Etiology of Hypertension

One of the most common medical conditions that bother most people is hypertension, or high blood pressure, as it is also known as. As the name suggests, this condition signifies the fact that the force of the blood against the artery walls is way too much than what is required. And this force gives rise to a number of diseases of the heart. In people who have this condition, the heart works more than required and pumps more blood. Also, the arteries in such people happen to be narrower. So the more intense these two factors are, the higher is the blood pressure. It is a fact that many people suffer from this condition, without having any clue about it. And this may have serious repercussions, as uncontrolled hypertension causes severe health concerns. Common complications of high blood pressure are heart attack and stroke. It takes several years for high blood pressure to develop and manifest itself through symptoms. Regular health checkups can help in detecting the condition and so can be dealt with, with the required measures.

Etiological Agent of Hypertension

Now to understand the etiology of hypertension, you must abreast yourself with the two types of this disease. One is known as primary hypertension, a.k.a. essential hypertension, and the other, secondary hypertension. Now, in case of the first type, it has been found that in most adults, the condition comes as an idiopathic condition. Meaning, primary hypertension, apparently has no cause that can be identified with solid evidence. And this the reason, the treatment of this condition may not come easy. Also, it has the nature of growing or developing gradually over many years, before it takes on a severe form.

Coming to secondary hypertension, it may not be an idiopathic condition, unlike the primary one. Experts have found that in most people, this form of hypertension seems to occur as a complication of some other medical condition in the body. This is the reason the condition is called so. Unlike the first one, this kind of hypertension tends to have a sudden attack and more intense. Its causes could include:

• Diseases of the kidneys
• Tumors of the adrenal glands
• Side effects of medications used for cold, pain, birth control
• Birth defects in the blood vessels
• Use of illicit drugs

Symptoms and Treatment

The reason most people do not realize that they have this condition is the absence of any symptoms. In some cases, the condition may reach critically high levels, but still may not show any warning signs whatsoever. There are a few people who may experience dull headaches, dizziness, and frequent nosebleed, at any early stage of the condition. But even these symptoms do not occur until the condition has reached a severe stage.

Because of the asymptomatic nature of high blood pressure, it is imperative to understand the importance of regular health check-ups. A measure of low than 120/80 (where, 120 is the systolic blood pressure and 80 is the diastolic blood pressure), is considered to be normal. 140/90 or higher is considered to be the condition of hypertension. In some people, the reading may fluctuate between 120/80 to 140/90. This condition is known as prehypertension.

Treatment for high blood pressure involves use of different medications and lifestyle changes. At home, it is also important for the patient to be aware of the ways to reduce high blood pressure. Some of them are to inculcate a healthy low-sodium diet plan, exercising daily, limiting alcohol intake, avoiding smoking, managing stress, and keeping a check on the blood pressure level.