Hypertension is when blood pressure, measured in a doctor’s office, is above 140 x 90 mmHg. This increase in blood pressure occurs when blood vessels become narrower or lose elasticity, which means the heart needs to exert more force (pressure) to pump blood throughout the body.
Symptoms of hypertension, popularly known as high blood pressure, despite being uncommon, can appear when the pressure is much higher than normal, including nausea, dizziness, excessive tiredness, blurred vision, difficulty breathing or chest pain, for example.
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Since it does not always present symptoms, it is important to consult a cardiologist regularly, especially in cases of family history of hypertension, to assess blood pressure and, if necessary, initiate the most appropriate treatment to prevent serious complications such as heart attack or stroke, for example. .
Symptoms of hypertension
The main symptoms of high blood pressure are:
- Nausea;
- Dizziness;
- Strong headache;
- Double or blurred vision;
- Palpitations;
- Ringing in the ears;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Chest pain.
It is very common for hypertension to cause no symptoms and is generally identified during routine consultations. However, if symptoms appear that make you suspect hypertension, it is important to go to the nearest emergency room or make an appointment with a cardiologist to evaluate the symptoms presented.
If a person has already been diagnosed with hypertension and presents symptoms, this could mean that they are experiencing a hypertensive crisis. In this case, you should take the medicine recommended by your doctor to control your symptoms or go to the nearest emergency room if your symptoms do not improve. See what to do in a hypertensive crisis.
Learn more about hypertension in the following video with Dr. Ronaldo Gismondi:
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of hypertension is made by the cardiologist based on symptoms, assessment of personal and family history and at least 3 blood pressure measurements, on different days with a 1-minute interval between measurements.
Make an appointment with your nearest cardiologist to have your blood pressure checked:
In addition, the doctor may also recommend carrying out the ABPM test, which uses a device to measure blood pressure at home for 24 hours, to check changes in pressure and try to identify if there is any factor in daily activities that may be causing the condition. increase in pressure. Find out how the MAPA exam is done.
The cardiologist may also request other tests to be carried out to help identify a possible cause, such as a urine test, blood test, electrocardiogram or renal ultrasound, for example.
Blood pressure values
Blood pressure values considered hypertension are 140 x 90 mmHg measured at the doctor’s office or 130 x 80 mmHg measured at home. See how to measure blood pressure correctly.
Online blood pressure calculator
To find out if you may have hypertension or if your blood pressure is high, please enter the data into our calculator:
Possible causes
Hypertension is caused by any change that causes difficulty for blood to circulate in the blood vessels, increasing the pressure that the heart needs to exert for blood to circulate correctly throughout the body.
Thus, the causes of hypertension can be classified according to the origin of the disease:
1. Essential hypertension
Essential hypertension, or primary hypertension, is the most common cause of high blood pressure, and generally develops over time due to factors such as:
- Age, being more common after age 65;
- Heredity, being more common in people who have a family history of hypertension;
- Lack of physical activity;
- Excess salt in the diet;
- Smoking.
Furthermore, this type of hypertension can also occur due to excess stress, and can affect people of any age, even the youngest.
2. Secondary hypertension
Secondary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that appears due to another health problem and tends to appear suddenly.
Some health problems that can cause secondary hypertension are:
- Diabetes;
- Obesity;
- Kidney disease, such as kidney failure, glomerulonephritis or pyelonephritis;
- Chronic kidney infection;
- Congenital heart defects that occur at birth;
- Tumor in the adrenal gland;
- Thyroid changes such as hypo or hyperthyroidism;
- Sleep apnea.
Furthermore, secondary hypertension can occur due to excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, use of drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine and even the use of medications such as corticosteroids or oral contraceptives.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of hypertension must always be carried out under the advice of a cardiologist and, in the case of secondary hypertension, the doctor must indicate the most appropriate treatment, aimed at correcting the disease or problem that caused the high blood pressure.
In the case of primary hypertension, it is essential to make lifestyle changes as advised by your doctor, such as practicing physical activities, avoiding smoking or making changes to your diet, reducing salt consumption and increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits, for example. example. See other measures to treat primary hypertension.
However, when lifestyle changes are not enough, your doctor may recommend medications to lower blood pressure such as diuretics or beta blockers such as furosemide or propranolol, for example. Check out all the medicines used to treat hypertension.
Watch the following video with tips on how to treat high blood pressure:
Gestational hypertension
Gestational hypertension is a serious situation that can occur due to an unbalanced diet, obesity, diabetes or poor placental formation. Furthermore, there is a greater risk of hypertension during pregnancy when the woman is over 35 years old and it is her first pregnancy.
This type of hypertension must be identified and treated quickly to prevent the development of pre-eclampsia, which is a serious situation that can result in a coma and put the lives of the mother and baby at risk. Find out more about pre-eclampsia and how it is treated.
In addition to the symptoms that can be noticed during a hypertensive crisis such as constant headache, especially in the back of the neck, or blurred vision, during pregnancy there may also be exaggerated swelling of the legs and feet, as well as intense abdominal pain. See all the symptoms and learn how to identify gestational hypertension.
Possible complications
Excessive pressure on the walls of blood vessels caused by hypertension can damage veins, arteries and organs, which can cause serious complications such as:
- Heart attack;
- AVC;
- Aneurysm;
- Cardiac insufficiency;
- Arrhythmia;
- Angina pectoris;
- Renal insufficiency.
High blood pressure can also cause damage to the eyes, as well as leading to reduced blood flow to the brain and causing memory problems, difficulty learning or speaking, and even dementia.
Therefore, it is important to always follow the treatment indicated by your doctor, as the higher the blood pressure and the longer the pressure is uncontrolled, the greater the risk of serious complications.
