Age-related features of different periods of a person's life, external and internal causes, changes in hormonal levels, bad habits, and psycho-emotional factors can affect changes in blood pressure and provoke its increase. Not always people go to the doctor in time, so hypertension takes a permanent form. The article will tell about the symptoms of hypertension, as well as its differences from hypotension.
First manifestations
High blood pressure is characterized by morphological changes in the blood vessels that affect a person's general well-being. To understand whether a person has hypertension and what symptoms are characteristic of this pathology, you need to know the simplest self-diagnosis methods that will help you correctly respond to a jump in indicators and prevent complications.
Hypertension is one of the most common diseases. Hypertension occurs in one in three people and is characterized by high mortality rates in severe stages. Only a complex treatment that combines medication and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle can be successful.
Hypertension is characterized by a gradual, prolonged and slow course, and is initially characterized by the absence of severe symptoms. At high pressure, the presence of the disease can be indicated by the periodic appearance of symptoms, including:
- pain in the occipital or temporal region;
- dizziness;
- hearing loss, ringing in the ears;
- blurry vision;
- tachycardia and chest pain;
- nausea and gag reflex;
- feeling short of breath;
- anxiety;
- irritability;
- sweating or chills;
- recurrent nosebleeds
The presence in a person of at least one of the above symptoms of hypertension, which may be the first, is a reason to visit a family doctor or therapist for diagnostic and preventive purposes, since the disease in an untreated advanced stage can lead to such formidable complications as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.
Symptom Characteristics
Arterial hypertension always disappears with a headache in the back of the head or in the temples, which, at the very beginning of the development of the pathology, is well stopped by analgesic drugs. Its appearance is associated with a change in the lumen of the cerebral vessels in the direction of narrowing. People who experience high blood pressure headaches describe it as dull or cramp-like in the back of the head, and sharp, stabbing, and throbbing in the temporal region.
Tinnitus and hearing impairment in hypertension can be caused by malfunction of the hearing aid vessels.
Important! The sudden onset of pain in the head is a direct indication to measure the pressure.
Vision impairment in hypertension in the form of flickering dots (flies) bending in front of the eyes is associated with a lack of blood supply to the retina and poor functioning of the optic nerves.
Nausea and gag reflex occur as a reaction to the appearance of headache and dizziness, and the manifestation of frequent heartbeats and pain behind the sternum is caused by a disorder in the work of the vessels of the pulmonary circulation. The feeling of shortness of breath (difficulty breathing) characterizes high blood pressure and occurs more frequently in obese patients at any age.
The frequent appearance of symptoms of arterial hypertension can cause a state of hypertension. And then hyperemia of the skin of the face, anxiety, heartache will join the above signs of pathology. This condition will not go away on its own and will require emergency therapies.
Important! Symptoms of high blood pressure that appear periodically will prompt the patient to see a doctor and start treatment. The asymptomatic course of the disease robs a person of precious time.
Tonometer indicators
To understand whether there is an increase in pressure, it is necessary to periodically measure the indicators with a tonometer in different conditions (well-being, poor), and also to know their norms.
Standard values are considered 120/80 mm Hg. Art. A range of 10 units from these figures is not a deviation. Signs of an increase greater than 140/90 mm Hg. Art. , in combination with headache, nausea, heart pain are considered symptoms of high blood pressure.
Important! The pressure on a person is always individual, it depends on the body and external causes. "Working" tone: These are the blood pressure numbers at which the patient feels good. Hypertensive patients know their normal values and control them by timely taking antihypertensive drugs selected by the treating physician.
Characteristics of pathology grades.
Signs of high blood pressure directly depend on the degree of height of the indicators, of which there are 3 in hypertension. They can be presented in the form of tables:
| Degrees of hypertension | Systolic index (mm Hg) | Diastolic figures (mm Hg) | The main symptoms of hypertension |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 degree | 140-160 | 90-100 | They pass without a clear clinic, are characterized by periodic increases, quickly normalize. Rarely, dizziness, insomnia, heaviness in the head, with localization in the back of the head, are noted. |
| 2 degrees | 160-180 | 100-110 | Pain in the occipital or temporal region is very pronounced, accompanied by nausea, dizziness, weakness, insomnia. |
| 3rd grade | up to 182 and over | more than 110 | Unbearable headache (especially in the morning), nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, visual disturbances, shortness of breath, sweating, tachycardia, swelling of the lower extremities, thirst, urinary disorders. |
The clinic of hypertension in the initial stages can be mild. A person may not even be aware of the increased pressure and processes developing in the vessels for a long time. The first and first signs of hypertension are irritability for no apparent reason and increased fatigue.
Symptoms of arterial hypertension in hypertension of 2 and 3 degrees with systolic readings greater than 160 mm. lead to a hypertensive crisis, which is characterized by a pronounced pain in the head of a various nature, a feeling of nausea, vomiting, blurred vision (fog, shroud) or flashes of small dots, as well as: tremor in the limbs, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, heart pain, arrhythmia, loss of consciousness.
What is hypertension? All hypertensive patients know this. It helps to know how you can help yourself or a loved one before an ambulance arrives, when an emergency first occurs:
- Place 1 validol or nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue.
- Organize access to air, unbutton tight clothes and give the patient an elevated position in bed (get up on pillows).
- Put mustard plasters on the calf muscles.
- Give inside 30 drops (1 tablespoon) of an alcoholic solution of valerian, motherwort.
- Take any pain reliever for a headache and lubricate the whiskey, forehead, neck area and behind the ears with menthol oil.
- You can soak your feet in hot water for 15 minutes.
In addition, doctors recommend doing a simple exercise to catch your breath. To do this, it is recommended to take a deep breath, hold your breath, and then exhale very slowly. This should be done 3 to 5 times. The position of the body in this case should be reclining.
