Hypertension

Medical Service Name – Hypertension

High blood pressure is another synonym for hypertension. It is a condition where the long-term force of the blood is excessively high against the artery walls. This activity can lead to several health issues, including heart disease. 

There are two ways to determine a person’s blood pressure. One is by the range of blood the heart pumps. Second is the amount of defiance to blood flow in the arteries. The narrower the arteries and the surplus blood the heart pumps, the higher the blood pressure. 

Types of Hypertensions

High blood pressure or hypertension is classified into two types: primary and secondary. Both differ in their characterization and occur in varied conditions. 

• Primary hypertension: Also tagged as ‘essential,’ this is the most common form of high blood pressure. It’s found chiefly among senior citizens. 
• Secondary hypertension: This kind of hypertension does not develop spontaneously. It causes due to certain medical conditions or by the usage of particular medicines. It is easy to treat such conditions, or one can also stop the consumption of those medicines.

Hypertension also gets categorized as:

• Systolic Pressure: Reckoned as the top number, this upper, or first, number calculates the pressure in the arteries caused by the heartbeats.   
• Diastolic Pressure: The lower, or second, number measures the pressure range in the arteries in between beats.

Possible Causes

It is possible to prevent hypertension. The fundamental causes of the problem must be identified. There are few primary reasons stated below, which can be the reason for high blood pressure:

• Genetics or Family History: Sometimes, people get this gift of medical condition from their families. If someone from a family posses a history of hypertension, the next generation is likely to get affected by it. 
• Underlying Health Troubles: Many times, other health conditions can give birth to hypertension. Problems like thyroid, related to kidney, or other physical changes can cause a rise in blood pressure. 
• Lifestyle: Habit of smoking, unhealthy diet, alcohol consumption, erratic sleep pattern, or sedentary lifestyle can also lead to a spike in blood pressure. 

Risk Factors

• Age – High blood pressure is more likely to occur as you become older. Until the age of 64, males are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure. Women above the age of 65 are more likely to have high blood pressure.
• Race – High blood pressure is more common in African-Americans than whites, developing at a younger age. They are also more prone to suffer serious outcomes such as stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure.
• Family background – High blood pressure is a genetic disorder that runs in families.
• Obesity – The more you weigh, the more blood you require to give oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood flowing through your blood arteries grows, so does the pressure on your artery walls.
• Being inactive physically – Inactive people have higher heart rates. The faster your heart rate is, the harder your heart has to toil with each contraction, the greater the stress on your arteries. A lack of physical activity also increases obesity.
• Tobacco use – Smoking or chewing tobacco not only briefly raises your blood pressure, but the chemicals in the leaf can also damage the lining of your artery walls. This can constrict your arteries and put you at risk for a heart disorder.
• Too much salt (sodium) in your diet – Excess salt in your diet might cause your body to retain fluid, raising your blood pressure.
• Potassium deficiency in the diet – Potassium regulates the quantity of sodium in your cells. A healthy potassium balance is essential for heart health.