In the bustle of our lives you will not surprise anyone with headaches, and the clause “probably pressure” is becoming commonplace. From what the pressure in a person rises and how to deal with it, we will find out in more detail.
Blood pressure - what is it?
As you know, in the human body, nutrients and oxygen are delivered to organs by blood, which flows through vessels of various diameters, while exerting a certain pressure on their walls. By supporting this pressure and causing the blood to move on, the heart contracts and relaxes. Normally, this process is repeated 60 to 80 times per minute. At that moment, when the heart contracts (systole), the maximum pressure is recorded. It was called systolic. At the moment of relaxation of the heart muscle (diastole), lower or diastolic pressure is recorded. Strictly speaking, diastolic pressure indicates the level of vascular wall tone.
An apparatus for measuring blood pressure, a tonometer, registers both quantities. When recording, systolic pressure is indicated first, then diastolic pressure, which is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Normally, the systolic pressure should not exceed 140 mm Hg. Art. The optimal diastolic pressure is below 90. If the pressure constantly rises, then this is a manifestation of a serious disease called hypertension.
Symptoms
According to statistics, in our country, over 40% of the population regularly has a rise in blood pressure, and, much worse, almost half of the patients are unaware of this. What causes pressure in a person? This issue has been studied in sufficient detail today, but the danger of hypertension lies in the fact that very often it is asymptomatic, and it can only be detected by chance. As a rule, an increase in pressure is accompanied by a headache, weakness, flickering of "flies" in front of the eyes. Often, heart palpitations, sweating, and throbbing in the head join these symptoms. If the pressure has risen to high numbers, nausea and even vomiting, nosebleeds are possible. Hypertensive patients with experience note swelling of the eyelids, small swelling on the face and hands in the morning, numbness of the fingers. Such symptoms should make you alert and attentive to your condition. Every person over 40 is advised to control their pressure.
First calls
An increase in pressure is a completely normal physiological process. Thus, the brain responds to inadequate blood supply and a lack of oxygen. But the norm is only a temporary increase and the body's ability to independently adjust it. This can occur against a background of stress, when a vasoconstriction occurs under the influence of an adrenaline rush . If the pressure rises after eating, then this is also a completely normal process.
It is necessary to take measures when the pressure is constantly increased, this should be done even if the patient does not experience any unpleasant sensations. It does not matter what causes a person's blood pressure to increase. You should be wary if the quality of life is often violated by the following symptoms:
- on the part of the nervous system - headaches (localized in the occiput, occurring more often in the morning), tinnitus, sleep disturbances, increased irritability and fatigue, anxiety;
- autonomic disorders - heart palpitations, rhythm disturbances, pulsation in the head, sweating and hyperemia (redness) of the face;
- the appearance of edema - even a slight fluid retention in the body leads to an increase in pressure on the walls of blood vessels, so the appearance of puffiness on the eyelids, face serves as a direct indication for controlling pressure.
What happens if hypertension is not treated?
The work of the heart directly depends on the level of pressure - the higher it is, the more efforts must be made in order to maintain normal blood supply. At the same time, the walls of the heart first thicken, which causes interruptions in its work, and then become thinner, the result is the inability of the heart to perform pumping function. This is accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue and other signs of heart failure.
It has already been proven that hypertension accelerates damage to the vessel wall by atherosclerotic plaques, which, in turn, leads to a narrowing of the lumen. In case of damage to the coronary vessels that feed the heart, angina pectoris or myocardial infarction may develop. Also, the risk of cerebral strokes increases sharply.
Why does a person increase blood pressure?
The causes of primary (essential) hypertension, paradoxically as it sounds, are unknown in 90% of cases. Most often they are associated with a hereditary factor and the stresses that accompany our lives. Why does a person's blood pressure rise? The causes are most often associated with the state of the vessels. If the results of the examinations revealed that you have an increase in vascular tone by the hypertonic type, then you only need to correctly select the drugs with which the condition will be adjusted. An example of such hypertension can be a reaction to jumps in atmospheric pressure. So, if atmospheric pressure rises, then in a person suffering from hypertension, the condition usually worsens.
Stress
Stressful situations that often accompany our lives can also cause increased pressure. In a healthy person, this process is easily reversible, and after the nervous tension decreases, the pressure returns to its normal physiological level.
