Hypertension

             Hypertension, or high blood pressure as it is typically known, is sometimes called the silent killer because a person could have it for years without even knowing it. It can be a very dangerous illness if not treated right away and properly. About fifty million Americans have high blood pressure, but about one third of those people, which is fifteen million, don't even know it
             Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms. Most of the time people often think that headaches, dizziness, or nosebleeds are common warning signs of high blood pressure. It's true that a few people with early stage high blood pressure have a dull ache in the back of the head when they wake in the morning and maybe they have a few more nosebleeds than normal but headaches, dizziness or nosebleeds typically don't occur until high blood pressure has advanced to a higher stage, one that could be extremely life threatening. And ironically, some people with the highest blood pressure readings don't even experience any of these symptoms.
             Other conditions that can lead to uncontrolled high blood pressure may cause the following signs and symptoms: excessive perspiration, muscle cramps, weakness, frequent urination, rapid or irregular heartbeat (this is called palpitations), or a nervous, jittery feeling.
             It's not always possible to determine why blood pressure reaches higher levels in some people. In fact, doctors identify a specific disease or cause in fewer than one case in twenty. When a cause cannot be determined, high blood pressure is called essential hypertension or primary hypertension.
             When a cause is determined, the term secondary hypertension applies. This means that the increased pressure results from another cause such as: medications, including birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over the counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs, kidney disease, adrenal disease, thyroid disease, abnormal blood vessels...

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Hypertension . (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 14:25, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/61713.html