This disease is called the “silent killer”, because it quietly and imperceptibly leads to irreversible consequences for the human body. “Hypertension” is a term that is actively used in Europe and the USA. In the post-Soviet space, the name "hypertension" is more common. In fact, these concepts are identical, since in Greek they mean the same thing: overvoltage.
Hypertension: the essence of the problem
The disease is manifested by a steady increase in blood pressure. Fluctuations are observed, starting with the following indicators:
- systolic: from 140 mm Hg. st .;
- diastolic: more than 90 mm RT. Art.
This unpleasant syndrome mainly affects the elderly. And at a younger age, men often suffer from hypertension. Statistics on the whole planet are disappointing: 20% of humanity suffers from the effects of arterial hypertension. The reasons for its appearance are various, but it is noted that emotional people are often affected by this ailment. Some scientists call hypertension a "disease of hidden emotions." This means that unspoken claims, grievances or wishes accumulate, turning over time into a serious chronic disease.
Distinguish between essential (primary) and secondary, or symptomatic hypertension. Primary develops due to the following reasons:
- age-related: in women, the onset of the incidence rate is 65, in men - 55 years;
- nicotine addiction;
- emotional overload, stress, psychological trauma;
- physical inactivity;
- overweight;
- diabetes.
Symptomatic hypertension appears on the basis of existing diseases, such as:
- disturbances in the endocrine system;
- severe cardiovascular failure;
- malfunctioning of the urinary system;
- pregnancy;
- chronic alcoholism;
- drug abuse.
Sometimes the disease manifests itself violently, and sometimes it is not felt at all by patients, even in the last stages of the development of the disease. Like everything in medicine, this question is individual and requires careful study.
So, hypertension: stages and degrees of risk, what to do to stop the disease - these topics will be discussed in the article. You will find in it full information on this subject.
Arterial hypertension: stages and degrees
It is necessary to distinguish the concepts of the stage of arterial hypertension and the degree of this ailment. Stage - a description of the symptoms and damage caused to organs during the course of the disease. And degrees are those blood pressure data that allow you to classify the disease. For the successful treatment of any ailment, its cause should be clarified, so in this review it is worth identifying several main groups of pathologies that cause arterial hypertension:
- Pulmonary . This type of hypertension develops due to impaired functioning of the pulmonary vessels, resulting in a decrease in blood flow. This situation negatively affects cardiac activity. This is a rare and extremely dangerous pathology that causes heart failure and general exhaustion of the body.
- Malignant . This type of disease is characterized by an increase in pressure to 220 (upper) and 130 (lower) mmHg. Art., which entails a radical change in the fundus and venous thrombosis. The final reason for the transformation of conventional hypertension into malignant has not yet been elucidated.
- Renovascular, or vasorenal. This type is associated with impaired renal function, namely, interruptions in the blood supply to this organ. Typically, such violations are determined by an overestimated diastolic rate. The vast majority of secondary hypertension occurs precisely for this reason.
- Labile. As a rule, episodic instability of pressure is not a disease, but the possibility of its development into true hypertension exists.
Symptoms of hypertensive disorders can be headaches, numbness of the limbs, dizziness, but sometimes there is a complete absence of signs. This often happens when a patient has stage 1 arterial hypertension.
Onset of the disease: first degree
Identify such an ailment can only be a regular measurement of blood pressure. Moreover, this should happen in a calm atmosphere and at least three times in a certain period.
Only in this case can one judge the presence or absence of such a common disease as arterial hypertension. The stages and degrees of the disease, as already mentioned, are fundamentally different, although even some doctors mix these concepts. The first degree is often detected by chance, for example at a routine inspection. The blood pressure range in this category is:
- systolic (upper): 140-160 mm RT. st .;
- diastolic (lower): 90-100 mm RT. Art.
This is a mild degree, which is often mildly expressed in terms of symptoms. It is noteworthy that there is not only arterial hypertension of the 1st degree ( stage 1 ). A patient whose pressure amplitude corresponds to 1 degree may suffer, for example, the second stage of the disease. It all depends on the degree of organ damage and the individual state of the body.
Moderate arterial hypertension
The average degree of hypertension is expressed in the following pressure indicators:
- upper: 160-180 mm RT. st .;
- lower: 100-110 mm RT. Art.
There are times when the increase in pressure occurs in a specific way, rather unevenly. For example, exclusively diastolic indicators rise above the norm. Or there are cases of increased pressure only in certain circumstances, for example, at a doctor's appointment. At home, the indicators come back to normal. This happens with patients who have an unstable or labile type of nervous system.
Again, depending on the condition of the patient, there is arterial hypertension of the 2nd degree (2 stages), but such coincidences do not always happen. Sometimes the pressure indicators correspond to a power-law amplitude, and the symptoms are not limited to headaches (stage 2 disease). On the contrary, they grow at lightning speed, leading to serious malfunctions in the work of the heart, renal system and brain failure.
Severe hypertension: when the pressure rises
The last degree of hypertension is characterized by extremely undesirable high blood pressure readings:
- systolic: from 180 mm RT. st .;
- diastolic: from 110 mm RT. Art.
There are situations when normal values exceed only systolic pressure. Similar violations are most often observed in elderly patients. Hypertension of this type is called an increase in pressure of the 4th degree, which in itself is not correct.
Stage Hypertension: First
If you analyze the stages of hypertension, then the first of them is the easiest and inconspicuous for the patient. But it is she who becomes the beginning of serious problems in the future. Therefore, even if hypertension is still insignificant, this is not a reason to ignore it. Symptoms per se during the first stage of hypertension are not observed, in addition to, of course, slightly and irregularly elevated pressure. But the tendency to change these important indicators should alert and prompt action. If stage 1 arterial hypertension occurs, the patient sometimes complains of poor sleep, episodic headache or nosebleeds. Treatment in this case may be limited to following a diet that reduces the amount of salt, and optimizing the regimen of the day.
