Introduction
Many patients neglect the prevention of hypertension and do not lead a healthy lifestyle. Their diagnosis remains undetected, although a visit to a doctor could have improved their condition. Moreover, millions of patients diagnosed with hypertension do not receive adequate treatment. An unbalanced diet is a cause that can lead to hypertension. A diet low in fat and cholesterol, and rich in grains, fruits, and vegetables, is recommended for people with high blood pressure.
Such a disease is a risk factor, the elimination of which is essential in terms of one’s heart health. In most cases, high blood pressure practically does not manifest itself in any way, and it can be detected only by measuring it oneself or with someone else’s help. Since hypertension causes complications in many other human organs, it becomes a concurrent cause of death in people. This circumstance obliges doctors to pay attention to preventing the onset of this disease and its treatment to stop a decline in the population’s health level.
Hypertension is a chronic disease associated with a disturbance in the diet of people. The diagnosis of arterial hypertension is based on repeatedly recorded numbers of high blood pressure. Blood pressure level 140/90 mm Hg. and above is considered elevated and is the basis for examination for arterial hypertension. I chose this research topic because this disease significantly influences the population’s health not only in the United States but also throughout the world (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, 2017).
Moreover, people with low incomes are especially susceptible to the disease (Mills et al., 2020). It was important for me to ensure that the sources found for this research were peer-viewed and relevant to the research topic – this is how I assessed their credibility. When I selected the articles and reports, I needed to use a keyword search I visited Google Scholar and online research sites, but I did not go to the campus library site. Therefore, when preparing to create a list of references, I had to remove some sources. Next, the epidemiological aspects of hypertension will be examined: the patterns of the onset and spread of the disease.
Epidemiology
To reduce the impact of a particular disease on the country’s population, it is necessary to find out the reasons that affect the rate of its spread and the key trends of this process. Recently, the prevalence of hypertension has increased, especially in low- and middle-income countries (Mills et al., 2020). However, despite many hypertension cases, the level of awareness of the nature and causes of the disease remains low. Hypertension is a leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (GBD 2017 Causes of Death Collaborators, 2018). It should also be noted that, on average, men have a higher blood pressure than women (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, 2017).
After menopause, women often notice an increase in pressure due to hormonal changes in their bodies. Estrogens, which are actively produced at a young age, prevent the development of hypertension, and then their number drops sharply. Social, economic, and environmental factors also have a significant bearing on the course and spread of the disease.
In itself, the deterioration in the quality of nutrition causes a general decline in health and is associated with an exacerbation of hypertension. Population aging and urbanization are causing a decrease in physical activity and people’s attention to what they eat (Mills et al., 2016). The state can help the population fight against the disease by increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in stores and controlling the maximum permissible amount of sodium in products manufactured in the country (Zhou et al., 2021).
Diet food for hypertension developing against the background of obesity should contribute not only to the normalization of water-salt balance and lipid-carbohydrate metabolism but also to reducing body weight. In case of hypertension in combination with obesity, it is recommended to reduce caloric intake by decreasing the fat content. The following section will discuss the causes of hypertension in detail.
Etiology
Often, hypertension is an integral part of multiple organ pathology and aggravates the course of other diseases; however, its origin is still unknown. If untreated, hypertension increases the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and renal failure (Forouzanfar et al., 2017). It is also a significant risk factor for developing heart failure. The main symptom of hypertension is a headache due to the vasoconstriction and spasm of the brain. In addition, common symptoms of hypertension are noise in the ears, a veil before the eyes, and general weakness (Adnan et al., 2018). Not uncommon, such signs as sleep disturbance, dizziness, and a feeling of heaviness in the head.
Increased blood pressure is influenced by, among others, heredity, being overweight, diabetes, kidney disease, and lifestyle choices such as excessive salt and alcohol consumption or lack of mobility. Researchers have long discovered the relationship between nutrition and human health (Nelms & Sucher, 2020). However, the main reasons for the appearance of hypertension are still usually considered a violation of rational nervous regulation due to emotional instability, stress, and severe psychological trauma. The hereditary dependence on the formation of hypertension has been proven – more than 20 genes have been identified as responsible for the development of pathology (Patel et al., 2017).
