Different Types of Hypertension
Author: tiger Published Under: Health
Hypertension is basically high blood pressure and carries with it a number of risks. In the body, the pressure at which the blood is pushing against the walls of arteries and cells is the blood pressure, which is related to the heart. Measuring blood pressure is fairly simple and is used to determine if someone has hypertension.
Typically, a blood pressure rating that is under 120/80 is considered normal. Prehypertension is between 120/80 and 139/89, which is the state when hypertension is immanent but has not officially started yet. Stage I Hypertension is next, which falls in between 140/90 and 159/99. Stage II Hypertension is anything above 160/100.
There are actually a number of factors that can cause high blood pressure, with things like exercise easily increasing blood pressure. However, hypertension is when the blood pressure is high all the time and not only after a work out or rigorous exercise.
Types of Hypertension
Doctors describe hypertension in regards to how it is caused, as well as what effect it has on the body.
- Primary Hypertension: During Primary Hypertension, the elevated blood pressure does not have a discernible cause. That is to say there is not a specific medical condition that causes it. However, risk factors, such as smoking, diet, and fitness can play a role in primary hypertension. The overwhelming majority of those with hypertension have Primary Hypertension.
- Secondary Hypertension: Secondary Hypertension is when a medical condition causes hypertension, such as could be the case during Chronic Kidney Failure. This type of hypertension is far less common. One of the most common causes for secondary hypertension is renal artery stenosis, which is a disease that causes the arteries to grow more narrow, as a result increasing blood pressure in a manner similar to how putting your finger over the end of a hose makes it spray faster.
- Labile Hypertension: In someone with Labile Hypertension, the blood pressure changes quickly and often. In many cases, it is caused by things like caffeine drugs, or stress. In most cases, the person exhibits rises that are fall into the hypertension category, but this is not always the case, as labile hypertension can occur even at low blood pressures.
- Malignant Hypertension: Malignant Hypertension is not very common and is actually exceptionally rare, but it can be very serious. It is characterized by sharp increases in blood pressure, which usually also come with headaches and other conditions. The risk of a stroke or other serious blood pressure related condition is much higher in those with malignant hypertension.
- White-Coat Hypertension: Stress and anxiety can increase blood pressure and often this is the cause of hypertension. In the past, doctors had considered stress related hypertension to be a temporary problem, but studies seem to suggest that it may have a much more long term effect than commonly believed.
Hypertension can be a serious problem, which carries with it a number of health risks. Many of those with primary hypertension find that their activities, such as tobacco and alcohol usage, play a big role in the development of the disease.