Many people suffer from hypertension unawares because, it is a public health problem with no apparent symptoms. Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension is an enduring medical ailment whereby the blood pressure in the arteries is raised. When the blood flows through the arteries, it pushes against the artery walls with a lot of pressure causing a rise in the blood pressure. Hypertension can either be primary or secondary hypertension whereby primary hypertension has no fundamental causes while secondary hypertension has discernible causes. Hypertension is more predominant in men than in women and in people over the age of 65 years.
The underlying causes of hypertension are unidentified, but primary hypertension is linked to environmental factors and gene interactions. However, the generic cause of hypertension is still unclear, but genes with effects on blood pressure are said to cause hypertension. According to Casey, environmental factors are said to influence and individuals blood pressure (2011). For instance, environmental factors such as high salt intake, stress, depression, obesity and lack of physical exercises. Other possible causes of hypertension are vitamin D deficiency, too much of caffeine consumption, and insulin resistance. Secondary hypertension is caused by specific health conditions, for instance, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, acromegaly, Cushing’s syndrome, pheochromocytoma, and Conn’s syndrome. Secondary hypertension can also be caused by pregnancy, excessive consumption of liquor, obesity, and the intake of herbal and illegal drugs. Smoking, aging, kidney disease, and living a sedentary life are also associated with hypertension.
Hypertension is a public health condition that is rarely accompanied by symptoms, and can only be diagnosed through screening. In addition, hypertension can also be identified when a patient seeks medical help for other health conditions. Chummun notes that, many people are unaware of the condition and can live with it for many years before it is diagnosed due to lack of symptoms (2011). Hypertension is characterized by instances of persistent high blood pressure. In addition, patients with hypertension experience constant headaches, vertigo, fainting episodes, and tinnitus. Other symptoms include nausea, chest pains, vision problems, irregular heartbeats, and breathing problems. It is important for people who notice these symptoms to seek medical advice, before the problem advances.
Hypertension is a serious condition if not treated because it puts the patients at a high risk of suffering from a heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Therefore, it is essential for patients to check their blood levels regularly. The preeminent way to treat hypertension is to help the patient lower the increased blood pressure. The blood pressure ought to be below 140/90 and even less than that for patients with chronic kidney failures, and diabetes. Therefore, treating hypertension is a way of reducing the development of other hypertension-related diseases, for instance, heart failure, and stroke.
Hypertension can either be treated medically or by changing an individual’s lifestyle. In addition, a patient can use the two combined for better results. Several drugs can be used for the treatment of hypertension, for instance, ARB drugs, AC inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, beta-blockers, and peripheral vasodilators. These drugs can be used alone or combined depending on the patients conditions. Apart from the drugs, it is essential for hypertension patient to change their sedentary lifestyle and indulge in physical exercise. Physical activities help the patients to burn the unused fats in the body in addition to helping the heart pump regularly. Moreover, hypertension patients are required to practice healthy eating by avoiding foods rich in fats. Additionally, they are also advised to consume foods rich in nitrates, for instance, beetroots, lettuce, cabbage, radishes, fennel, just to mention but a few. Hypertension is a health condition that can be prevented when people learn to live a healthy life with regular exercises. It is important to reduce stress, avoid regular and excessive intake of alcohol, reduce the salt intake, and regularly exercise for a life free from hypertension.
Diabetes is a type of metabolic condition that is characterized by inadequate insulin and high blood sugar. It is considered to be an enduring illness that causes high blood sugar levels if not monitored well. There is type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes that affects pregnant women mostly. The most common symptoms for diabetes are intense thirst and hunger, frequent urination, fatigue, strange weight loss or gain, numbness, and bruises and cuts that fail to heal. There is no underlying cause of the types of diabetes because the reasons differ dependent on the type of diabetes and the person suffering from the condition. Diabetes is a treatable disease, but diabetes type one has no cure and last for a lifetime. Likewise, type 2 diabetes lasts for a lifetime but it is manageable and treatable through regular exercises, eating healthily, and avoiding unnecessary weight loss and gain. The best treatment for type 1 diabetes is the daily use of insulin injections combined with exercise and a special diet. Alternatively, type 2 diabetes is treated with a special diet, tablets, exercises and at times insulin injections.
Hyperlipidemia is a condition involving irregular raised levels of lipids in the blood. This condition can either be primary which is caused by genetic abnormalities or secondary, which is caused by an underlying illness that alters plasma lipids, and idiopathic which has no known cause. Hyperlipidemia has no symptoms and is mainly caused by an individual’s lifestyle or untreatable severe medical conditions. The condition is also genetic and needs a blood test for diagnosis because it has no symptoms. Hyperlipidemia is treatable depending on an individual’s lipid levels and general health. There are medications that lower the lipid levels in the body for instance statin drugs, fibrates, and niacin. However making a change in one’s lifestyle is necessary for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, for example, low cholesterol intake and regular physical exercises.
Thyroid disease is a condition that impairs the thyroid functions. There are different types of thyroid disorders, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism. The disease is caused by the overproduction of thyroid hormones that causes inflammation in the thyroid. Thyroid disease is treatable with medications, surgery, or radioiodine therapy.
References
Casey, G. (2011). Blood and hypertension: the damage of too much pressure. Kai Tiaki
Nursing New Zealand, 17(8), 26-31.
Chummun, H. (2011). The management of hypertension: the impact of nurse-led clinics.
Nurse Prescribing, 9(2), 68-74.