Important! With untimely assistance to a patient with a hypertensive crisis, a cerebral stroke or myocardial infarction may develop. Since grades 2 and 3 cannot be cured, the patient must keep the pressure rise under constant control.
age characteristics
An increase in pressure in people over 50 years of age is often associated with early problems in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, atherosclerosis, anemia, hyperthyroidism, and impaired kidney function. There may be shortness of breath, pronounced swelling in the legs, cardiac arrhythmia. Compared to men, women get sick more often.
Symptoms of high blood pressure are always due to age-related changes in the vessels, causing a loss of their elasticity. Intermittent claudication, frequent fainting, dizziness when changing body position, noises in the head and a symptom of compressive pain behind the sternum can be added to the typical clinical characteristics of arterial hypertension. There is also malaise, decreased performance and weakness.
Since the growth of indicators can occur in people of different ages, the symptoms of hypertension in adolescents can manifest themselves from the age of 12 (during puberty) and continue up to 17. This is due to the restructuring of the body and changes in hormonal metabolism. . The characteristic signs that an adolescent has high blood pressure are increased sweating, attacks of pounding heartbeats, the presence of tinnitus, dizziness, headaches at any time of the day, insomnia, flushing of the facial skin, discomfort in the epigastric region. .
Important! In order to make sure that a possible pathology of the vessels in this particular case occurs, it is necessary to measure the pressure in a person several times in a row, preferably every 15 minutes. These indicators should be recorded and be sure to report them to the doctor in order to prescribe the appropriate treatment. What medications to take - the doctor will decide.
If you find various symptoms accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, you should consult a doctor, examine yourself and identify the true cause of such a pathology: neoplasms, kidney, endocrine and vascular diseases. The therapist, neuropathologist and family doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment based on the diagnostic data, the functional characteristics of the organism, the age group, the concomitant diseases and the tendency to allergies.
With hypertension, adrenergic blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, slow calcium channel blockers are prescribed.
Apply physiotherapy - electrosleep; magnet therapy; UHF therapy; infrared laser therapy, as well as traditional medicine. Hypertension patients are advised to follow a diet and consume enough fruits and vegetables.
Important! Preventive measures to prevent vascular pathology and the development of hypertension include timely visits to medical examinations, normalization of work and rest, moderation in eating, the fight against excess weight, prevention of stressful situations, the use of sufficient amounts of water, vegetables, fruits, as well as the elimination of dependence on nicotine and alcohol (if any).
Differences between high and low pressure
Along with the signs of hypertension, in which the rate may increase, there are manifestations of low blood pressure, called hypotension.
Periodic decrease in pressure is characterized by indicators below 101/66 mm Hg. Art. It all depends on the age group, so the numbers may vary.
Despite the fact that the presence of an unbearable paroxysmal headache occurs with both hypotension and hypertension, with a decrease in pressure, the following symptoms will be present that distinguish high from low pressure:
- Poor health and weakness. From the very morning the patient feels weakness and malaise.
- cold extremities. Hands and feet are constantly cold.
- Noise in the ears (periodic presence).
- Unpleasant sensations in the region of the heart, tachycardia. Each patient has their own feelings.
- Dizziness and frequent darkening (sometimes double vision) in the eyes. Such symptoms are characteristic not only in the morning, but also during the day.
- Drowsiness during the day, sleep disturbance at night. During the day, patients feel the need to sleep all the time. The peak of activity begins at night. The night passes restlessly, sleep is superficial.
- Digestive problems. Hypotensive patients often have gastritis, liver problems, constipation, dyspepsia, and dysbacteriosis.
The above characteristic symptoms are most often found in young people, most of whom are women. The reason for lowering blood pressure is stress, lack of sleep, poor lifestyle, lack of vitamins, the use of strict diets, hormonal disorders, strong physical and mental stress, the presence of some somatic diseases (endocrine, cervical osteochondrosis, liver, kidneys, VVD, sedentary lifestyle) . Prolonged depression can be one of the main causes of low blood pressure.
The first "bells" about the beginning of the development of hypotension occur when a person heavily gets out of bed in the morning, feeling overwhelmed, irritated and not getting enough sleep. After a while (everyone is purely individual), a headache appears, which may not go away until lunch.
Here, the common symptoms with hypertension are the appearance of nausea, vomiting, weather dependence and fainting - a long asymptomatic course. You can increase low blood pressure by taking special medications, diet therapy, herbal medicine, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Therapy
Drugs that increase blood pressure include Eleutherococcus or Ginseng tinctures, special drugs. Caffeine has the same effect.
Herbal medicine involves taking herbal decoctions and infusions from plants such as St. John's wort, lemongrass, ginseng, immortelle, tartar, and ginger.
For hypotensive patients, it is acceptable to drink small doses of alcohol. A glass of red wine or 25 g of brandy for a week will benefit the body: it will dilate blood vessels and improve blood circulation. A cup of coffee in the morning will bring a good mood.
Hypotensive patients should get enough sleep to feel alert (more than 8 hours a day), move enough, eat a balanced diet, and also do moderate sports (morning exercises, swimming, aerobics, yoga, outdoor games), douching with shower contrast, alternating them with massage.
Important! Untreated hypotension after age 40 can develop into hypertension.
Anyone is advised to carefully monitor their blood pressure levels. It is necessary to use the tonometer in a calm state, in good and bad health, after sleep and before night. It is desirable to write down all indicators, compare and define "your" pressure at which the best working capacity and activity are noted.
If the increased numbers persist for a long time, you should definitely see a doctor to protect yourself from fatal complications in the future. Be healthy!