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Pathophysiology Of Hypertension

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2. Etiology and Pathophysiology of Hypertension with Rationale:
The etiology (cause of disease/disorder) of hypertension (high blood pressure) is unknown. However there are numerous factors and conditions that contribute to the development of high blood pressure. These factors and conditions include, but are not limited to: smoking, obesity, old age, sleep apnea (definition to follow), a high sodium (salt) diet, or a lack of exercise/physical activity. Although smoking has not been definitively proven to cause hypertension, it does have a lasting effect. Every time someone smokes a cigarette, their blood pressure temporarily increases. This even lasts a few minutes after you have finished. Another factor, obesity (body mass index higher than …show more content…

This means that the patient could not experience any signs or symptoms of having high blood pressure, even if it is dangerously high. The only way to see if one’s blood pressure is high is to have it checked regularly. However, if someone’s blood pressure is extremely high then some symptoms may arise. These includes: Severe headaches, fatigue or confusion, vision impairments, chest pain, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, or even blood in the urine. A patient who is experiencing these symptoms could be having a hypertensive crisis. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke. If these symptoms go untreated it can lead to a stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, or eye …show more content…

This is done by placing an inflatable cuff around the upper arm and is measured on the pressure-measuring gauge. There are two numbers read when taking a blood pressure and it is usually given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The first, top number is the systolic pressure. It measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second, bottom number is the diastolic pressure. It measures the pressure in your arteries between beats. There are four categories that a blood pressure measurement falls under. The first is normal blood pressure which means the reading is below 120/80 mm Hg. The second category is prehypertension. In this category, the systolic pressure ranges from 120 to 139 mm Hg or the diastolic pressure ranges from 80 to 89 mm Hg. The next category is stage 1 hypertension. Within this category the systolic pressure ranges from 140 to 159 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure ranging from 90 to 99 mm Hg. The fourth and final category is stage 2 hypertension. This is the most severe of the four categories of hypertension. The systolic pressure can be from 160 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic pressure of 100 mm Hg or higher during stage 2 hypertension. Another test that a doctor could perform is a 24-hour blood pressure monitoring test. This is called ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The device used provides a more accurate blood pressure reading over

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