High blood pressure is called hypertension. Hypertension is one of the forms of this disease. It is the most common pathology of the cardiovascular system. Increased pressure is considered, the level of which exceeds the indicators of 140 to 90. This condition leads to negative consequences for internal organs.
High blood pressure (BP): concept
It is primary and secondary. The latter is a symptom of an existing pathology. By the time the disease appears, changes in the functioning of internal organs are noted. In the case of even a slight increase in pressure, the risks of stroke, heart attack, and renal failure greatly increase.
Blood pressure is measured by two values:
- systolic (upper) - is recorded during the contraction of the heart (systole);
- lower (diastolic) - during the relaxation of the heart (diastole).
The measurement is carried out in mm RT. Art., and usually write through a slash. As a rule, an increase in blood pressure is noted simultaneously in the upper and lower indicators. Sometimes there may be an isolated increase. In the morning and afternoon, blood pressure is often higher compared with nightly rates.
Common reasons
Primary hypertension is most common. Its etiology remains unclear. It is believed that the causes of high blood pressure are changes in the heart and blood vessels as a result of hereditary factors. An increase in pressure can be observed with diseases of the following organs:
- liver
- thyroid gland;
- adrenal glands;
- the kidneys.
In addition, other factors can contribute to the growth of blood pressure:
- genetic predisposition;
- stress;
- the effect of the “white coat” (blood pressure rises only when people in white coats are seen - in other situations, the indicators are within normal limits);
- sedentary lifestyle;
- smoking;
- overweight;
- the presence of a large amount of salt in the diet.
With pathologies of the adrenal glands that produce aldosterone, which refers to hormones that regulate blood pressure, high blood pressure becomes the norm. Also, an increase in blood pressure may be due to the use of drugs with the corresponding side effect.
These include:
- tonic tinctures of some medicinal plants;
- glyceric acid;
- cortisone;
- separate antipyretic drugs;
- vasoconstrictor drops against the common cold;
- birth control.
Causes of High Lower Pressure
As already noted, two forms of blood pressure are distinguished. The reasons for the increase in lower blood pressure are as follows:
- gender and age - the disease is rapidly becoming younger, but it is believed that people after 55 (women) and 45 (men) are at greater risk;
- ethnicity and race - black people often suffer from hypertension;
- heredity;
- obesity;
- physical and mental strain;
- smoking;
- the use of large amounts of salt;
- various diseases;
- medicines.
As you can see, the causes of high lower blood pressure coincide with factors that adversely affect overall health. The latter leads to renal failure.
Symptoms
At the initial stage of the disease, a person may not feel signs of either a diastolic or systolic form. Symptoms of high blood pressure are as follows:
- rapid pulse;
- night pains in the heart;
- dizziness;
- noise in ears;
- the presence of "flies" before the eyes;
- irritability;
- bad sleep;
- headache.
The last symptom is most characteristic of hypertension. If the upper blood pressure is increased, this indicates that the arterioles and arteries are narrowed. Thus, the heart is affected, which can lead to angina pectoris, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, memory impairment and strokes. Arterial hypertension affects the internal organs, resulting in the following symptoms:
- the brain - nausea, vomiting, dizziness, the appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes;
- heart - palpitations, pain in the location of the organ, shortness of breath;
- kidneys - frequent nightly urination;
- peripheral vessels - severe cooling of the hands and feet, intermittent claudication, pain when walking in the calves;
- fundus vessels - the appearance of "flies", impaired vision.
General principles of treatment
If arterial pressure is increased, treatment is based on the reasons that caused it. In addition, the action of the following factors must be taken into account:
- the presence of concomitant diseases;
- the degree of damage to organs that act as "targets";
- stage of the course of pathology.
Primary hypertension cannot be completely cured. But it must be constantly monitored. Treatment of high blood pressure begins with the observance of preventive measures:
- rejection of bad habits;
- good nutrition with reduced salt intake;
- normalization of body weight;
- moderate physical activity.
