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 may seem at first glance.
Severe fluctuations in pressure negatively affect the body, and a chronic disease, if not treated, leads to the most catastrophic consequences.Today we will talk about how each stage of hypertension changes and what risks it carries.
Stages of headache
Phase I
The pressure in stage 1 of hypertension does not exceed 159/99 mm.Hg Art.Blood pressure can remain in this elevated state for several days.Even regular rest and the exclusion of stressful situations significantly help to reduce its indicators.In the most severe stages, it is no longer possible to normalize the blood pressure so easily.
This stage of the development of hypertension is characterized by the absence of any signs that the target organs are affected by high blood pressure, therefore, in many cases there is a practically asymptomatic course of the disease.Only occasionally do you experience sleep disturbances, headaches or heartaches.Clinical examinations may reveal a slight increase in tone in the fundus of the arteries.
Hypertensive crises in the 1st form of the disease are very rare and occur mainly under the influence of external circumstances, for example, weather or severe stress.This also often happens during menopause in women.The stage of the disease is initial, therefore it is very treatable and lifestyle changes are often sufficient;drug therapy may not be necessary.With the timely start of treatment and the conscious implementation of each recommendation, the prognosis is very favorable.
Phase II
The pressure level in the 2nd stage of hypertension is 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 during exercise, poor sleep, dizziness and angina.
The group is distinguished 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.Most often, in the 2nd stage of the development of hypertension, the following are detected:
- characteristic signs of left ventricular hypertrophy;
- the amount of creatine in the blood increases;
- narrowing of the arteries occurs in the retina;
- Protein is found in urine.
Hypertensive crises are not uncommon in stage 2 hypertension, which carries the threat of developing very serious complications, including stroke.In this case, it will no longer be possible to manage without continuous drug therapy.
Phase III
The last stage of hypertension has the most severe course and has the widest group of disorders in the functioning of a whole group of target organs.Kidneys, eyes, brain, blood vessels and heart suffer the most.Blood pressure is constant 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 unusual.Hg Art.and above.
The symptoms of stage 3 of the disease are in many ways similar to those listed above, but they are also accompanied by quite dangerous signs from the affected organs (for example, kidney failure).Memory often deteriorates, severe heart rhythm disturbances occur, and vision decreases.
The most dangerous thing is that hypertension invariably affects the heart.Muscle contractility and conduction is almost always impaired.Clinical studies also reveal many disorders in other organs.
Hypertension has not only stages 1, 2, 3, but also degrees 1, 2, 3, which we will talk about later.
Diplomas
Graduate
The first degree of severity refers to the mildest, in which periodic increases in blood pressure are observed.Another characteristic of it is that the pressure level is able to stabilize itself.The most common cause of stage 1 headache is constant stress.
degree II
Moderate hypertension is characterized not only by the impossibility of independent stabilization of blood pressure, but also by the fact that periods of normal pressure are very short.The main manifestation is a severe headache.
If the disease develops very quickly, we can talk about a malignant course of hypertension.This form is very dangerous, as the disease can develop rapidly.
degree III
With hypertension of the 3rd degree, the pressure always remains in a stable 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, risks 1, 2, 3, 4, which we will talk about later.
The Risks
Low, insignificant
The lowest risk of complications is found in women under 65 and men under 55 who have developed "mild" stage 1 arterial hypertension. Over the next 10 years, only about 15% will develop vascular or cardiac pathology that develops as a result of the disease.Such patients are often managed by general practitioners, as serious treatment by a cardiologist does not make sense.
If a small risk is still present, patients should try to significantly change their lifestyle in the near future (no more than 6 months).He can be observed by the doctor for some time if the dynamics are positive.If such treatment does not bring results and a decrease in blood pressure cannot be achieved, doctors may recommend a change in treatment tactics, which will lead to the prescription of medications.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:
- legacy,
- smoking,
- obesity,
- little physical activity,
- high cholesterol,
- impaired glucose tolerance.
Over 10 years of observation, the development of cardiovascular pathologies is possible in 20% of cases.Modification of the normal lifestyle is necessarily included in the list of treatment measures.For 3-6 months, drugs may not be prescribed to give the patient a chance to normalize his condition through life changes.
High
Patients with forms 1 and 2 hypertension should also be included in the risk group with a high probability of detecting complications, but if they already have some 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 also includes a patient with arterial hypertension in stage 3. All of them are already being observed by a cardiologist, since hypertension is mostly long-term.The probability of complications reaches 30%.Lifestyle changes can be used as an adjunctive strategy, but the mainstay of therapy is medication.The selection of drugs should be done within a short time.
Next we will talk about a serious diagnosis: stage 3 hypertension, risk 4.
Very long
Patients with the highest risk of complications in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels are a group of patients with hypertension stage 3 or stages 1 and 2 if the latter 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 more than 30%.