Hypertensive heart disease refers to a group of disorders
that includes heart failure (HF), ischemic heart disease, and left ventricular
hypertrophy (excessive thickening of the heart muscle), and it is the number
one cause of death associated with high blood pressure.
Heart
Failure (HF):
Heart failure doesn’t mean the ticker has stopped working,
rather, it means that the ticker’s pumping power is weaker than normal or the
heart has become less elastic. Blood moves through the pumping chambers of the
ticker less effectively with heart failure, and pressure in the ticker
increases, making it harder for your heart to deliver oxygen and nutrients to
your body. The heart’s chambers respond by stretching to hold more blood to
compensate for reduced pumping power, which keeps the blood moving, but over
time, the heart muscle walls may weaken and become unable to pump as strongly.
The kidneys, as a result often respond by causing the body to retain fluid and
sodium. The fluid builds up in the arms, legs, ankles, feet, lungs, or other
organs, and is called congestive heart failure (CHF).
Heart failure may also be brought on by high blood pressure
by causing left ventricular hypertrophy, a thickening of the heart
muscle that results in less effective muscle relaxation between heart beats,
which makes it difficult for the ticker to fill with enough blood to supply the
body’s organs, especially during exercise, leading your body to hold onto
fluids and your heart rate to increase.
HF
Symptoms:
Shortness of breath; nausea; fatigue; bloating; difficulty
sleeping flat in bed; irregular pulse; greater need to urinate at
night/frequent urination; swelling in the feet, ankles, or abdomen.
Ischemic
Heart Disease:
High blood pressure can cause ischemic heart disease, too,
which means the heart muscle isn’t getting enough blood. Ischemic heart disease
is usually the result of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries (coronary
artery disease), which obstructs blood flow to the ticker. Irregular pulse; fatigue
and weakness; chest pain which may radiate to the arms, back, neck, or jaw;
chest pain with nausea, sweating, shortness of breath, and dizziness (these
associated symptoms may also occur without chest pain) - are some symptoms of
ischemic heart disease.
Diagnosing
Hypertensive Heart Disease:
Your doctor will look for certain signs of hypertensive heart
disease, such as high blood pressure, enlarged heart and irregular heartbeat,
fluid in the lungs or lower extremities and unusual heart sounds. Your doctor
may perform tests to determine if you have hypertensive heart disease, such as
an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, cardiac stress test, chest X-ray, and
coronary angiogram.
Treating
Hypertensive Heart Disease:
Your doctor, in order to treat hypertensive heart disease,
has to treat the high blood pressure that is causing it. He or she will treat
it with a variety of drugs, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors,
calcium channel blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers, and vasodilators. In
addition, your doctor may advise you to make lifestyle changes, including:
Diet- You should
lower your daily intake of sodium to 1,500 mg or 2 g or less per day, limit
total daily calories to lose weight if necessary, eat foods high in fiber and
potassium, and limit intake of foods that contain refined sugar, trans fats,
and cholesterol- if heart failure is present.
Avoid
alcohol and tobacco products.
Keep Your
Weight In Check- Monitor your weight which involves daily recording of
weight, increasing your level of activity (as recommended by your healthcare
provider), resting between activities more often, and planning your activities.
Follow-up
Visits- Your doctor, during follow-up visits will make sure you are
staying healthy and that your heart disease is not worsening.
CPR procedure comprises chest compressions and rescue
breaths. Proper application can revive the life of a cardiac arrest victim.
Comments
Post a Comment