The disease and its causes. Blood pressure readings are taken to learn the force with which blood is pressing on artery walls. The heart exerts the highest pressure (systole phase) when it is pumping a fresh provide of blood, and the bottom pressure (diastole phase) when it pauses in the middle of beats to fill with blood. When readings are repeatedly above 150 systolic and 100 diastolic, they indicate that the blood circulation of the outpatient is impaired, and he is said to have high blood pressure, or hypertension.
Factors within the blood vessels, such as the elasticity and resistance of the circulatory system, play a major role. The whole of blood within the circulatory system, the thickness of that blood, and the whole of blood put out by the heart with each beat are other considerations.
Known causes of high blood pressure include anemia, hyperthyroid disease, persisting kidney disease, inescapable endocrine disorders, brain tumors, and congenital defects in the aorta. However, in most patients suffering from high blood pressure, the cause is unknown.
Symptoms. Elevated or high blood pressure itself rarely produces any indispensable symptoms. There can be complaints of dull, pounding headache over the back of the head, which start in the morning and wear off while the day. There can be nervousness, dizziness, palpitations, and weakness. Nosebleed is sometimes a symptom.
With kidney disease there may be blood in the urine.
When there is cerebral arteriosclerosis or coronary hearth disease, the symptoms are as described in the book under those headings. When hypertensive heart disease develops, heart failure and its symptoms can follow. On rare occasions, hypertension will manufacture rapidly and progressively - with acute attacks marked by headaches, visual disturbances, vomiting, coma, and convulsion.
Complications. These depend upon the organ involved. With the kidneys, kidney failure with uremia can develop. With coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, in which there is death of some of the tissues of the heart muscle, can develop. If hypertensive heart disease develops, a coarse follow-up is congestive heart failure. When there is involvement of blood vessels of the brain, complications include cerebral vascular accidents such as strokes.
Prevention. The cause should be established, if possible. If one kidney is involved, surgery very often can whether cure the health or delay the onset of serious symptoms. If tumors of the endocrine principles are the cause, surgery may be the cure. If a outpatient is badly overweight, that health should be corrected.
The emotional state of a outpatient could be a factor and should be investigated and treated, if possible. When no cause is found, the physician will prescribe a schedule of diet and medication to make the outpatient more comfortable.
