Hypertension is a condition in which the pressure created by the heart in the veins while pumping blood is above normal values. Blood pressure consists of two different values: “systolic (high blood pressure)”, the pressure created by the heart when pumping blood, and “diastolic (low blood pressure)”, the pressure during the period when the heart stops pumping blood. Normal blood pressure values should be 120-129 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 80-84 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. Borderline normal values are 130-139 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 85-89 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. A systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or more and a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or more are considered high blood pressure.
In our country, 30% of all adult men and 35% of women have high blood pressure. While the prevalence of hypertension is around 19% in the 30-39 age group, less than half of the men and more than half of the women in the 50-59 age group have hypertension. Hypertension usually does not cause any symptoms. It is known that even at dangerously high blood pressure values, some patients do not develop complaints. Symptoms of hypertension include headache, dizziness, weakness, nosebleeds, palpitations, vision problems, frequent urination, edema in the body, and ringing in the ears. Untreated hypertension can lead to sudden or long-term permanent disability and even death. Hypertension, which does not show any symptoms and is not treated for a long time, can cause serious diseases in vital organs such as the heart, kidney, and brain, as well as this high pressure in the vessels can cause damage to the inner surface of the vessel, causing obstruction, enlargement and even rupture. Most people do not know that they have hypertension. The only way to find out is to measure blood pressure.
There are two types of hypertension: primary (primary-essential) and secondary (secondary) hypertension. Although genetic factors, excessive salt consumption, sedentary life, overweight, stress, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are the most common causes of hypertension, the cause of hypertension is not clear in 90-95% of patients. This type of high blood pressure, called primary (primary-essential) hypertension, develops gradually over time. Secondary (secondary) hypertension seen in 5-10% of patients is not an underlying cause. depends on what. These causes include kidney and adrenal gland diseases, narrowing of the kidney vessels, congenital narrowing of a part of the aorta, sleep apnea, thyroid gland diseases, birth control pills, cold medicines, some drugs used in the treatment of rheumatism and depression. Risk factors for hypertension include having a family history of high blood pressure, being over 40 years old, being overweight, smoking, diabetes (diabetes) disease, pregnancy, sedentary lifestyle, not exercising, excessive salt consumption, and excessive alcohol consumption.
The organs most affected by hypertension are; heart, brain, kidneys, great arteries and eyes. Hypertension can cause permanent disability and death by affecting these organs. The main complications caused by hypertension are heart failure, thickening of the heart muscles, narrowing of the vessels feeding the heart (coronary artery disease), heart diseases such as heart attack, cerebral hemorrhage, stroke, narrowing and blockage of the cerebral vessels, memory impairment and difficulty in understanding, dementia (narrowed or clogged arteries restrict blood flow to the brain, which can lead to some types of dementia), kidney failure, impaired kidney function, visual impairment and blindness, enlargement of great arteries, rupture of these dilatations (aortic aneurysm), occlusion of neck and leg veins.
The diagnosis of hypertension is made by regular blood pressure measurements made under appropriate conditions. After resting for at least five minutes, measurements should be made in both arms, and then the measurement should be continued in the arm with high blood pressure. In addition, cigarettes and coffee should not be consumed one hour before the measurement. In some cases, although there is no high blood pressure problem, blood pressure values may be high in the hospital environment. In these cases, called "White Coat Hypertension", a diagnosis can be made with blood pressure monitors or a blood pressure holter device.
There are lifestyle adjustments and medication in the treatment of hypertension. Important lifestyle changes in hypertension include; Reducing salt and eating healthy (increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, reducing saturated and total fat consumption; offal, dried fruit
In some cases, lifestyle changes may not be enough to reduce blood pressure. In particular, if the blood pressure values are greater than 160 mmHg, and small 100 mmHg and above, drug treatment is absolutely necessary. Hypertension drugs should be used regularly and every day, and should not be left without medical control. Medicines that lower blood pressure can have side effects like other medicines. When a side effect is seen in a drug group, it can be changed with another group of drugs, and if the side effect is dose-related, the dose of the drug can be adjusted by the physician. In case of any side effects related to the drug, the physician should be consulted before taking the next dose or deciding to stop the drug completely.
Since hypertension is a chronic, i.e. continuous disease, it is very important to have a physician check-up at regular intervals, to implement life-long lifestyle changes, to use the medications that the physician deems appropriate, regularly and without interruption, in keeping high blood pressure under control. The need for drugs can be reduced by well-applied diet, exercise and weight control. However, their medications should not be discontinued and their dosages should not be changed unless the physician recommends and makes a regulation. The belief that drugs are addictive or damage the kidneys and other organs is not true. It should not be forgotten that untreated hypertension causes the greatest damage to organs.
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