World Hypertension Day 2022: Know The Types of Hypertension

High blood pressure or hypertension has become a very common health issue these days. Not just older adults but even young children are developing blood pressure issues. This is alarming and shows the need for awareness regarding hypertension. So, this world hypertension day, we bring to you information about different types of hypertension. Yes, there are two types of hypertension depending upon the cause of problem. Scroll down as Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Consultant Cardiologist Altius Hospital, Bangalore explains everything in detail.

Did you know a lot of hypertensive patients are not aware that they have high blood pressure? Until they develop complications due to high BP and doctor tells them about their condition, they are completely unaware! This is a harsh reality that makes hypertension life-threatening whereas it is a manageable condition. The reason why most people do not know they have hypertension is because it doesn’t exhibit any symptoms in particular. This is why it is advised to check BP regularly and see if there is a pattern of your BP. Frequently high BP 140/90 or over is a prominent sign. Now, let us talk about hypertension types and causes.

Types of Hypertension or High Blood Pressure

There are two main types of high blood pressure: Primary and Secondary High Blood Pressure. Let us talk about them in detail.

Also Read: Can Someone Have Both Low BP and High BP? Know All About Fluctuating Blood Pressure

Primary Hypertension

Also known as Essential Hypertension, this is the common hypertension that most people have. There is no specific cause of primary hypertension as it is idiopathic. Here are factors that cause hypertension:

• Unhealthy eating habits
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Poor physical activity
• Age (60 years and above)
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Family history of high blood pressure
• Poor sleep schedule
• Overconsumption of salt, caffeine and alcohol

Symptoms of Primary Hypertension

There are no visible symptoms of primary hypertension at the initial level and so, people fail to identify the problem. When high BP begins to damage your blood vessels, it shows up certain symptoms like:

• Extreme fatigue
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Chest pain
• Blood in urine
• Breathing problems
• Bleeding nose

If you experience these complications, make sure to see a doctor failing to which you may encounter fatal problems like vision loss, heart attack, heart failure, dementia, stroke, kidney diseases and brain aneurysm.

Also Read: Try These 5 Essential Oils For Hypertension Control

Diagnosis and Treatment

The only way to diagnose primary hypertension is by regular monitoring of the blood pressure. If you happen to show multiple high BP readings, the doctor would suggest treatment accordingly. In some cases, doctors conduct a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to see if your BP is always on the higher side to confirm high blood pressure.

While medications are supposed to be taken, you need to exercise some other steps in order to manage the condition. These are:

• Lifestyle modifications including increased physical activity. Exercise daily to maintain healthy BMI
• Eat healthy and reduce the intake of salt as it is a potential trigger of high blood pressure
• Have more seasonal fruits and vegetables as these are loaded with essential nutrients
• Quit smoking and alcohol
• Manage stress and anxiety to prevent spike in blood pressure level

Secondary Hypertension

While primary hypertension has multi-factorial causes, secondary hypertension causes is high blood pressure that's caused by another medical condition like:

• Adrenal disease
• Kidney disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma
• Pregnancy (preeclampsia)
• Thyroid disease
• Medications such as NSAIDs (over the counter pain killers)

It is important to seek proper treatment of secondary hypertension as this can help in regulating blood pressure as well as controlling the underlying cause of this hypertension. Besides, it also cuts down the risk of complications associated with secondary hypertension including stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, etc.

As far as medications for secondary hypertension is concerned, yor doctor will use one or multiple drugs in combination to control the Blood pressure in an individual.

Conclusion

It is important to check upon your health. Monitoring certain parameters like weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. helps in preventing the onset of many illnesses. If you notice irregularities in your blood pressure, immediately report it to a doctor and get yourself diagnosed. Delaying might cause severe repercussions.

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