Are you suffering from hypertension, or is anyone you know suffering from hypertension? Physician and surgeon Dr. Kamal explains in layman's terms

Dr. Kamal K. Pourmoghadam (N/A:N/A)

ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, May 14, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “High blood pressure” is another name for hypertension and can lead to severe complications like heart disease, stroke, and even death. The pressure in the blood is the force that is exerted on the walls of the blood vessels by the blood. The blood pressure is entirely based on the resistance of the blood vessel and the work that is being done by the heart.

Medical doctor and surgeon Kamal Pourmoghadam, MD has published an informational article on this subject in an easy-to-understand way. The complete article will be published on the Blog of Dr. Pourmoghadam at https://drpourmoghadam.home.blog/

Hypertension exists when the pressure of the blood is higher than 130 over 80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Solely in the USA, there are about 85 million people that suffer from high blood pressure. In short, hypertension is a global health concern. Moreover, as per the WHO (World Health Organization), it is due to the growth of the processed food industry due to which the amount of salt people consume has increased worldwide. And well, salt plays a huge role in hypertension.

Hypertension Types

“Hypertension” is the main name for high blood pressure. When the cause of the disease is not due to another disease, it is called essential or primary hypertension. In case it is caused due to another disease, it is called secondary hypertension. These two types are explained below in details:

• Primary Hypertension: Primary hypertension is caused due to various factors including the blood plasma volume and activity of the hormones due to which the blood volume and pressure is regulated. Another cause for this is due to environmental factors like the lack of exercise and stress.
• Secondary Hypertension: The secondary hypertension is caused due to the complication of another disease. The specific causes include CKD, obesity, sleep apnea, pregnancy, diabetes (due to nerve damage kidney disease), hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland cancer). It is also caused by Cushing syndrome, which is a disorder of the cortical-secreting adrenal glands.

Hypertension Risk Factors

There are a lot of risk factors that usually increase the chances for a person to have hypertension as mentioned below:

• Gender: The risk of getting hypertension is the same for both males and females. But the risks are higher for men at a much younger age. The predominance usually is greater in older women.
• Alcohol and tobacco use: A person who drinks or smokes regularly has a higher risk of getting hypertension.
• Size and weight: Being obese or overweight is also a main reason.
• Ethnicity: A few ethnic groups are usually more likely to get hypertension.
• Age: It is common for people who reach the age of 60 to suffer from hypertension. This is because, with age, the blood pressure regularly increases since the arteries become narrower and stiffer due to plaque build-up.

Other causes of hypertension are certain diseases and medications, low potassium in the diet, and a salt-rich diet associated with fatty and processed foods. In case there is a family history for poorly managed stress and high blood pressure, then also the person from this family is more likely to suffer from hypertension sometime in the future.

Hypertension Signs

A blood pressure monitor or a sphygmomanometer is used to measure the blood pressure in a person. In case a person has high blood pressure for a short time, it is taken as something normal since it can be due to any situation. For instance, intense exercise and acute stress usually elevates the blood pressure in every normal person, and it is not considered as a risk.

And it is due to this that the diagnosis of hypertension usually needs multiple readings that eventually display that the pressure of the blood is high consistently. The diastolic reading of 80 mmHg refers to the blood pressure when the heart relaxes and then refills the blood. And the systolic reading of 130 mmHg refers to the blood pressure when the heart pumps blood in the body.

Hypertension Symptoms

When a person is suffering from hypertension, they would not be able to notice any symptoms. This is also a reason why hypertension is also called the "silent killer." Moreover, if it is not detected, it could damage the internal organs like the kidneys and the cardiovascular system. This makes it vital to check the blood pressure of your body regularly to stay safe from the disease.

Although there are a few cases where the person having hypertension suffers from blushing, sleeping issues, anxiety, and sweating, there are many cases where no symptoms are noticed. If the blood pressure gets to the stage where there is a hypertensive crisis, the person's nose would bleed and he/she would experience a lot of headaches.

Hypertension Complications

If hypertension persists in a person for a long time, this can cause complications like atherosclerosis. This is a case where the development of plaque results in the contraction of blood vessels. Due to this, hypertension becomes worse since the body would have to work harder to have the blood pumped to the completed body. Due to atherosclerosis, a person can get an amputation, a stroke, suffer from kidney failure, or even from a heart failure or heart attacks.

Hypertension Treatment

Even though blood pressure is taken care of through the proper diet before it gets worse, there are many treatments options for it. The basic things that a person can do to avoid hypertension are by changing their lifestyle and begin to exercise regularly. It is highly recommended that the patients should work out for at least 30 minutes a day which should include jogging, cycling, walking, aerobic exercise, etc.

Another thing that the patients need to take care of is the management of unavoidable stress. Also, consuming alcohol or smoking would add to the stress and not reduce it. Hence, all unhealthy habits should be avoided.

Medications for Hypertension

For those who are suffering from hypertension, it is normally advised to meet a doctor and get the medications for it. Depending on the body type, situation and how much the blood pressure is, the doctor would give the desired medications. It is essential to consult a doctor since the drugs can be reactive and wrong for some people. This would lead to more harm rather than good. Hence, meeting a doctor in such cases is much better. Thus make sure that you do not ignore it if you have high blood pressure and discuss treatment options with your physician before it becomes a chronic disease.

About Dr. Kamal K. Pourmoghadam

Dr. Kamal Pourmoghadam is a pediatric cardiac surgeon at The Heart Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. He is board certified in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery and congenital cardiac surgery.

Dr. Pourmoghadam earned his bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, and his medical degree from Albany Medical College in New York. He trained for adult cardiac surgery at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, and for congenital cardiac surgery at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle.

Dr. Pourmoghadam is a professor of surgery at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, practicing congenital cardiac surgery for over twenty years and has been active in clinical research. He has extensive experience in neonatal and infant cardiac surgery and has special interest in the repair of single ventricle physiology patients and research in univentricular hearts.

References:

Website: https://kamalpourmoghadam.com
Blog: https://drpourmoghadam.home.blog/
News: https://hippocratesguild.com/dr-kamal-pourmoghadam
News: https://medicogazette.com/dr-kamal-pourmoghadam#425f92ce-0ccc-4fe2-8c31-56cf497704f4
News: https://hype.news/dr-kamal-pourmoghadam/
News report about Dr. Pourmoghadam: http://www.tiogapublishing.com/features/the_marketplace/covington-tot-returns-home-to-pennsylvania-after-lengthy-oklahoma-hospital/article_04865c00-0ae5-11e1-aec8-001cc4c002e0.html
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamal-pourmoghadam-9a796157/

Dr. Kamal K. Pourmoghadam
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
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