General drug therapy
Currently, a huge number of drugs have been developed to reduce blood pressure. At the same time, it is not necessary to rely on the fact that they will all suit any person. Their reception is individual, should be selected by the attending physician. You must choose those that have the least side effects. Also, the prescribed medications in the list of contraindications should not have an item on increasing blood pressure.
Treatment of high blood pressure is performed with the following groups of drugs:
- Imidazoline receptor agonists.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers.
- Calcium antagonists - they are usually prescribed for patients with angina pectoris, arrhythmia and the elderly.
- Adrenergic blockers - block the action of the nervous system department, due to which increased blood pressure develops as a result of experienced stress. They are prescribed to young people who have tachycardia, angina pectoris, migraines, and patients who have had a heart attack.
- ACE inhibitors - reduce pressure by expanding arteries. They are prescribed for kidney damage during the course of diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and kidney diseases.
- Diuretics - remove salt and water from the body, which leads to vasodilation, and, as a result, a decrease in blood pressure. The negative consequence is that potassium is washed out, so you need to take drugs containing it. Used in elderly patients with heart and kidney failure.
Various causes may be high blood pressure. And the treatment in this case is not aimed at eliminating one of them, but is carried out comprehensively. Several agents may be used in reduced dosages.
Treatment of symptomatic hypertension should be in the treatment of the disease that caused it. In this case, both therapeutic and surgical methods can be used. The latter are used for narrowing the artery leading to the kidney, or in the presence of tumors. Immediate treatment requires hypertension related to malignant. With it, there is a persistent increase in blood pressure over 220/130. Various lesions of the fundus, heart, brain, and kidneys are observed. In the first two days, blood pressure is reduced by 1/3 by the introduction of intravenous drugs (Diazoxide, Nitroglycerin, Nitroprusside and others). The decrease is carried out to blood pressure not lower than 170/100, in order to prevent deterioration of the work of internal organs. A further decline occurs within a few weeks.
Medication for increased lower pressure
Basically, the lower and upper pressure increases synchronously, but sometimes a picture is observed when they increase individually. The case when it is necessary to lower the increased lower blood pressure without lowering the upper one is considered below. It should be remembered that drug therapy is prescribed by the doctor. The list below is for informational purposes only. If the lower blood pressure is increased, then the following drugs are used:
- calcium antagonists: Amplodipine, Cinnarizine;
- beta-blockers: "Nebivator";
- diuretics: Furosemide;
- ACE inhibitors: Quinapril, Zofenapril;
- angiotensin receptor blockers: Candesartan, Blocktran.
Physical exercise
Physical education will reduce blood pressure to a normal level and maintain it in a given range for a long period of time. However, the exercise program must be agreed with the attending physician.
The following sports are useful for lowering blood pressure:
- Walking
- swimming;
- jogging;
- cycling.
To successfully combat high blood pressure, you need to spend more time in the fresh air and engage in physical education. The following are some exercises of the therapeutic gymnastics complex:
- From a supine position, they are pulled up, raising their hands up, lead them behind the head - inhale, return to the starting position - exhale. This must be done 5 times.
- To stand facing the wall, hands on, leaning forward and making movements similar to those when walking, while the socks do not come off the floor.
- While on a chair, raise your shoulders with your arms down. Circular movements are made in the region of the shoulder girdle, after which the shoulders lower. The number of repetitions is the same as the first exercise.
Ways to reduce diastolic pressure
Vasodilation can ultimately lead to damage to their walls. Therefore, it is necessary to strive to normalize the work of the heart muscle. If lower blood pressure is increased, stabilization without causing harm to the body is performed in the following ways:
- avoidance of conflicts, because they are the cause of nervousness, which lead to an increase in blood pressure;
- exercise therapy classes;
- sleep should be at least 6-8 hours;
- rejection of bad habits;
- during work, you need to take breaks for a light warm-up;
- consumption of table salt to reduce to 5 g per day;
- if possible, refuse sugar, replacing it with honey;
- add fermented milk and fruit and vegetable products to the diet, steam, refuse harmful foods, including those prepared by smoking, frying and preserving.