Each of these factors itself and all of them together lead a person to arterial hypertension. If it is not controlled, the clinical manifestations will increase and move on to many fatal diseases. These include stroke, myocardial infarction, a sharp deterioration in vision, kidney damage, and a violation of hormonal regulation of the body (Wilhelmsen, 1989). Uncontrollable risk factors include a family history of hypertension, age over 65, and comorbid conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease. The following paragraph will describe how the disease progresses in terms of organ systems and their functioning.
Anatomy and Physiology
To talk about diseases of the cardiovascular system, it is necessary to imagine their structure. The circulatory system is divided into arterial and venous; through the arterial system, blood flows from the heart; through the venous system – blood flows towards the heart. In medical science, a large and small circle of blood circulation is distinguished. To move blood through the branched system of arteries and veins, it is necessary to expend a certain amount of force or energy. The force acting on the walls of blood vessels during blood flow is what doctors call pressure. Indeed, the strength of blood pressure depends on the work of the heart, but arterioles – the smallest arteries – play an equally important role in the regulation of pressure (Magder, 2018). They can relax if necessary to lower blood pressure or contract to increase it.
High blood pressure contributes significantly to the coarsening of the arteries from the aorta to the arterioles. The increasing pressure on the inner walls of blood vessels makes them more susceptible to the accumulation of heavy elements (Lu & Zhang, 2019). Subsequently, the development of this disease leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the arteries and angina pectoris (Kornowski et al., 1997).
Narrowing of the arteries in the legs can cause symptoms such as pain and stiffness when walking. When diagnosing hypertension, complaints are clarified, and a complete medical and family history is collected to assess the hereditary predisposition to hypertension. It is essential to conduct an objective examination, during which the determination of anthropometric data is carried out to identify overweight or obesity. The results of a general blood test and a general urine test become a source of information for the doctor. Further, it is planned to discuss the occurrence, development, and outcome patterns of pathological processes in hypertension.
Pathophysiology
High blood pressure forces the kidneys to work harder. In addition, damage to the smallest vessels within the renal nephrons reduces the amount of filtered blood. Subsequently, this can lead to a reduction in the filtering capacity of the kidneys. Because of these changes, the protein is excreted in the urine before returning to the bloodstream. On the contrary, the waste that is usually eliminated can enter the bloodstream. The process leads to a severe condition – uremia, and subsequently to renal failure, requiring regular dialysis or blood purification (Gallibois et al., 2017). Moreover, in addition to affecting blood vessels, high pressure can impair people’s vision.
Many tiny blood vessels are susceptible to high blood pressure at the bottom of the eyeball. After a few years of uncontrolled hypertension, degeneration of the retina may begin due to insufficient blood supply, pinpoint bleeding, or the accumulation of cholesterol in the vessels; this condition is called retinopathy (Liu et al., 2020). The risk of developing retinopathy is exceptionally high in patients with diabetes.
Arterial hypertension is much easier to prevent than cure; therefore, prevention of hypertension is needed, even if the signs of the disease have not yet appeared. It is imperative to follow the doctor’s orders for those people who have a history of two or more risk factors. Those who feel they are sick should undergo annual medical examinations with a cardiologist or therapist. Prevention of arterial hypertension occupies a special place in medical practice.
It begins with finding out the causes, studying individual risk factors, and carefully following the hypertension treatment regimen (Carey et al., 2018). For the treatment of the disease, both drug and non-drug therapy are used. Medicines for the treatment of hypertension are aimed at preventing an increase in blood pressure. Doctors also recommend lifestyle changes, such as a special diet or moderate exercise (Nelms & Sucher, 2020). Next, it is required to summarize the data obtained during the analysis of the available literature.
