Hypertension Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Hypertension - Essay Example a. Family history b. Poor diet c. Lack of physical activity Causes the weakening and enlargement of the heart. Narrowing of arteries limits blood supply to legs, kidney, heart and brain. Causes bleeding or bursting of eye blood vessels, hence the blood spots in the eyes C. How Hypertension is Diagnosed a. Physical exam of the heart and ankle and arm pulses (www.nhlbi.nih.gov, www.heart.org) b. Sphygmomanometer (www.heart.org) D. Main Treatments for Hypertension 1. Calcium channel blockers (www.ash-us.org) a. Widens blood vessels b. Minimizes chances of blood spots in the eye. 2. Diuretics (www.nhlbi.nih.gov, www.ash-us.org) a. Makes it easier for heart to pump b. Reduce dizziness, making one active. E. Examples of Current Research on Hypertension 1. Innovating more effective anti-hypertension drugs – Research into the efficacy and safety of newly discovered anti-hypertension drugs at Rhode Island Hospital (www.rhodeislandhospital.org) 2. Integrating technology in hypertension management - E-health technology to connect patient to medical team (www.ahrq.gov) F. References A. Hypertension and its Symptoms My selected ailment is hypertension. ... These diseases which hypertension would most likely occur with include kidney disease, obesity, diabetes and other lifestyle and genetic co-existing problems. Against the misconception that those people with hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, experience headaches, sweating, nervousness, facial flushing and sleeping difficulties, the condition according to the American Heart Association, AHA (2012) is largely symptomless. Nonetheless, eyes with blood spots could be an indirect indicator of hypertension resulting from damage to the optic nerve by untreated hypertension. Facial flushing, the red burning face, could occur due to temporary rise in blood pressure caused by alcohol consumption, exercise, emotional stress or heat, but is still not a direct outcome of hypertension. With hypertension being among the major stroke risk factors, dizziness, a warning sign of stroke, could be a pointer to hypertension. B. The Main Causes of Hypertension Hypertension would largel y be caused by genetic factors and lifestyle as indicated by AHA (2012). Parents prone to hypertension would likely pass on the risk of the condition to their children, and this cannot be controlled. Poor diet has been noted to contribute to hypertension, particularly diets rich in sugars, fats and calories and low in essential nutrients. This makes one prone to obesity which risks the onset of hypertension. Excessive salt, especially to salt-sensitive persons, retains excess body fluids which could burden the heart, thus raising the blood pressure. Moreover, lack of physical activity increases the risk of obesity and being overweight which in turn exposes such persons to the risk of hypertension. These causes result in fatty deposits, known as plaques, to build