High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Causes, Treatment & Types

Do you know 1 of 4 people in India are suffering from High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)? As a whole, more than 90% of the adults in our country are affected by High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). They might be undiagnosed, untreated, and treated but with uncontrolled hypertension. Every year, 12.8% of deaths are recorded due to hypertension globally. Hypertension is ranked as the second leading factor of risk for both genders globally. In our country, the younger generation, around 32% of the 1.4 billion people, are mostly affected. The elevated blood pressure in the young population is at its highest peak. There is no insufficient information or knowledge regarding the effective treatment strategy. Yet, people are unknown and unaware. This article allows its reader to look for and understand all its parts. 

What is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)?

Blood pressure is the push of pressure exerted on the blood vessel walls while blood flows through the blood vessels. This entire practice is where the heart pumps blood into arteries, which travel the blood throughout the human body. Hypertension commonly known as High Blood Pressure is referred to as a “silent killer” because it never shows up with any symptoms until the condition reaches severe damage situation. 

The measuring of blood pressure happens in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg), and it is usually expressed in two numbers. The upper number is known as systolic, and the lower number is known as diastolic. In general, if the reading is 120/80mm Hg, it is considered normal blood pressure. If the reading goes beyond this, then the condition will be vulnerable and will bring along several complications with itself, like stroke, heart attack, and many cardiovascular complexities. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) starts evolving in your body due to several factors like genetics, smoking, chronic stress, excessive alcohol consumption, diet, and obesity. This health condition does not show up with any symptoms, and it hits you once the complications start showing up. To avoid this kind of complex situation, the key to managing high blood pressure (hypertension) is a balanced diet, regular exercise, reduced salt intake, and proper medication intake. 

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

High Blood Pressure or Hypertension doesn’t show up with any specific symptoms, or it is very difficult for an individual to know if he has high blood pressure (hypertension). We can only get through the right readings of a report by only going for regular termly check-ups. One may not be showing up with any symptoms but predicting themselves to be suffering High blood pressure (hypertension). The symptoms are listed below if you are facing extremely high blood pressure.

• Reddish blood spot in the eyes
• Feeling of nervousness
• Excessive sweating 
• Bleeding nose 
• Unpredictable Seizures 
• Feeling Lethargic 
• Not-so-clear visuals 
• Pain in chest, neck, or ear pain 
• Dizziness 
• Headaches 
• Shortness of breath/ no breath 

The symptoms can be sometimes misleading. Not only do these symptoms get generated for high blood pressure, but these symptoms can also be familiar with various other medical conditions. Also, there is a percentile of the population that doesn’t experience any such symptoms but finds out about them at their term health check-ups. What’s more important here is regular blood pressure monitoring should be done to detect and manage high blood pressure because it’s often grown silently. 

Causes 

The process of reading high blood pressure (hypertension) is determined by two things. The blood that is pumped out from the heart to the arteries moves through arteries. If the blood is pumped more through the narrower arteries, the pressure seems to hit the walls of the arteries. This entire process is caused by some basic day-to-day conditions, and those conditions increase the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). 

1. Hypertension tends to be passed on by the family history (genes)
2. High intake of sodium (salt), saturated fats, and processed foods in the diet
3. Obesity or being overweight can also be one prominent cause
4. A stressful environment that becomes static 
5. Ageing factor
6. Functioning of the kidney is slow, resulting in chronic disease
7. Alcohol consumption is very much 
8. Hormonal disorders 
9. Sleep disorders resulting in insomnia 
10. Less or no physical activity
11. Diabetes
12. Less intake of potassium in the diet

High blood pressure (hypertension) is considered dangerous or needs immediate medical assistance when the reading is crossed over 180mm Hg. The high-tended symptoms that come to notice are chest pain, headache, and shortness of breath, which should be immediately taken to an authorized physician. 

Types of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

The significant types of high blood pressure (hypertension) are mentioned below-

1. Primary Hypertension- This is identified as asymptomatic by the regular high blood pressure check or community medical test drive. When people are unaware of the symptoms and diagnoses primarily, it made the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Guidelines aware of the people risk subjects such as obesity, diabetes, chronic history of cardiovascular diseases, people older than 60, and smokers and drinkers all should try and take on these routine check-up’s daily. 

