Blood Pressure
What Is the Connection Between High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease?
High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease. The excess strain from high blood pressure is what causes coronary arteries to build up fat, cholesterol, and plaque. This buildup narrows the passage of blood through the arteries, causing blood to stop flowing to a part of your heart muscle. This blockage and lack of blood flow is what causes a heart attack.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
In many cases, patients with high blood pressure don’t know they have it. In fact, high blood pressure is a “silent killer” as it is mostly symptomless. The only way to monitor high blood pressure is through regular checkups. Regular checkups are even more important if you have a close relative with high blood pressure.
These are the most common signs and symptoms of extremely high blood pressure.
If you have any of these symptoms, call Agape Family Medical Center immediately:
- Fatigue or confusion
- Vision problems
- Severe headache
- Difficulty breathing
- Blood in urine
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Pounding in chest, neck, or ears
- Irregular heartbeat
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
The exact causes of high blood pressure are unknown, but in some cases high blood pressure can be a result of an underlying condition. There are two types of high blood pressure.
Primary Hypertension
Most patients don’t have an identifiable cause of high blood pressure. Primary hypertension, sometimes referred to as essential hypertension, tends to develop gradually over time.
Secondary Hypertension
Secondary hypertension is high blood pressure caused by an underlying condition. This type of blood pressure appears suddenly and causes higher blood pressure than primary hypertension.
There are several conditions and medications that can cause secondary hypertension, including
- Kidney problems
- Adrenal gland tumors
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Thyroid problems
- Blood vessel defects you’re born with
- Certain medications, including cold remedies, decongestants, birth control pills, over-the-counter pain relievers, and certain prescription drugs
- Illegal drugs, like cocaine and amphetamines
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