Arterial hypertension 2 stages: symptoms increase
If the disease for some reason cannot be treated at the initial stage, then a more severe stage sets in, characterized by a complicated course. Symptoms increase to such an extent that it is no longer possible to ignore them. Headaches become intense, frequent and lingering, nosebleeds become regular, do heart pains bother you? Arterial hypertension of 2 degrees, 2 stages is often characterized by such signs . To normalize and adjust the condition of the patient is forced to seek help from a doctor. It happens that the effects of high blood pressure, which exhausted the body for quite some time, lead to the appearance of arterial hypertension of 2 stages, 3 degrees. And such a situation can pose an immediate threat to the patient's life. Of course, it is necessary to strictly comply with all the doctor’s prescriptions in order to prevent complications when the diagnosis of "stage 2 hypertension" is finally established.
The risk of stage 3 in the case of neglect of the treatment strategy is very high. In addition to the mandatory intake of medicines, it is necessary to abandon alcohol, nicotine, balance the diet by virtually eliminating salt from it.
Third stage: organs suffer
Arterial hypertension of the 3rd stage is characterized by the severity of complications that arise due to the destructive effects of borderline high pressure on all organs and systems. Especially in such cases, the heart, kidneys, eyes and brain suffer. With insufficient or improper treatment, severe consequences are possible in the form of strokes, encephalopathies, heart attacks, renal and heart failure, arrhythmias, irreversible lesions of the eye vessels. Untreated arterial hypertension of stage 3 (the risk of stage 4 in this case increases sharply), it threatens to develop into isolated systolic hypertension. Subjectively, patients feel memory impairment, impaired mental activity, frequent loss of consciousness.
Correct diagnosis
If we are talking about symptomatic hypertension, then it is necessary to identify the cause that caused it. To do this, a basic set of analyzes is mandatory:
- blood test (with the obligatory determination of hematocrit);
- urinalysis (advanced);
- blood test to determine sugar and cholesterol;
- detailed study of blood serum;
- electrocardiogram.
In addition, there are additional methods for making a differential diagnosis, which the doctor will prescribe if necessary. A reliable history is also important. Secondary hypertension, as a rule, begins abruptly, is reluctant to treat, is not inherited. Often this condition is observed during pregnancy. Gestational hypertension usually appears at the 5th month of pregnancy, and disappears after childbirth. But such women in labor are registered in order to adjust medical care during childbirth. Women with a similar diagnosis are included in the group for the possible occurrence of preeclampsia.
Patients are usually divided into risk groups, depending on how hard the hypertension is. Degree, stage - the risk of complications depends on these factors. There are four categories that are delimited by the principle of the probability of damage to internal organs in the future:
- less than 15%;
- about 20%;
- from 20 to 30%;
- over 30%.
The worst prognosis in patients who are diagnosed with grade 3, stage 2-3 arterial hypertension.
These patients belong to the 3rd or 4th risk group and need immediate complex treatment.
What can trigger a hypertensive crisis?
This dangerous complication threatens patients with the presence of 2-3 stages of hypertension. This condition is characterized by a sharp jump in blood pressure to very high values. A similar process is detrimental to cardiac and cerebral circulation. Hypertensive crisis is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency medical attention. In severe cases, the patient is subject to hospitalization.
The following factors can provoke this complication:
- adverse weather conditions;
- emotional upheaval;
- physical overload;
- preeclampsia;
- drug use;
- nicotine or alcohol abuse;
- untimely intake of necessary medications;
- certain types of tumors;
- head injuries;
- the use of inadequate amounts of liquid and salt.
By eliminating these factors, you can reduce the risk of a dangerous condition.
The main symptoms of this ailment are:
- a sharp headache;
- nausea;
- blurred vision;
- vomiting
- fuzziness and confusion;
- bleeding from the nasal cavity;
- dyspnea;
- pain behind the sternum;
- anxiety, fear;
- cramps
- fainting.
In the vast majority of patients, at least one target organ is disrupted due to a hypertensive crisis. A quarter of all patients are at risk of damage to two or more organs.
Help the patient is necessary before the arrival of the emergency carriage. It is necessary to lay the person down, give him a sedative and medications, which he usually takes in the presence of chronic hypertension.
Preventive measures and therapeutic tactics
If a first degree occurs and the same stage of arterial hypertension, the disease can be reversed if adequate help is taken in time, while adjusting the diet and lifestyle.
Starting from the second degree, the disease is considered incurable and chronic. But the phenomenon of the disease is that for all its danger and complexity it is manageable. If you adjust the diet, observe the daily regimen, regularly monitor the pressure, then you can normalize the condition and avoid complications.
Diet in the event of such health problems involves the exclusion from the diet of such products:
- any types of fat, including lamb;
- fatty meat;
- rich broths;
- cocoa, tea, coffee;
- savory foods, pickles;
- offal;
- muffins;
- cream cakes;
- chocolate products.
If the patient is overcome with obesity, which can also cause hypertension, then it is better to eat food in fractional portions, moderately reducing its calorie content. Such restrictions will remove excess fluid from the patient’s body and will surely save him from excess cholesterol.
Treatment of the initial degree of arterial hypertension is reduced to non-drug measures: physical therapy, diet, giving up bad habits, and normalizing weight. Further, in moderate and severe forms of hypertension, a combination drug therapy based on beta-blockers, diuretics, and inhibitors is prescribed. In any case, the doctor will select a competent method of treatment.