LET’S TALK ABOUT HYPERTENSION.

What on this green earth is HYPERTENSION?

High blood pressure, also known as Hypertension is a medical condition in which the pressure in our blood goes up. This condition usually does not cause significant symptoms but is a major risk factor for stroke, heart failure, vision loss and dementia.
It is advisable to ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading, once or twice every year when you get to your teens. Frequent checks can be ordered by the doctor, if you have hypertension. This is usually done to monitor the condition.
Blood pressure is determined both by the amount of blood our heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in our arteries. The more blood our heart pumps and the narrower our arteries and the higher our blood pressure.
In normal facts, blood pressure should be checked in both arms to determine if there is a difference but once is ok. It's important to use a sphygmomanometer with an appropriate-sized arm cuff.
In measuring hypertension, one may come across the term systolic and diastolic.

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SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE

In simple terms, systolic blood pressure is when the heart is contracting. It is the maximum pressure recorded during contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. Diastolic blood pressure refers to the time when the heart is in a period of relaxation and dilation.
The systolic is usually written as the numerator, the figure on top of the division sign and the diastolic value is the one written as the denominator, the figure below the division sign.

• Normal blood pressure is usually below 120/80 mmHg.
• Blood pressure between 120-129/80 is considered an elevated blood pressure.
• Blood pressure between 130/80 or above is definitely High.

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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF HYPERTENSION(HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE).

1. Primary hypertension.
2. Secondary hypertension.

PRIMARY HYPERTENSION
High Blood pressure tends to develop over many years. Several risk factors can influence blood pressure. Some are the high intake of salt, lack of exercise, depression and obesity.

SECONDARY HYPERTENSION
Some underlying conditions can cause high blood pressure. This kind of hypertension is called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than what the primary hypertension does. Numerous circumstances, conditions and medications can lead to secondary high blood pressure, including:

• Cushing’s Syndrome
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Kidney problems
• Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism
• Acromegaly
• Conn’s syndrome or Hyperaldosteronism
• Renal artery stenosis.
• Excessive eating of liquorice.
• Certain defects in blood vessels in which someone is born with (congenital)
• Certain medications, such as birth control pills, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and cold medications.
• Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines
• Alcohol abuse or chronic alcohol use.
• Arsenic exposure.

Complications

The extreme pressure on our artery walls caused by high blood pressure can damage our blood vessels, as well as organs in our body. The higher our blood pressure and the longer it goes uncontrolled, the greater the damage.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to:

• Aneurysm. Increased blood pressure can cause your blood vessels to weaken and become big(bulge), forming an aneurysm. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening leading to a lot of complications like death.

• Heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure can force a large amount of red blood cells through the arteries which causes plaques which eventually leads to hardening and thickening of the arteries, what we call atherosclerosis, which can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications.

• Heart failure. To pump blood against the higher pressure in your vessels, your heart muscle thickens. At the end of the day, the thickened muscle may have a tough time pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead to heart failure.

• Metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is a cluster of conditions of your body's metabolism, including increased waist circumference; high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also termed as the "good" cholesterol and high insulin levels. These disorders make you more likely to cultivate diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

• Trouble with memory or understanding. Uncontrolled hypertension may also affect your ability to think, remember and learn. Trouble with memory or understanding concepts is more common in people with hypertension.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension

3. https://www.medicinenet.com

This is @muhammadalikatu from #teamghana.