Hypertension

Often we hear and is not familiar to us the term hypertension but do you know about hypertension itself? If you say that high blood hypertension , yes it is true but if you know the deeper meaning of hypertension and did you know that hypertension can lead to stroke, blindness , and the worst is DEATH ? If not let's refer to the following article .

Is it Hypertension ?

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a disorder characterized by the increase in blood - diastole , systole , or both - are intermittent ( gradual ) or constant . Generally , the systolic pressure is gradually on the value of 140 mmHg or more or diastolic pressure is gradually on the value of 90 mmHg or more defined as hypertension . The risk for the patient lies in the long-term damage that may arise as a result of high blood pressure in the brain , eyes , heart , blood vessels , and kidneys . Hypertension is divided into two types, primary hypertension is most common and secondary hypertension caused by renal disease ( kidney ) or other diseases that can be identified .

Causes of hypertension

Risk factors for primary hypertension or the most common of which are:

1 . family history

2 . Age who grew up

Elderly (seniors ) can suffer from systolic hypertension ( isolated systolic hypertension , ISH ) with systolic blood pressure is high due to the state of the arteries atherosclerosis causing great loss of flexibility . Previously , ISH considered a normal part of aging and do not need to be treated . However , the results of a study entitled Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program , found that treatment of ISH with antihypertensive drugs can reduce the incidence of stroke , coronary heart disease ( CHD ) , heart failure and left .

3 . Sleep apnea

4 . Race ( common in blacks )

Black people in America are at greater risk to suffer from primary hypertension when predisposition ( cause ) low plasma renin levels reduces the ability of the kidneys to excrete excess sodium . Hypertension occurs at a younger age and have more severe intensity than the white population .

5 . obesity

6 . smoking habits

7 . Large amounts of sodium intake

8 . Excessive alcohol consumption

9 . Sedentary lifestyle ( sedentary )

10 . stress

11 . renin excessive

12 . Deficiency of minerals ( calcium , potassium , and magnesium )

13 . diabetes mellitus

The causes of secondary hypertension are:

1 . coarctation of the aorta

2 . Renal artery stenosis and renal parenchymal disease

3 . Brain tumors , quadriplegia , and head injury

4 . Pheochromocytoma , Cushing 's syndrome , hyperaldosteronism and dysfunction of the thyroid , pituitary or parathyroid

5 . The use of oral contraceptive preparations (birth control pills ) , cocaine , epoetin alfa , stimulant medications sympathetic nerves , monoamine oxidase inhibitors are used with tyramine , estrogen replacement therapy and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs

6 . Hypertension caused by pregnancy

7 . consumption of alcohol

What happened to hypertension ?

In hypertension , the increase in high blood pressure will damage the intima of blood vessels that lead to fibrin deposition in the delicate blood vessels , local edema , and blood clot formation intravakuler . Persistent hypertension will damage the blood vessels . If blood vessels have high blood pressure for a long time , the response that arises is the thickening of blood vessel walls , leading to reduced flexibility . This is called arteriosclerosis circumstances can affect the arteries that supply blood to the heart . In addition , if excessive amounts of fat found in the blood , fatty deposits called plaque can accumulate in the walls of arteries . This buildup , called atherosclerosis that causes narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels so the heart deprived of oxygen .

What are the signs and symptoms of hypertension ?

Although hypertension is often asymptomatic , but clinical signs following may occur :

1 . The measurement results showed an increase in blood pressure measurements at two times in a row after a preliminary examination ( often occurs in the elderly ) .

2 . Occipital headache ( which can get worse when you wake up in the morning due to an increase in intracranial pressure ) ; nausea (feeling sick ) and vomiting ( vomiting ) may also occur .

3 . Epitaksis that may occur due to vascular abnormalities caused by hypertension

4 . Feelings of dizziness , confusion , and fatigue caused by a decrease in blood perfusion due to vasoconstriction of blood vessels

5 . Blurred vision due to damage to the retina

6 . Nocturia is caused by an increase in glomerular filtration by

7 . Edema ( swelling ) caused by an increase in capillary pressure

What are the complications of hypertension ?

In many cases of hypertension have no symptoms ( asymptomatic ) and only revealed during examination . When symptoms appear it really is , it can cause effects such as:

1 . stroke

Hypertension is a major cause of stroke or cerebro vascular accident . Harmful effects of hypertension on the brain can be caused by a blood clot that stops blood flow to the parts of the brain . Aneurysms can rupture if pressure increased causing bleeding and damage to brain tissue .

2 . vascular retinopathy

Disruption of blood supply to the eye caused by hypertension which can lead to long vascular retinopathy , which in turn will lead to retinal artery vasospasm and damage and arteriolar luminal narrowing caused . If not handled properly , this condition can lead to blindness .

3 . renovascular hypertension

Kidneys , which are susceptible to changes in blood flow due to hypertension , may not work properly if there is a significant decrease in blood flow . When systemic blood pressure rises because the main renal artery stenosis due to atherosclerosis or on renal branching will occur renovascular hypertension . Decreased blood flow causes the kidneys release renin , an enzyme that causes a stronger vasoconstriction of the blood vessels throughout the body , resulting in a further increase in blood pressure . This cycle can cause damage and lead to heart failure , myocardial infarction , and stroke , kidney failure sometimes .

4 . Myocardial infarction ( heart attack )

Myocardial infarction or heart attack occurs due to occlusion of one or more coronary arteries causing ischemia , injury , and myocardial necrosis .

5 . Left ventricular hypertrophy

Increased blood pressure can lead to enlargement and thickening of the left ventricle . Because blood can not be pumped effectively around the body , the blood will flow back into the left antrium and then to the lungs , causing pulmonary congestion , dyspnea , and intolerance to activity .

sources :

Kowalak , et al . , 2012. Textbook of Pathophysiology . Jakarta : Book Medical Publishers EGC