Hypertension: What You Need to Know About It

High blood pressure can develop over many years and affects everyone at some point in life but if not treated for a very long time, it can escalate the risks of a number of cardiovascular problems and chronic kidney disorders.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition where the long term force induced by blood on the artery walls may lead to health complications.

Different types of hypertension:

1. Primary Hypertension: High blood pressure caused by genetic, prenatal or other natural causes like aging (people over 60 develop HBP) is known as primary hypertension.
2. Secondary Hypertension: Secondary hypertension is that which is caused due to specific conditions, like kidney disorders, lung disorders etc.

Symptoms Of Hypertension:

It may not show any warning symptoms for several years while it continues to develop. A few tell-tale signs are frequent throbbing headaches, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, excessive sweating but these only occur when there is an extremely serious medical complication.

Complications of hypertension:

1. Hypertension can also result in a disorder called aneurysm in which the blood vessels tend to swell and weaken. Rupture of an aneurysm can be fatal.
2. Heart failure is one of the most serious complications associated with hypertension. It becomes increasingly difficult for the heart to pump blood along with the high pressure. Consequently the heart muscle thickens and leads to cardiac arrest.
3. Uncontrolled high blood pressure and interference with your ability to remember and think. It can trigger memory loss and affect your understanding and deriving skills.
4. Persistent high blood pressure can result in atherosclerosis - hardening of the arteries. This can severely wreck cardiovascular health and cause stroke, heart attack or other complications.