hypertension

Hypertension - Causes and Symptoms

Related articles: Hypertension

Definition

Hypertension is the protracted increase in blood pressure values, measured at rest, beyond the 140 mm of mercury (mmHg) for the maximum and 90 mmHg for the minimum.

In most cases, high blood pressure does not produce characteristic symptoms, so attention must be paid to generic signals that may lead to suspicion. The most common disorders associated with hypertension include: violent headache, located at the temples or in the neck; ringing in the ears (tinnitus); a sense of emptiness in the head, instability and dizziness, especially in the morning on waking or in sudden changes of position; visual changes (narrowing of the visual field and luminous phenomena, such as lightning or flying flies); redness of the face; feeling sick with difficulty concentrating and memory; excessive sweating in stressful conditions; nocturia and epistaxis (bleeding from the nose).

The natural evolution of untreated arterial hypertension involves the gradual and progressive establishment of lesions that prevail in some target organs, including the heart, brain, eyes and kidneys. Excessive increase in blood pressure is an important risk factor for stroke (especially haemorrhagic), myocardial infarction and kidney failure.

In relation to the triggering factors, hypertension can be primary (85-95% of cases) or secondary.

Primary hypertension

Primary hypertension, also called essential hypertension, is the most common form. At the base, there is no certain and identifiable cause. Certainly, however, lifestyle and other predisposing factors play a fundamental role in maintaining high blood pressure, even if the mechanisms with which they can influence are still not clear. Among the elements that increase the probability of suffering from hypertension are heredity (if in the family there are other cases, the risk of being subjects in turn is higher) and advanced age (the aging vessels become more rigid and all inside their walls may appear plates that hinder circulation).

Other predisposing factors include overweight (fatigue of the heart, metabolic and hemodynamic imbalances, etc.), diabetes (high blood pressure is often a consequence of nephropathy or may be one of the symptoms of the metabolic syndrome), smoking (causes progressive damage blood vessels), stress, improper diet (constant consumption of excessive amounts of fat and salt) and a sedentary lifestyle.

Secondary hypertension

Secondary hypertension is rarer and depends on another specific medical condition, congenital or acquired over the years. The most common abnormalities are kidneys (chronic glomerulonephritis or pyelonephritis, polycystic kidney disease, renal insufficiency and renal artery narrowing) or endocrine system (pheochromocytoma, Cushing's syndrome, hyperparathyroidism, adrenal adenoma, secretory aldosterone and thyroid abnormalities) .

Hypertension can also appear during pregnancy and complicate it (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia).

Other causes of hypertension

Sometimes, the increase in pressure values ​​depends on the use (or abuse) of some substances, such as nasal sprays containing vasoconstrictors, corticosteroids, some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, birth control pills, cocaine and amphetamines.

Excessive consumption of alcohol, coffee and liquorice also contributes to a hypertensive state. In all these cases, by suspending the use of the substances involved, blood pressure returns to normal.

Possible Causes * of Hypertension

  • Acromegaly
  • Alcoholism
  • Anxiety
  • Cryoglobulinemia
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Wernicke's encephalopathy
  • Pheochromocytoma
  • Kidney failure
  • Myelitis
  • Cushing's disease
  • Nephritis
  • Diabetic Nephropathy
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Neurofibromatosis
  • Obesity
  • Porphyria
  • Pre-eclampsia
  • Scleroderma
  • Tuberous sclerosis
  • Prader-Willi syndrome
  • Turner syndrome
  • Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Serotonin syndrome
  • Wilms tumor
  • Pituitary tumors