However, over time, such jumps can damage blood vessels, and the body will no longer cope with such overloads. In these cases, after a stressful situation, a person can observe not only how much pressure has increased, but also that lowering it to a normal level becomes a much more difficult task. Over time, an increase in pressure occurs even in a calm state.
Food
As shown by numerous studies, nutrition is of great importance in the development of hypertension. Fatty food is an important factor. This applies not only to meat, oils and other animal fats, but also to seemingly safe products such as cheese, chocolate, sausages, cakes. In addition, it has been proven that increased pressure after eating in large quantities.
Another important reason associated with nutrition is the use of salt. Many doctors today recommend completely abandoning its use or at least reduce its amount. Salt affects the state of the vascular walls, reducing their elasticity and increasing fragility, and this is the main answer to the question of why the upper pressure in a person increases. The reasons lie precisely in the excessive use of salt. All this greatly complicates humoral regulation and puts a strain on various body systems. In addition, salt makes it difficult to remove fluids from the body, which also leads to increased pressure.
Alcohol, especially in large doses, stimulating the heartbeat and increasing vascular tone, is also an important factor causing hypertension.
Obesity and physical inactivity
These two factors almost always accompany an increase in pressure. When a person spends a long time without movement, the blood flow through the vascular bed slows down, the resistance of peripheral vessels increases, and accordingly, the pressure rises. Despite the widespread belief that pressure increases during exercise, it is simply necessary for normal life.
Symptomatic hypertension
With hypertension, not only systolic pressure, but also diastolic pressure can increase, and this, as a rule, has more serious consequences. The main reasons why a person’s lower blood pressure rises are kidney pathologies or metabolic disorders.
- Kidney disease. Most often this happens when the kidneys cannot timely remove excess fluid and salts from the body. In this case, there is an increase in the volume of blood circulating in the vascular bed, respectively, and blood pressure also increases. Depending on what the pressure rises from - from kidney diseases (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis) or due to a violation of the mechanisms of their regulation (vegetative or humoral), treatment will be prescribed.
- Metabolic disorders. As a rule, this occurs with a lack of potassium. In this case, the pressure rises sharply, in fits. They are accompanied by a sharp pallor, sweating, heart palpitations and rhythm disturbances. Nausea, vomiting, or stool disorders are possible.
Therapy
The treatment of hypertension is necessary, regardless of why the person's blood pressure rises. The reasons for this can be very different, and even the fact that while deviations do not affect the quality of life, is not a reason for refusing therapy. By the example of thousands of patients it is proved that the pressure needs to be adjusted. Even the rise above 140/95 mm Hg. Art. for a long time exerts a significant burden on organs and systems. Of course, with such a small deviation from the norm, a correction from eating bad habits, eating control and daily walks will suffice for correction, but this can not be postponed until the disease is fully felt!
Hypertension medications
In modern pharmacology, there are many tools that adjust the level of blood pressure. Usually, doctors use complex therapy, which consists in the use of the following groups of drugs.
- Diuretics (diuretics) - they help to remove excess fluid and salts from the body.
- Beta-blockers - drugs reduce the intensity of the heart, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the body.
- ACE inhibitors are vasodilating drugs. They increase vascular lumen by reducing the production of angiotensin (a substance that causes their spasm).
- Alpha-adrenergic blockers - also relieve spasm from peripheral vessels by reducing the conductivity of nerve impulses that affect the tone of the vessel wall, thereby reducing pressure.
- Calcium antagonists - do not allow ions to penetrate into the muscle cells of the heart or affect the frequency of heart contractions.
Despite the widespread belief that only those situations where pressure surges occur need drug correction, therapy should be carried out in any case. If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, then taking medication becomes an integral part of your life. They need to be drunk constantly, since even a temporary refusal of drugs will entail the return of hypertension, and all efforts will be nullified.
A happy exception may be those people who noticed the problem in time and managed to rebuild their lives, eliminating bad habits and optimizing physical activity. It is in order to prevent this insidious disease in time, you need to know what causes the pressure in a person to increase, and to eliminate these factors from your life in time, because everyone knows that preventing the disease is much easier than treating it.