What is hypertension?
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition where blood pressure in the arteries increases quite high. High blood pressure is written as two numbers, systolic pressure slash diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the number obtained when the heart contracts, while diastolic pressure is the number obtained when the heart relaxes.
For example, the number 120/80 mmHg (one hundred and twenty eighty) consists of 120 mmHg systolic pressure and 80 mmHg diastolic pressure. A person is said to have high blood pressure if in a sitting position the systolic pressure reaches 140 mmHg or more, also if the diastolic pressure reaches 90 mmHg or more, or both. The following is the classification of blood pressure in adults:
- Normal : systolic below 120 mmHg / diastolic below 80 mmHg
- Prehypertension : systolic 120-139 mmHg / diastolic 80-89 mmHg
- Stage 1 hypertension : systolic 140-159 mmHg / diastolic 90-99 mmHg
- Stage 2 hypertension : systolic 160 mmHg and above / diastolic 100 mmHg and above
- Hypertensive crisis (needs immediate treatment) : systolic 180 mmHg and above / diastolic 110 mmHg and above
Causes of hypertension
There are two types of hypertension, namely primary hypertension and secondary hypertension. Both have different causes.
- Primary hypertension
Several factors are thought to cause primary hypertension including: gene mutations or genetic disorders inherited from the family, physical changes and body functions with age, as well as environmental factors and an unhealthy lifestyle.
- Secondary hypertension
Secondary hypertension can occur quickly and cause more severe effects than primary hypertension. Causes of secondary hypertension are kidney disease, alcoholism, sleep apnea , certain endocrine tumors, and side effects of medications.
Symptoms of hypertension
Often, hypertension or high blood pressure does not cause symptoms, so hypertension is also known as the silent killer , because it can cause sudden death. However, people who have very high blood pressure can experience the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Chest pain and difficulty breathing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Often feel tired or confused
- Often feel pounding in the chest, neck or ear area
Complications due to hypertension
Long-term hypertension can cause complications through atherosclerosis where plaque develops on the walls of blood vessels and results in narrowing of the blood vessels. When it narrows, the heart has to pump harder to circulate blood throughout the body, which can cause a heart attack. Apart from that, hypertension is also said to be a cause of stroke , kidney failure and eye problems. Many patients do not take medication regularly because they are afraid of the side effects of the medication or take medication regularly but their blood pressure is not well controlled. Blood pressure targets differ according to age and comorbidities, so it is best to discuss with your doctor what a good blood pressure target is for each individual patient.
How to prevent and treat hypertension
To treat patients with high blood pressure, patients are required to take blood pressure lowering medication according to the doctor's recommendations regularly because primary hypertension cannot be cured, it can only be controlled with medication and if it is stopped there will be an increase in blood pressure again within days to months. As an early prevention of hypertension or high blood pressure, start adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as:
- Eat healthy food with balanced nutrition
- Exercise and get enough rest
- Maintain weight
- Stop smoking habit
- Reduce consumption of drinks containing caffeine
- Reduce salt consumption
- Managing stress
Hypertension or high blood pressure is often not realized by sufferers. That is why checking your blood pressure with a doctor is very important as a preventive measure. Adults over 40 years are advised to check their blood pressure once a year because blood pressure can change from time to time and it is best to do this in the morning after waking up and in the evening before going to bed to ensure good blood pressure throughout the day. #LiveExcellently
This article was written by dr. Mirna Nurasri Praptini, Sp.PD, M.Epid, KGH, FINASIM (Internal Medicine Specialist- Kidney Hypertension Consultant EMC Alam Sutera & Tangerang Hospital), Member of the Indonesian Nephrology Association, Member of the International Society of Nephrology, Fellow Nephrology.