What Are The Causes Of Hypertension Disorder?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure in common terms, refers to a medical condition in which the pressure exerted by the blood flowing in arteries on the arterial walls remains consistently high (greater than 140/90 mmHg, as compared to normal values of 120/80 mmHg).
The question is: What are the causes of hypertension disorder? Well, you'll be surprised to know that in 90-95% of the cases the cause of hypertension is not quite identifiable (primary or essential hypertension); in the remaining cases hypertension can be attributed to an underlying medical condition (secondary hypertension).
Though primary hypertension can remain asymptomatic for years, consistently high blood pressure can seriously damage the arteries and vital organs like heart, brain and kidneys.
It is, therefore, important to understand the various factors that can become the causes of hypertension disorder.
Some of these factors, like age and the genetic makeup, are beyond one's control, but others can be controlled to a large extent by adopting therapeutic lifestyle/diet changes.
General causes of hypertension disorder As mentioned earlier, there is no single identifiable cause of hypertension, except perhaps in people suffering from an underlying medical condition.
A number of factors can contribute to hypertension in general, some of these being: · Increasing age · Hereditary factors · Obesity · Excessive intake of alcohol · Smoking and drugs · Unhealthy lifestyle - lack of physical exercise and wrong food choices (i.
e.
, low-fiber, high-fat diet, which encourages high cholesterol and consequent artery clogging) · A diet excessively high in sodium, as from common salt or from preservatives used in canned foods (sodium encourages water retention in the blood; this increased blood volume causes extra pressure on the arterial walls) · Mental/physical stress Diseases that can cause hypertension disorder A number of diseases can be the underlying cause of hypertension disorder in many cases.
These are: · High LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol - This leads to the formation of fatty deposits on the arterial walls; these deposits block the arteries and provide hindrance to smooth blood flow, causing high blood pressure.
These fatty deposits harden over a period of time to form a plaque, making the arterial walls thick, hard and inelastic (arteriosclerosis/atherosclerosis), aggravating the problem of hypertension.
· Gradual settling of calcareous material on the arterial walls, which cause artery blockage and hinder blood flow, giving rise to hypertension disorder.
· A congenital defect in the aorta.
· Presence of blood clots in arteries.
· Diseases of the kidney cause incomplete removal of wastes/fluids from the body, leading to excessive water retention in the blood.
This increased blood volume puts increased strain on the arterial walls, causing hypertension.
· Some types of cancerous tumors, e.
g.
, tumor of the adrenal gland.
· Right-sided heart failure - This reduces the pumping ability of the heart, giving rise to a large collection of fluids in the blood vessels and causing hypertension disorder.
· Disorders of the nervous system.
· Thyroid dysfunction.
In addition to these causes of hypertension, some medications too can raise the blood pressure.
If you are suffering from hypertension, it is advisable to consult a doctor to find what is the cause of your hypertension disorder and get a treatment accordingly.
The question is: What are the causes of hypertension disorder? Well, you'll be surprised to know that in 90-95% of the cases the cause of hypertension is not quite identifiable (primary or essential hypertension); in the remaining cases hypertension can be attributed to an underlying medical condition (secondary hypertension).
Though primary hypertension can remain asymptomatic for years, consistently high blood pressure can seriously damage the arteries and vital organs like heart, brain and kidneys.
It is, therefore, important to understand the various factors that can become the causes of hypertension disorder.
Some of these factors, like age and the genetic makeup, are beyond one's control, but others can be controlled to a large extent by adopting therapeutic lifestyle/diet changes.
General causes of hypertension disorder As mentioned earlier, there is no single identifiable cause of hypertension, except perhaps in people suffering from an underlying medical condition.
A number of factors can contribute to hypertension in general, some of these being: · Increasing age · Hereditary factors · Obesity · Excessive intake of alcohol · Smoking and drugs · Unhealthy lifestyle - lack of physical exercise and wrong food choices (i.
e.
, low-fiber, high-fat diet, which encourages high cholesterol and consequent artery clogging) · A diet excessively high in sodium, as from common salt or from preservatives used in canned foods (sodium encourages water retention in the blood; this increased blood volume causes extra pressure on the arterial walls) · Mental/physical stress Diseases that can cause hypertension disorder A number of diseases can be the underlying cause of hypertension disorder in many cases.
These are: · High LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol - This leads to the formation of fatty deposits on the arterial walls; these deposits block the arteries and provide hindrance to smooth blood flow, causing high blood pressure.
These fatty deposits harden over a period of time to form a plaque, making the arterial walls thick, hard and inelastic (arteriosclerosis/atherosclerosis), aggravating the problem of hypertension.
· Gradual settling of calcareous material on the arterial walls, which cause artery blockage and hinder blood flow, giving rise to hypertension disorder.
· A congenital defect in the aorta.
· Presence of blood clots in arteries.
· Diseases of the kidney cause incomplete removal of wastes/fluids from the body, leading to excessive water retention in the blood.
This increased blood volume puts increased strain on the arterial walls, causing hypertension.
· Some types of cancerous tumors, e.
g.
, tumor of the adrenal gland.
· Right-sided heart failure - This reduces the pumping ability of the heart, giving rise to a large collection of fluids in the blood vessels and causing hypertension disorder.
· Disorders of the nervous system.
· Thyroid dysfunction.
In addition to these causes of hypertension, some medications too can raise the blood pressure.
If you are suffering from hypertension, it is advisable to consult a doctor to find what is the cause of your hypertension disorder and get a treatment accordingly.