What should be done at the start of hypertension?

Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
Updated on September 21, 2024
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What to do at the onset of hypertension, specifically refers to mild early-stage hypertension. Mild early-stage hypertension can be managed through reasonable dietary adjustments and increased physical activity to lower blood pressure to normal levels. Generally, it is not necessary to use antihypertensive medications. Aerobic exercises such as swimming, skipping rope, square dancing, playing table tennis, volleyball, tennis, can increase vascular elasticity and improve blood circulation, thereby achieving a blood pressure-lowering effect.

In terms of diet, it is important to focus on low-fat, low-salt, and low-oil intake to reduce the occurrence of arteriosclerosis and decrease blood viscosity, as well as sodium and water retention which can cause elevated blood pressure. Pay attention to rest, avoid overworking, and do not get overly excited. These are effective treatment and prevention methods for initial mild hypertension.

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Written by Li Qiang
Intensive Care Unit
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Difference between hypertensive encephalopathy and malignant hypertension

The difference between hypertensive encephalopathy and malignant hypertension can be discerned from their names, indicating they are different conditions. Hypertensive encephalopathy refers to a condition where blood pressure rises sharply in a short period, with diastolic pressure exceeding 120 mmHg and systolic pressure exceeding 200 mmHg. This dramatic increase in blood pressure causes cerebral vasospasm and increased cerebral perfusion pressure, leading to various manifestations of cerebral edema, primarily severe headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, and even brain herniation. The emphasis is on the rapid rise in blood pressure over a short term and its impact on the brain, specifically cerebral edema. Malignant hypertension also involves a rapid increase in blood pressure to extremely high levels over a short period. However, the focus of malignant hypertension is on the impact on multiple organs throughout the body, including the brain, but also severely affecting the heart, potentially causing acute left heart failure and pulmonary edema. In the kidneys, it can lead to acute renal failure, characterized by reduced urine output or anuria. Thus, malignant hypertension emphasizes the effects on multiple vital organs, whereas hypertensive encephalopathy focuses primarily on the impact on the brain and central nervous system. Hence, there are some distinctions between the two conditions.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
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Is high diastolic pressure considered high blood pressure?

If the diastolic blood pressure exceeds 90 mmHg, hypertension should also be considered. Patients with a high diastolic blood pressure who do not actively undergo hypotensive treatment can suffer long-term damage to target organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys, as well as severe hypertensive complications. For patients with high diastolic blood pressure, it is also necessary to adopt effective lifestyle adjustments and choose clinically frontline antihypertensive drugs for long-term treatment. Only by effectively controlling elevated diastolic pressure in the long term can severe target organ damage and hypertensive complications be avoided, thus improving the clinical prognosis for patients with hypertension.

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Written by Li Fang Xiao
Internal Medicine
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What is the blood pressure in a hypertensive crisis?

Hypertensive crisis is a relatively urgent medical condition in clinical settings. Its diagnostic criterion is a diastolic pressure greater than 130 mmHg. Naturally, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the threat. A hypertensive crisis can lead to many clinical symptoms, such as acute left heart failure, dizziness, headache, cerebral hemorrhage, and acute renal failure. The most common causes of hypertensive crisis are primary or secondary hypertension, which, under certain specific circumstances, lead to uncontrollably high blood pressure and related clinical symptoms. The focus of treatment is on controlling the blood pressure and choosing different treatment plans for complications. For instance, in the case of heart failure, vasodilators and diuretics may be used for symptomatic treatment.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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How to treat high blood pressure?

Hypertension is a common and frequently occurring disease in clinical practice. Hypertension can cause certain damage to the body, especially long-term hypertension which can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It is necessary to adjust the dietary structure, paying attention to a low-fat and low-salt diet. Meanwhile, according to the severity of the blood pressure, effective antihypertensive drugs should be used under the guidance of a doctor to adjust the blood pressure within the normal range, avoiding serious damage to the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, and also engaging in aerobic exercise. Mild hypertension patients can lower their blood pressure to the normal range through dietary adjustments and aerobic exercises.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Symptoms of Hypertension in Pregnant Women

During pregnancy, if a pregnant woman develops high blood pressure, initially there are no symptoms, because at the beginning the blood pressure just slightly exceeds 140/90mmHg. If the high blood pressure is only temporary, it generally does not affect the woman's body and therefore, she may not experience any symptoms. As the condition progresses, the symptoms of high blood pressure can cause physical harm to the woman, likely damaging the kidneys and causing proteinuria. The loss of protein can lead to edema in women, and as a result, many women's initial symptoms will appear as generalized swelling, which does not improve with rest. By measuring blood pressure and urinary protein, symptoms of hypertension in pregnant women can be detected. In the later stages of the disease, hypertension may sometimes be accompanied by dizziness, indigestion, and mild pain in the lower abdomen, which are all symptoms of hypertension in pregnant women.