Conclusion
I used only academic sources in my research, including books on medicine, reports, and articles from scientific journals. The literature used was peer-viewed and relevant to the research topic I determined if a given source was appropriate for the study based on keyword searches and reviewing abstracts or article summaries. I used all possible Internet materials to ensure that the sources found are sufficient and that they all meet the research objectives.
Preventive measures should be carried out not only by the person himself but also at the state level. The state could reduce table salt content in products and create conditions for sports and a smoking-free environment. It is much more complicated than just taking a pill, but it is much more effective. It should be noted that not many people are aware of the causes of the onset and the factors affecting the course of the disease. Therefore, the state’s task should be to familiarize citizens with the importance of timely access to a doctor to avoid the aggravation of the condition health.
It is recommended to eliminate products containing caffeine, fatty foods, and alcohol. Potatoes, beans, and peas can be consumed in moderation, and the basis of nutrition for hypertension should be low-fat varieties of meat, fish, milk, low-fat cheeses, and crumbly porridge. A diet with hypertension is of particular importance if high blood pressure is caused by excess weight.
Its initial cause is emotions and powerful experiences, accompanied by various reactions in healthy people, including increased blood pressure. Frequent stressful situations sooner or later lead to persistent high blood pressure. Endocrine factors also play a role in the development of hypertension. It is well known that men of mature age, women in menopause, and, finally, people with various pathologies of the pituitary gland and adrenal glands are more prone to increased pressure. The progression of the disease leads to symptoms of heart failure: shortness of breath on exertion, and feeling short of breath. The chronic nature of the pathology is accompanied by edema of the legs, and puffiness of the face.
The wrong dosage of the medicine chosen oneself can be a fatal mistake. That is why it is necessary to reduce pressure only under the supervision of a doctor. Modern drugs allow a complex effect on the body and minimize the consequences. However, they need to be taken competently, knowing the complete clinical picture.
The heart muscle is forced to work with increased stress to push blood into the narrowed blood vessels and provide adequate blood flow, increasing blood pressure. Continuous and long-term growth in blood pressure is due to a change in the ratio of three hemodynamic parameters:
- An increase in the total peripheral vascular resistance;
- An increase in the minute volume of cardiac output;
- An increase in the volume of circulating blood.
Among the laboratory and instrumental research methods, the general study of urine is used. It includes determining the physical and chemical properties and assessing the qualitative and quantitative composition of the elements of the urinary sediment. It is carried out to diagnose and differential diagnosis of kidney and urinary tract diseases, screening, and dispensary examination. Also, this method is used to assess the course of diseases in the urinary system and control the development of complications. According to the indications, the doctor may prescribe more complex examinations. During the study, some lessons became clear that should be taken into account.
Lessons Learned
First, it is worth thinking about prevention for those whose blood pressure is within a high or borderline norm. This necessity mainly applies to aged people and those with diabetes. Examination by a cardiologist at least once a year will primarily ensure the patient is against the unexpected development of hypertension. Today there is a vast variety of antihypertensive (blood pressure lowering) drugs. Their mechanisms of action are different and cover almost all the reasons leading to an increase in pressure.
That is why only a doctor who has determined the cause of high blood pressure in a particular patient knows the individual characteristics of his body and the peculiarities of the course of his disease; only he can choose a medicine that is effective in a particular case. In the course of the study, it became apparent that with hypertension, it is essential not only to seek help on one’s own but also to use doctors’ services so as not to harm health.
During the research, it was possible to find out how stress and hypertension are interrelated. The pressure rises as a reaction to the processes taking place in the body and outside it. These are stress, an uncomfortable environment, and an increased level of danger. In these cases, a protective reaction is triggered in the body. The blood begins to emit adrenaline. As a result, the work of the heart increases, which leads to vasoconstriction and muscle contraction. In the complex, the reaction of the body affects the rise in pressure. Since a person is not immune from overvoltage, he often experiences such a load on the work of organs. This already leads to a direct threat to health. In addition to the fact that it is important to pay attention to the foods consumed and the ratio of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, this aspect should also not be ignored.
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