What Is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)?

There are two main types of high blood pressure: primary and secondary high blood pressure.

• Primary high blood pressure: Also known as essential high blood pressure, this is the most common type of high blood pressure. Primary high blood pressure does not happen as a result of some underlying medical condition. This type of blood pressure develops over time as one gets older.
• Secondary high blood pressure: It is caused by another medical condition or due to the use of certain medications. It gets better once the condition is treated or when the medication is stopped.

People associated with the following risk factors are more likely to get high blood pressure:

• Family history of high blood pressure
• African-American race
• Male gender
• Women aged above 55 years
• Stress
• Obesity
• Consumption of a fat-rich and sodium-rich diet
• Tobacco use
• Oral contraceptive use
• Heavy alcohol drinking
• Physical inactivity
• Diabetes
• Tumors in adrenal or pituitary glands
• Pregnancy
• Production of excess growth hormone
• Problems with parathyroid gland
• Reactions to medicines for other medical problems

High blood pressure affects the body in the following ways:

• It hardens the arteries because the excess pressure in the arteries causes the muscles lining the walls of the artery to thicken, leading to the narrowing of the passage.
• It increases the workload of the heart causing the heart to enlarge. The bigger heart demands more oxygen-rich blood but is unable to obtain it. As a result, the person may feel weak and tired.
• It damages the kidney as the blood supply gets affected due to prolonged high blood pressure.
• It affects the retina of the eye by causing the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) to bleed.

Most of the time, people do not experience any symptoms at all. In some cases, people with high blood pressure experience the following symptoms:

• Pounding feeling in the chest or head
• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness

Lifestyle changes, regular exercises, and blood pressure medications help to treat high blood pressure. Some of the suggested lifestyle changes are as follows:

• Quit smoking
• Lose weight
• Avoid alcohol or at least limit the intake
• Eat a low-sodium, low-fat diet such as the DASH diet
• Avoid stress
• Eat foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium such as bananas and milk
• Regular monitoring of blood pressure after reaching the age of 35
• Practice meditation and other stress-relieving exercises
• Cut down on caffeine

Blood pressure medications include the following:

• Diuretics help the body to eliminate the excess sodium and water
• ACE inhibitors block the enzyme responsible for increased blood pressure
• Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and other vasodilators help to relax and widen the blood vessels to relieve the pressure.