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Symptoms And Causes Of Hypertensive Heart Disease

 

It’s no secret that heart disease is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. High blood pressure (HBP) is one of the major reasons behind one’s risk of developing heart disease. HBP is a condition when pressure that the heart exerts to pump blood increases which can lead to other complications. Hypertensive heart disease refers to heart issues that arise due to high blood pressure that is present over a period of time. Under this condition (HBP), the ticker has to work harder as it pumps against the pressure, which causes the heart muscle to thicken over time.

People may not even realize their pressure is high, since there are often no symptoms with high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often called the silent killer as it usually lacks obvious symptoms, and by the time it comes to the fore, damage to the ticker has already occurred. If not diagnosed early and left unchecked, the muscle may become so thick that it does not get enough oxygen, which can lead to angina (chest pain). Without appropriate HBP monitoring and control, the heart can weaken over time (not being able to pump as efficiently as it could) and heart failure (HF) may develop. The risk of heart attack and stroke also increases in an individual with HBP, since HBP also leads to thickening of the blood vessel walls. When combined with cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels, the aforementioned life-threatening situations can unfold. Hypertensive heart disease is the leading cause of illness and death from HBP.

Symptoms:

High blood pressure develops over a period of time and takes years to manifest. One may not even know they have HBP until damage has already occurred to the major organs in the body, including the brain, kidneys, eyes, and heart (are especially susceptible). Some symptoms you should watch out for:

1.      Headaches

2.      Light-headedness

3.      Shortness of breath

4.      Nosebleed

5.      Pain in the chest

6.      Flushing

7.      Blood in urine

8.      Changes in sight

9.      Fainting spells

Checking the BP is a routine in most doctors. BP is defined as high if the top number is 130 or above, or the bottom number is 80 or higher. Blood pressure checkups at regular intervals are important to protect yourself from other health issues.

Causes:

1.      Genetics (family history- individuals who have a family history needs to be doubly attentive to their blood pressure readings)

2.      Lifestyle choices (eating a calorie and processed food rich diet, lack of physical activity, and having excess weight can lead to hypertensive heart disease)

3.      Physical changes (some other organ malfunctioning could cause your blood pressure to increase, which highlights the importance of getting an annual medical checkup to monitor your BP as well as health of other organs)

Treatment:

Your doctor will suggest lifestyle changes to control your BP if the readings are not to be worried about. You might as well be put on medications. If there is some other disease that has led to HBP, doctors will treat that issue first before resorting to other measures.

Prevention:

When you can prevent it from developing in the first place, why think about treatment measures! Even if you are suffering from hypertension, the following tips will be immensely helpful to lower the BP.

1.      Eat a healthy diet (you’ll most probably be familiar with the link between sodium and BP, and why it’s important to cut down on salt, what you might not know is that much of it comes from food prepared outside the home- say, ordered in a restaurant. It’s advised that you cook with simple, healthy ingredients- a major dietary step that can help lower your BP and improve your heart health. At the same time, look for sources of potassium- mainly found in sweet potatoes, bananas, spinach, and avocados- increasing potassium intake can help to lower your sodium level.)

2.      Exercise regularly

3.      Manage stress well

At CPR Memphis in Tennessee, get trained in the hands of AHA certified instructors. To sign up for a CPR class, contact us at 901-438-4200.

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