Hypertension

What is Hypertension?
Hypertension is another name for commonly known high blood pressure syndrome, affecting almost one-third of the US population presently. Normal blood pressure in an adult body is 120/80 (systolic/diastolic). Any increase until 139/89 is referred to as ‘pre-Hypertension,’ and a blood pressure of 140/90 is known as Hypertension. The condition falls in two categories:

• Essential, or primary, Hypertension, which cannot be attributed to a single cause
• Secondary Hypertension, which is a secondary manifestation of some other diseases, such as kidney ailments, diabetes, and tumors to name some. 

Who are susceptible to this condition?
The following classes of people are more prone to Hypertension, among others:

• Obese, especially with body mass index of 25 or more
• Alcoholics
• Inactive people, who do not give place to at least two and a half hours of weekly physical exercises in their schedule
• Chronicallydepressedpeople
• People withfast and stressful lifestyle
• Those who havehigh sodium intake
• Deficient in Vitamin D
• Peoplepast middle age, although this factor has become debatable, since due to everyday stress, high blood pressure is increasingly claiming younger victims
• Diabetics

What causes Hypertension?
Hypertension can be caused by a multitude of factors, including:

• Anxiety and anger
• Alcohol or drug (especially cocaine) abuse
• Oral contraceptives
• Excess production of Rennin (an enzyme that is linked to arterial blood pressure)
• Cortisol (‘stress’ hormone) elevation
• Kidney ailments, like renal vascular obstruction and kidney failure
• Hunger depressants
• Migraine treatments
• Certain analgesics
• Adrenal cortical disorders
• Sleep disorders

What are the symptoms of Hypertension?
Following are some of the conditions that the patients of Hypertension face:

• Headaches are the commonest indicators of high blood pressure, yet it is too generic a condition to be associated with any particular ailment.
• Dizziness
• Vision related problems
• Confusion
• Short-breath and panting
• Loss of stamina
• Nose bleeding
• End organ damage, including heart attack, renal failure, permanent vision impairment, and so on

What are treatments available for high blood pressure?
Hypertension is a condition that can be prevented with some dietary and other habits, which can also work towards treating an existing condition. Certain lifestyle changes are listed below:

• Reduction in the intake of sugar and salt
• Regular physical exercises and weight management
• Reduction in alcohol intake and giving up narcotics
• Increase in fibrous food and a balanced diet

In more severe cases, medication (antihypertensive) becomes essential. The options available are:

• Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Alpha blockers
• Beta-blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Diuretics
• Diuretics combinations
• Rennin inhibitors
• Vasodilators

Please note that this list is inclusive and not exhaustive.

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