Hypertension- All You Need to Know About This Alarming Condition

What is Hypertension? we need to know!

Hypertension is an alarming condition and affects about 1.3 billion people worldwide. Reports reveal that an estimated 20% of adults in the United States are living with hypertension but it is not diagnosed early. So, you can’t claim that you don’t have hypertension just because you are young.
Here you’ll find everything about this alarming condition, so you can take the required measures to prevent the situation or related complications. you need know hypertension

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a serious medical condition that occurs due to abnormally high blood pressure levels. Blood pressure measurement refers to the amount of blood passing through blood vessels and the resistances this blood flow faces when the heart is pumping.
The diameter of arteries determines this resistance. Arteries with less diameter offer more resistance to blood flow which increases the blood pressure. If the condition persists for long, it can lead to many serious complications and may be fatal.

Know Your Blood Pressure Numbers

According to American Heart Association guidelines issued in 2017, the normal blood pressure numbers are less than 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic. The AHA 2017 guidelines give the following information regarding blood pressure numbers: 

Types of Hypertension

There are two major types of hypertension:
          1. Primary Hypertension
          2. Secondary Hypertension

Primary Hypertension we hypertension know from us

It is also known as essential hypertension. Primary hypertension is the most common type of hypertension. For this type of hypertension, a specific cause is not known. It is believed that it occurs due to genes, diet, lifestyle, and age.
The changes in the lifestyle and diet can help to lower the risk of primary hypertension.

Secondary Hypertension

Secondary hypertension is due to some specific disease and is a less common type of hypertension. This type of hypertension accounts for only about 5 to 10 percent of hypertension cases.
It is more common in adults. According to an estimate, about 30% of the hypertension cases in 18-40 years of age are of secondary hypertension. Sleep apnea, kidney failure, adrenal gland disease, and tumors can all cause secondary hypertension.
Moreover, there are some minor types of hypertension as well. These are less common types of high blood pressure and includes:
             1. Resistant hypertension
             2. Malignant hypertension
             3. Isolated hypertension
             4. White coat hypertension

Resistant hypertension

Resistant hypertension is the condition of high blood pressure that is difficult to control. Multiple medications are needed to overcome this condition. About 10% of people having hypertension have resistant hypertension.
Hypertension is resistant when three different medications fail to lower the blood pressure to normal values. People having resistant hypertension may have secondary hypertension. This condition is treated with multiple drugs.

Malignant hypertension

This is a drastic and sudden high blood pressure condition that causes damage to your organs. In this condition, the high blood pressure numbers are usually at >180 mm Hg systolic or >120-130 mm Hg diastolic. It is also known as a hypertensive emergency.
However, the cases of malignant hypertension are low. About 1-2 in 100,000 people are diagnosed with malignant hypertension. It’s an emergency condition and immediate medical assistance is needed.

Isolated systolic hypertension

Isolated systolic hypertension is a condition in which the systolic blood pressure number is high but the diastolic blood pressure number is normal. Typically, the systolic blood pressure is above 140 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure is less than 90 mm Hg.
It is more prevalent in old age. About 15% of the aged individuals, 60 years of age or older, have isolated systolic hypertension. But a study in 2016 revealed that about 2 to 8 percent of younger people also have isolated systolic hypertension. Stiffening of arteries is considered a major reason for this type of hypertension.

White coat hypertension

This condition refers to a temporary and sudden high blood pressure. This may occur in a doctor’s office or some other stressful situation. White coat hypertension, as it progresses, often results in the diagnosis of hypertension. The chances of having cardiovascular disease increase due to white coat hypertension.

