Hypertension

Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms. However, a few symptoms people with hypertension may have are:

• Headaches

• Shortness of breath

• Nosebleeds

These symptoms are not specific, as they only occure when blood pressure has reached a life-threatening stage. 

Blood presuure is determined by:

• the amount of blood the heart pumps

• how hard it is for the blood to move through the arteries.

There are two main types of hypertension:

1. Primary Hypertension (Essential Hypertension) - Primary hypertension is where there si no identifiable cause of hypertension. Where it devloped gradually over the years, which causes plaque buildup in the arteries. Thsi is calles atherosclerosis  and it iceases the risk of high blood pressure. 

2. Secondary Hypertension - This type of blood pressure si caused by an underlying condition, where it appears suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than primary hypertension. Conditions that may lead to secondary hypertension include:

• Adrenal glad tumors

• Congenital heart defects

• Prescription dugs such as cough or cold medicines and birth control pills

• Cocaine and amphetamines 

• Kidney disease

• Sleep apnea

• Thyroid problems

High blood pressure has many risk factors, including:

• Age - the risk of high bood pressure increases with age, where women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after the age of 65 while men after 64.

• Race - high blood pressure is common among people of african descent. Where it develops more earlier in people of african descent.

• Family history - where you are more likely to have hypertension if a close family memeber such as parents or aunt have hypertension,

• Being overweight

• Lack of excercise

• Tabacco use or vaping

• Eating food with too much salt

• Drinking too much alcohol

• Stress

• Chronic conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease

• Pregnancy

Uncontrolled high blood presssure can lead to complications including:

• Heart attack or stroke. Hardening and thickening of the arteries due to high blood pressure or other factors can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications.

• Aneurysm. Increased blood pressure can cause a blood vessel to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening.

• Heart failure. When you have high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood. The strain causes the walls of the heart's pumping chamber to thicken. This condition is called left ventricular hypertrophy. Eventually, the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, causing heart failure.

• Kidney problems. High blood pressure can cause the blood vessels in the kidneys to become narrow or weak. This can lead to kidney damage.

• Eye problems. Increased blood pressure can cause thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes, which can result in vision loss.

• Dementia. Narrowed or blocked arteries can limit blood flow to the brain. This can cause a certain type of dementia called vascular dementia. A stroke that interrupts blood flow to the brain also can cause vascular dementia.