31/10/2025
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a common and serious medical condition.
Here is a summary of the key information:
🩸 What is Hypertension?
• It's a condition where the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is consistently too high.
• This forces the heart to work harder and can damage blood vessels over time.
• The only way to know if you have it is to get your blood pressure checked regularly.
Normal blood pressure is generally less than 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension is typically diagnosed if readings are consistently at or above 130/80 mmHg (or \bm{140/90\text{ mmHg}} depending on the guideline).
🤔 Symptoms and Risks
• The "Silent Killer": Most people with hypertension have no symptoms, which is why it's often called the "silent killer."
• Severe Symptoms: Very high blood pressure (hypertensive crisis) may cause symptoms like severe headaches, chest pain, dizziness, blurred vision, difficulty breathing, or nosebleeds. Seek immediate medical care if you experience these.
• Complications: If left untreated, hypertension can lead to serious health issues, including:
• Heart attack and heart disease (angina, heart failure)
• Stroke
• Kidney disease/failure
• Vision problems
• Vascular dementia
🩺 Causes and Risk Factors
1. Primary (Essential) Hypertension:
• This is the most common type and develops over time with no single identifiable cause.
• Risk Factors include:
• Age (risk increases as you get older)
• Family history/Genetics
• Being overweight or having obesity
• High-salt diet and poor nutrition
• Lack of physical activity
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Smoking
• Stress
2. Secondary Hypertension:
• This type is caused by an underlying health condition or medication.
• Examples of causes include:
• Kidney disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Thyroid or adrenal gland problems
• Certain medications (like some over-the-counter cold medicines or pain relievers)
🏥 Treatment and Management
Treatment usually involves a combination of lifestyle changes and medication.