Causes of Hypertension

The most thigh that you should carefully notice for preventing hypertension is to know that what causes high blood pressure. Avoiding those risk factors or care can save you from complications. Some of the most common causes or risk factors of high blood pressure are: hypertension we need to know
          – Age
          – Genetics
          – Obesity
          – Less or no physical activity
          – Use of tobacco or alcohol
          – Less potassium intake in the diet
          – Stress
          – High salt and fats containing food
         – Chronic health conditions such as diabetes
Sometimes, pregnancy also causes high blood pressure. This is known as gestational hypertension. You can’t have control over all the causes. But you can avoid that is possible to avoid. what is hypertension know

Symptoms of Hypertension

Hypertension is also known as the silent killer because it has no symptoms initially. The symptoms become obvious when the disease has become severe. At this stage, the condition causes many other serious conditions as well such as heart disease.
High blood pressure or hypertension symptoms include: know hypertension
         • Headache
         • Breathing problem
         • Nosebleeds
         • Anxiety
         • Nausea
         • Fatigue
         • Blood in urine
         • Chest pain or angina
But the symptoms of high blood pressure don’t occur in everyone. For example, headaches and nosebleeds occur only in hypertensive crises. So, the only way to avoid the dangerous consequences of this deadly condition is prevention and regular monitoring.

What Are the Risks Associated with Hypertension?

The risks or complications due to uncontrolled hypertension can damage your body badly. The longer the situation remains untreated, the greater are the associated risks. Some of the complications of high blood pressure include:
Heart attack or stroke- These two are leading causes of deaths in the United States and hypertension increases the risk.
Aneurysm- In this condition, the high blood pressure weakens the blood vessels, and a bulge known as an aneurysm is formed. When this bulge is ruptured, it can prove fatal.
Kidney damage- Kidneys play a vital role in the filtration of harmful substances from the body. High blood pressure causes the narrowing and thickening of the blood vessels of the kidneys. As a result, the filtration process doesn’t occur and more waste remains in the blood. Over time, this condition leads to kidney failure.
Impaired vision- The blood vessels in the eye are also affected due to high blood pressure. The blood vessels burst or bleed and cause impaired or blurred vision that can result in blindness.
Dementia- The narrow and blocked arteries due to high blood pressure reduce the flow of blood to the brain. This causes a certain type of memory disorder known as vascular dementia.

How can you prevent hypertension?

To avoid the complications of hypertension, it is best to follow preventive measures. Some ways to lower high blood pressure are:
       – Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins like fish.
       – Reduce sodium intake in the diet
        – Exercise regularly
        – Maintain a healthy body weight
        – Avoid smoking and alcohol
        – Reduce stress
        – Medication

Role of Health Checkup Kiosks in Controlling Hypertension

As there are no symptoms of hypertension in the initial stages, thus the best strategy to avoid this disease is prevention. The more frequently you do screening for hypertension, the more are the chances of fewer complications.

In this regard, health checkup kiosks are really helpful. You can easily monitor your blood pressure and other chronic diseases using health checkup stations. They provide accurate and quick results and are easily accessible. You can find them at many places such as community centers, malls, retail clinics, etc.

In addition to monitoring, you can talk to a telehealth doctor via a computer screen for consultation. He may suggest to make lifestyle changes or recommend medication changes as needed. This will help to alleviate the severity of high blood pressure and associated chronic health conditions.

Lowers the expenses

The financial burden a hypertensive patient faces is about $2000. This is much higher than non-hypertensive patients. Telehealth costs of hypertension and related conditions using health checkup kiosks are much less than hospital expenses.

Better management of hypertensive crises

As health checkup stations are present at many public places, you can easily monitor your blood pressure if you feel the need. You will not have to wait for your turn. This will help you to avoid hypertensive crises.

Use an iDoctorCloud health checkup kiosk to measure your blood pressure. Wait for 3 to 4 minutes and then measure again. If the reading remains above >180 mm Hg, immediately seek medical assistance.

Reduces the risk of associated health conditions

Chronic health conditions become more difficult and painful to treat as time passes. They are the primary cause of death worldwide. Regular monitoring using health checkup kiosks can help you to reduce the risk of chronic health conditions that occur due to hypertension.

Helps in early diagnosis

This silent killer is often diagnosed late. Late diagnosis increases the complications of high blood pressure. Regular and easy monitoring using health checkup kiosks will help you to prevent this deadly condition. hypertension know

Conclusion

Increasing age undeniably brings many health conditions. But hypertension or high blood pressure is not only age-related. Many adults are also suffering from this condition. For better management and control of hypertension, regular screening can help a lot. Health checkup kiosks are a convenient way for regular screening.
So, make prevention a habit and regularly check your blood pressure to have a healthy and long life ahead.