning on the lights in the morning), automatic inflate (so you don’t need to exert any energy while measuring), irregular heartbeat detection (doesn’t diagnose an arrhythmia but brings it to your attention), and a proper sized cuff.
Treatment of Primary hypertension usually starts from lifestyle modifications depending on the severity. Weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking and reducing salt intake are the most common starting points to natural treatment. In more advanced cases where the natural approach isn’t enough, different prescription regimens are used. These medications include Diuretics, B-blockers, Calcium Channel-blockers, ACE Inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor-blockers or a combination in some cases.
The main goal of all therapy is to achieve a healthy blood pressure level and avoid the complications of high blood pressure. This can be possibly achieved by regularly monitoring your blood pressure, eating accordingly, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking your medications regularly.
