Almost everyone has experienced high blood pressure at least once in their life and knows how many problems hypertension causes.However, hypertension is not as harmless as it seems at first glance.
Serious pressure fluctuations have a negative effect on the body, and a chronic disease, if not treated, leads to even the most disastrous consequences.Today we will talk about how each stage of hypertension differs and what risks it carries.
Stages of headache
Phase I
The pressure in stage 1 hypertension does not exceed 159/99 mm.Hg Art.Blood pressure can remain in this elevated state for several days.Even simple rest and exclusion of stressful situations significantly help to reduce its indicators.In more severe stages, it is no longer possible to normalize blood pressure so easily.
This phase of the development of hypertension is characterized by the absence of any signs that the target organs are affected by elevated blood pressure, so in a large number of cases the course of the disease is practically asymptomatic.Sleep disorders, headache or heart pain occur only occasionally.Clinical examinations can reveal a slight increase in tone in the fundus of the arteries.
Hypertensive crises in form 1 of the disease are very rare and occur mainly under the influence of external circumstances, for example, weather conditions or severe stress.This also often happens during menopause in women.The stage of the disease is initial, therefore it is very curable, and lifestyle changes are often sufficient;drug therapy may not be necessary.With the timely initiation of treatment and the conscious application of each recommendation, the prognosis is very favorable.
Phase II
The pressure level in stage 2 hypertension is in the range of up to 179 mm.Hg Art.(diastolic) and up to 109 mm.Hg Art.(systolic).Rest is no longer able to normalize blood pressure.The patient often suffers from pain, shortness of breath on exertion, poor sleep, dizziness and angina.
The group is characterized by the appearance of the first signs from the internal organs.Often this form of damage has practically no effect on their functions.There are also no obvious subjective symptoms that bother the patient.The following are most often detected in stage 2 of the development of hypertension:
- signs characteristic of left ventricular hypertrophy;
- the amount of creatine in the blood increases;
- there is a narrowing of the arteries in the retina;
- Proteins are found in urine.
Hypertensive crises are not uncommon in stage 2 hypertension, which implies the risk of developing very serious complications, including stroke.In that case, it will no longer be possible to manage without constant drug therapy.
Phase III
The last stage of hypertension has the most severe course and the most extensive group of disorders in the functioning of the entire group of target organs.The kidneys, eyes, brain, blood vessels and heart suffer the most.Blood pressure is persistent and it is quite difficult to normalize its level even if you take pills.An increase in blood pressure to 180/110 mm is not uncommon.Hg Art.and more.
The symptoms of stage 3 of the disease are in many ways similar to those mentioned above, but they are accompanied by quite dangerous signs from the affected organs (for example, kidney failure).Memory often deteriorates, serious heart rhythm disturbances occur, and vision decreases.
The most dangerous thing is that hypertension always affects the heart.Muscle contractility and conduction are almost always impaired.Clinical studies also reveal many disorders in other organs.
Hypertension has not only stages 1, 2, 3, but also stages 1, 2, 3, which we will talk about later.
Degrees
I degree
The first degree of severity refers to the mildest, in which periodic jumps in blood pressure are observed.Another feature is that the pressure level can stabilize itself.The most common cause of stage one headache is constant stress.
II degree
Moderate hypertension is characterized not only by the inability to independently stabilize blood pressure, but also by the fact that periods of normal pressure are very short.The main manifestation is severe headaches.
If the disease develops very quickly, we can talk about the malignant course of hypertension.This form is very dangerous, because the disease can develop quickly.
III degree
In hypertension of the 3rd degree, the pressure always remains in a stably elevated state.If the blood pressure decreases, the person suffers from weakness, as well as a number of other symptoms from the internal organs.The changes that occur at this stage of the disease are already irreversible.
Also, the classification of hypertension includes, in addition to 1, 2, 3 degrees and stages, 1, 2, 3, 4 risks, which we will talk about later.
Risks
Low, insignificant
The lowest risk of complications is found in women under the age of 65 and men under the age of 55 who have developed "mild" arterial hypertension in stage 1. In the next 10 years, only about 15% will develop vascular or cardiac pathologies that develop as a consequence of the disease.Such patients are often treated by general practitioners, because there is no point in serious treatment by a cardiologist.
If the lower risk is still present, patients must try to significantly change their lifestyle in the near future (no more than 6 months).He can be monitored by a doctor for some time if the dynamics are positive.If such treatment does not bring results, and a reduction in blood pressure cannot be achieved, doctors may recommend a change in treatment tactics, which will entail prescribing medication.However, doctors often insist on leading a healthy lifestyle, because such therapy will not have negative consequences.
Medium
This group includes patients with hypertension of the second and first type.Their blood pressure usually does not exceed 179/110 mm.Hg Art.A patient in this category may have 1-2 risk factors:
- heredity,
- smoking,
- obesity,
- little physical activity,
- high cholesterol,
- impaired glucose tolerance.
During 10 years of observation, the development of cardiovascular pathologies is possible in 20% of cases.Changing the normal way of life is necessarily included in the list of treatment measures.Medicines may not be prescribed for 3-6 months that would give the patient the opportunity to normalize his condition through lifestyle changes.
High
Patients with 1st and 2nd forms of hypertension should also be included in the risk group with a high probability of detecting complications, but if they already have several of the predisposing factors described above.They also include any target organ damage, diabetes mellitus, changes in retinal vessels, high creatinine levels and atherosclerosis.
There may be no risk factors, but this group of patients includes a patient with stage 3 arterial hypertension.All of them are already monitored by a cardiologist, because hypertension is mostly long-term.The probability of complications reaches 30%.Lifestyle changes can be used as a supportive strategy, but the mainstay of therapy is medication.The selection of drugs must be made in a short time.
Next, we will talk about a serious diagnosis: stage 3 hypertension, risk 4.
Very tall
Patients with the highest risk of cardiovascular complications are patients with 3rd or 1st and 2nd hypertension if they have any target organ disorders.This group is one of the smallest.The main treatment is carried out in the hospital.Drug therapy is carried out actively and often includes several groups of drugs.
The probability of developing complications is greater than 30%.