Description of Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure (HBP), causes an excessive amount of pressure on artery walls. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 65 million American adults suffer from this potentially life-threatening health condition.

Primary Hypertension

• Most hypertension patients suffer from primary hypertension, which is also called essential hypertension. Primary hypertension has no apparent cause and develops gradually over time.

Secondary Hypertension

• A small percentage of hypertension cases are the result of another health condition such as congenital heart defects, adrenal gland tumors or kidney abnormalities. Secondary hypertension causes very high blood pressure levels and tends to come on suddenly.

Symptoms

• The most common symptoms of hypertension include dull headaches, nosebleeds and dizzy spells. These symptoms frequently don't appear until the hypertension has reached an advanced stage.

Risk Factors

• Risk factors include age, obesity, genetics and race. Individuals who smoke, drink alcohol and are physically inactive have a greater risk of becoming hypertensive.

Considerations

• Individuals can have hypertension for many years and never suffer from a symptom. Individuals should always ask their physicians to do a blood pressure reading when they go in for a check-up.