Folk remedies
They can be used in combination with treatment. There are many recipes to help lower your blood pressure. These include:
- daily morning use of pre-crushed clove of garlic, which must be washed down with water and apple cider vinegar (1 tsp. to 1/3 cup);
- a decoction of potato peelings, boiled in boiling water for about 10 minutes, is used for 2 tbsp. l 4 times a day;
- berries of wild strawberry, blackcurrant, honeysuckle;
- cranberries, mashed with sugar - 1 spoon three times a day;
- aloe juice (3 drops per 1 tsp) - take daily on an empty stomach;
- before meals three times a day, consume 1 tbsp. l carrot juice for a month;
- in the same mode, take 2 tbsp. l honey added to beet juice.
Increased lower blood pressure is reduced, using not only these methods, but also based on the use of:
- decoction of pine cones;
- Flaxseed;
- onions;
- Kombucha
- watermelon;
- persimmons;
- golden mustache;
- lemon.
In the treatment of high lower blood pressure, tea from motherwort, hawthorn and valerian can be taken to reduce nervous excitability. Also mixes this type of AD mix of dried apricots, walnuts, honey, raisins, seasoned with lemon juice. In this case, all ingredients are taken in equal amounts. Take in the morning before meals 1 tbsp. l If the pressure is caused by impaired kidney function, then diuretic herbs are used:
- oregano;
- sage;
- St. John's wort
They take 1 tbsp. l., adding to motherwort. Everything is mixed, 0.5 l of boiling water is poured, after cooling, take 100 ml in the morning for one month. In order to calm the nervous system, in addition to the herbs listed above, you can use blue cyanosis. Arnica, astragalus, shepherd's purse, chokeberry, barberry are used to regulate vascular tone.
As diuretics, they are perfect:
- drooping birch;
- kidney tea;
- dill;
- knotweed.
An infusion and a decoction of hawthorn also helps with hypertension. The following recipe contributes to lowering blood pressure: 1 tbsp. l corn flour is poured into a glass of hot water and left to infuse overnight, after which it is used without stirring in the morning. Tincture should be used until the pressure normalizes.
Pregnant treatment
In the third trimester, some women expecting a baby may develop eclampsia, which is a severe form of toxicosis with high blood pressure, which is dangerous for both the mother and the unborn baby. In this case, the basis of treatment is lowering blood pressure (lower) to a level of 105 mm to prevent cerebral hemorrhage. If a pregnant woman has mild or moderate hypertension, then medication, as a rule, is not used. Reduce it gradually to the level of 140/80. If it is impossible to cure without the use of medicines, calcium channel blockers are used, as well as beta-blockers, as the safest. In this case, pregnant women should not be prescribed drugs from the following groups:
- angiotensin receptor blockers;
- ACE inhibitors;
- diuretics.
The former can lead to fetal death, the latter weaken the flow of blood to the uterus, causing ischemic disease, renal dysfunction in the developing baby. Still others lower the total blood capacity and worsen its inflow to the placenta, which negatively affects the growth of the fetus.
Finally
The article examined questions about why high blood pressure is raised, how this negative phenomenon can be eliminated, how to treat lower high blood pressure and general methods of therapy. The symptoms of the disease are also considered. If left untreated, the likelihood of myocardial infarction, heart and kidney failure, and stroke increases. Particular attention should be paid to the treatment of malignant hypertension, which after a year without appropriate therapy in 95% of cases ends in the death of the patient. Treatment may be with medications. Their limited use during pregnancy should be considered. Effective therapy with folk remedies under the supervision of a phytotherapist. It is also necessary to comply with the principles of good nutrition and offer the body moderate exercise.