2. Secondary Hypertension- This type of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is caused by a sudden fluctuation of Blood pressure. It is a secondary means of obstructive sleep, Renovascular hypertension, and renal illness. 5-10% of the people also come in contact with secondary hypertension. Where 2-3 % will be reno hypertension and 1-2% will be reno-vascular hypertension. 

3. Gestational hypertension- This is a type of condition that only occurs in pregnant women, and their risk of maternal death is very high, also, the fetus comes to be in defected condition. It might happen with or without the diagnosis of preeclampsia (A serious high blood pressure condition that happens to pregnant mothers after the 20th week of pregnancy). 

4. White-coat hypertension—Anyone can have white-coat hypertension. This variant of High blood pressure readings at a health care physician’s office is higher than they are in some other locations, for example, at home. This particular name is given to this hypertension because people who measure High blood pressure sometimes wear white coats. 

5. Resistant Hypertension- This hypertension is called blood pressure that always remains above 140/90 mmHg despite optimal use of three different kinds of antihypertensive medications of different classes, including diuretics. These types of patients are likely to have a secondary cause and a failure to end organ damage. 

Treatment of High Blood Pressure

To reduce the risk of high blood pressure, there are 10 ways significantly that can lower the risk of blood pressure. Lifestyle plays a vital part in enhancing the reduction of medication necessary. Medication is the ultimate help to cure or keep the health condition in control, but before that, there can be a lesser chance of risk of Hypertension and significant health diseases. 

10 changes in lifestyle that can lower your high blood pressure (hypertension) and help keep it down-

1. Losing some weight is always the most effective way to control high blood pressure. Overweight or obese people often feel uncomfortable managing their lifestyle because they get hold of many health conditions. About 1 millimetre of mercury (mmHg) can be reduced with each kg we lose. Carrying the extra fats around always gives you a high chance of High Blood Pressure. 
2. Exercise is a forever best friend to a healthy and fruitful life. Regularity is the key to every exercise session, daily 30 MINS can be enough to keep up the functioning of the body in the most prominent way. 5 to 8 mmHg can be reduced just by exercising. E.g., walking, running, Zumba, aerobics, jogging, swimming, etc., are best for people who are thinking of starting their exercise cycle. 
3. Eating healthy and clean should be an important aspect of lifestyle change. Junk intake and oily foods from the stalls outside increase blood pressure (hypertension). Introduce the DASH diet. Reheated oil is the most dangerous substance that ever goes inside the human stomach. Blood pressure should be controlled with the shift in intake of good fats like Organic A2 gir cow ghee or introducing Organic A2 dairy products to make things balanced and effective for the digestive system and your body.  
4. The effect of sodium is very high on blood pressure, so a small amount cut from the regular diet can help things function effectively. Always try to buy items by reading the food labels, eating pink salt, not adding extra salt to your food, and cooking food with salt in mind. 
5. Quite SMOKING & DRINKING, smoking kills life; that’s not even a caution. It’s a fact of life; stopping smoking helps lower the risk to improve our overall health and not just high blood pressure (hypertension). drinking occasionally can even be considered once, but limiting the alcohol intake can reduce the effectiveness of medication for blood pressure, and one can be happy in life. 
6. Always aim for 6-8 hours of sleep to retain the body’s energy and activeness. Sleep should be both quantity and quality. Sticking to the proper sleep schedule without interruption will let the mind rest and lower stress. Stress and low quality of sleep can contribute to hypertension. 
7. Monitoring your high blood pressure (hypertension) at home can keep you safe and destined for a better lifestyle, and you can alter and add to your daily routine. Nowadays, there are blood pressure calculating machines that are portable and effective, with instant results. It can make the medication and blood pressure levels controlled and checked. 

Conclusion 

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) can be as scary as causing a stroke or bursting our arteries, which supply blood and oxygen to the brain. Also, kidneys can be damaged too, which eventually leads to kidney failure. It is called hypertension for a reason: Blood pressure that is higher than normal can change your entire life and activities. While high blood pressure (hypertension) has no cure, it is always important to take steps regarding making an effective lifestyle that can keep things in control and also lower the chances to shift for medications.