Types

• Three Types
  
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies three types of sustained hypertension: essential, secondary and pregnancy related. Essential hypertension has no known direct cause. Secondary hypertension is caused by some underlying condition such as kidney disease or tumors; usually the hypertension goes away once the underlying condition is resolved. Pregnancy-related hypertension is usually resolved after the pregnancy, though not always. About 95 percent of all hypertensive people have essential hypertension.
  
  

Symptoms

• Headache
  
  Sustained hypertension is known as the "Silent Killer" because the hypertensive person may not have symptoms until serious damage is done to the organs. Early signs include headache, blurry vision, chest pain, nosebleeds and dizziness. But in many instances, hypertension is not diagnosed until the victim has had a stroke.
  
  

Diagnosis

• Checking Blood Pressure
  
  Sustained Hypertension is usually diagnosed by your health care provider with a blood pressure cuff. If the initial pressure is high, you may be asked to wait a few minutes and have another reading taken or be asked to return later. Several readings are taken in order to rule out "White-Coat" syndrome, which is increased anxiety related to being in a doctor's office. A reading of greater than 130/80 generally indicates sustained hypertension.
  
  

Treatment

• Medications
  
  All three types of hypertension must be treated. The American Heart Association guidelines recommend treating sustained hypertension with lifestyle changes and medication. Lifestyle changes include maintaining a healthy weight with daily exercise and a balanced diet that limits salt and alcohol intake. Recommended medications include diuretics (increases urine output), ACE inhibitors (relaxes blood vessels), mineral corticoid receptor antagonist (MRA blocks the re-absorption of sodium) and calcium channel blockers (relaxes blood vessels). The ADA also recommends treating any underlying causes.
  
  

Risk Factors

• Older Man
  
  Treatment also involves being aware of the risk factors. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says men over 45 and women over 55 are more vulnerable, especially if they have a family history of hypertension. They compound the risk by being overweight, getting little exercise and eating a poor diet that includes excessive salt and alcohol.
  
  

Prevention

• Exercise
  
  The best treatment is prevention. Maintain your appropriate weight, follow a healthy diet, exercise daily, find outlets for stress and quit smoking.
  
  

Complications

• Hospitalization
  
  Untreated sustained hypertension can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and death. In pregnancy it can lead to low-birth weight, prematurity and pre-eclampsia, a disorder that threatens the lives of both mother and baby.