Are You Aware About the Secondary Causes of Hypertension?

Sometimes certain existing ailments can trigger hypertension. It is as dangerous to an individual’s health as primary hypertension. But unlike primary hypertension, secondary hypertension has some clear causes.

What are the causes of Secondary Hypertension?

Secondary hypertension can be triggered by any of the following causes-

• Diabetes: Diabetes damages the kidneys and affects their ability to flush out waste from the body. This can lead to hypertension.

• Polycystic kidney disease: When cysts develop in the kidneys, the kidneys cannot function like they are supposed to and this causes hypertension.

• Cushing syndrome: The corticosteroid medicines that are consumed to cure Cushing syndrome trigger hypertension as a side effect. Also, sometimes because of this syndrome, a pituitary tumour may develop and too much cortisol (a stress hormone) may be produced which spikes blood pressure.

• Aldosteronism: A tumour of the thyroid gland is responsible for the excessive secretion of the hormone aldosterone. And because of this, the kidneys retain too much salt and lose excessive potassium. This causes an electrolyte imbalance and makes blood pressure soar.

• Pheochromocytoma: The body produces too much adrenaline and in the long term the presence of an excess amount of stress hormone can trigger hypertension.

• Hyper and hypothyroidism: When our thyroid gland is incapable of producing the right amount of thyroid hormone, it can cause hypertension.

• Sleep apnoea: People with sleep apnoea stop breathing for short stretches of time when they sleep. The lack of oxygen can damage the walls of the arteries and make it difficult to regulate blood pressure.

• Pregnancy: Sometimes women with steady blood pressure develop hypertension when they are pregnant.

• Obesity: The larger your body mass, the more blood you need. That means the heart has to work extra hard to pump blood to all parts of your body. This can lead to the wear and tear of arteries. Moreover, fat deposits in the arteries can make them thick and make it difficult for blood to flow smoothly to the heart. This causes hypertension.

You should check your blood pressure regularly, especially if you have been diagnosed with any of the above-mentioned ailments. Hypertension can easily be checked with medicines and a proper diet.