High
Blood Pressure.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure typically does not cause symptoms.
Pronunciation
High Blood Pressure: /haɪ blʌd ˈprɛʃər/
Hypertension: /ˌhaɪpərˈtɛnʃən/
Etymology
The term "high blood pressure" is self-explanatory, referring to the increased pressure of blood in the arteries. "Hypertension" is derived from the prefix 'hyper-' (meaning high or over) and 'tension' (from the Latin 'tensio', meaning pressure).
Related Terms
- Blood pressure: The pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels.
- Artery: A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.
- Heart: The organ that pumps blood throughout the body.
- Cardiovascular disease: A class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels.
- Stroke: A condition where the blood supply to part of the brain is reduced or interrupted.
- Kidney disease: A condition in which the kidneys are not functioning properly.
Symptoms
High blood pressure typically does not have any symptoms. However, some people may experience headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds, although these signs and symptoms aren't specific and usually don't occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.
Causes
High blood pressure has many risk factors, including age, race, family history, being overweight or obese, not being physically active, using tobacco, too much salt (sodium) in your diet, too little potassium in your diet, drinking too much alcohol, stress, certain chronic conditions, and sometimes pregnancy.
Treatment
Treatment for high blood pressure includes lifestyle changes and often medications. Lifestyle changes include weight loss, decreased salt intake, physical exercise, and a healthy diet. If these measures are not sufficient, then blood pressure medication is often used.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on High
- Wikipedia's article - High
This MedicineGPT article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski