High Blood Pressure
What Is Hypertension And What Causes It
Essential (or primary) hypertension is hypertension
that has no known cause. Causes may be related to genetics, the
enviroment, hormones or how much sodium (salt) you have in your diet. If
you have a close family member who has been diagnosed with hypertension
there is a greater risk that you will also develop hypertenstion, unless
you make the changes needed to prevent it.
Secondary hypertension is hypertension that is caused by another
condition or disease. This could be due to conditions like
arteriosclerosis, diabetes or kidney disease, or from certain
medications. In these cases keeping these other illnesses/conditions
under control can help to keep your blood pressure under control.
Medication
induced hypertension can be caused either by taking medications or by
stopping medications too quickly. Prescription medicaitons that can
cause hypertension include: corticosteroids, birth control pills and
other hormones, migraine medications, and medications used for chronic
anemia (erythropoieten). Many prescription blood pressure medications
can cause a rebound hypertension if they are not weaned off slowly. Many
over-the-counter medications such as cough/cold medications and
medications for asthma can cause hypertension. Street drugs that can
cause hypertension include: alcohol, amphetamines, ecstasy (MDMA and
derivatives), and cocaine.
Gestational hypertension, caused by
pregnany, must be monitored closely for both the mother and fetus’s
safety. This is one of the reasons your doctor wants to see you more
frequently near the end. If you are having high blood pressure during
your pregnancy your doctor may recommend you cut salt out of your diet
and avoid sodas and processed foods (high in sodium). They may put you
on bed rest or delivery the baby early via C-section if your risk is too
high. Most often your blood pressure returns to normal after the
delivery.
A very small percentage of people with hypertension
will experience malignant hypertension. This is an extremely high blood
pressure that causes swelling of the optic nerve (the nerve that control
vision). This is considered a medical emergency. Many of your vital
organs are in serious risk of injury including your brain, your eyes,
blood vessels, heart, and kidneys.
Hypertensive intracerebral
hemorrhage occures when a blood vessel in your brain bleeds due to high
blood pressure. The blood accumulates and causes swelling in the brain.
Symptoms are usually sudden and vary depending on the extent of damage
and where the bleeding is located.