There are 14 million hypertensive Spaniards. Hypertension is a chronic and sustained elevation of blood pressure. A high punctual measurement does not mean suffering from the disease, since blood pressure must remain high at a value equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg in most measurements. When the systolic pressure exceeds 180 mmHg, what is called a hypertensive crisis occurs.
As explained Nieves Martell, President of the Spanish Hypertension Society-Spanish League for the Fight against Arterial Hypertension (SEH-LELHA), between 35% and 40% of the Spanish population suffers from hypertension, a percentage that rises to 60% in those over 65 years of age. “There is more and more hypertension due to the increase in obesitywhich begins in adolescence, and a sedentary lifestyle”, explains Martell.
The risk factors for hypertension include genetic factors, when there are many cases in the family it is more common for it to develop sooner or later, obesity, a poor diet, in which there is a high consumption of harmful fats and salt , and sedentary lifestyle.
It is common for hypertension to be underdiagnosed as it may not cause symptoms. 30% of hypertensives are not diagnosed and therefore not treated, this means that if hypertension evolves, cardiac complications such as heart failure, heart attack, kidney failure and serious cerebrovascular incidents can occur.
Martell clarifies that a distinction must be made between essential hypertension, the most common and linked to risk factors, and secondary hypertension whose cause is in another underlying disease. Between 10% and 15% of hypertensives have secondary hypertension that can resolve if the underlying disease is treated. Among the causes of secondary hypertension are renal failure, thyroid disorders, vasculitis or hyperaldoteronism.
The dangers of power surges
A hypertensive crisis places the systolic pressure above 180mmHg. The severity depends on the patient and the accompanying clinical picture. “Hypertensive crisis can have very serious consequences in the target organs most damaged by hypertension, which are the brain, heart and kidney, and even cause death,” explains Martell.
Sudden increases in blood pressure are more common in hypertensives, whether diagnosed or not. Martell, head of the Internal Medicine service at the San Carlos Clinical University Hospital of the Community of Madrid, points out that the most common causes are two:
forget medication: adherence to treatment is essential in hypertension to maintain stable blood pressure levels.
Dietary transgression: Excessive consumption of foods with high levels of salt can greatly decompensate blood pressure and have consequences such as a hypertensive crisis.
Other reasons why blood pressure can rise sharply are:
Sleep apnea: Obesity is a risk factor for hypertension, as it is for sleep apnea. Among the physiological mechanisms that are set in motion when the body is reactivated after a respiratory arrest during sleep due to this disorder is the sudden rise in blood pressure. In these cases, the treatment of apnea through diet and positive air systems will reduce the risks associated with voltage spikes.
Anxiety crisis: In these cases, the first thing to do is to identify that it is an anxiety crisis and if so, treat it with specific drugs since it is the cause of the sudden rise in tension. If antihypertensive drugs are being taken, increasing the dose can even cause fainting.
Physical exercise: while you are exercising it is common for blood pressure to rise and if the hypertensive is not diagnosed in your case it will rise more than in a person without hypertension. However, when physical exercise is performed, it is normal for levels to be below 180.
How to act in a hypertensive crisis
A hypertensive crisis can occur without symptoms or present diffuse symptoms such as headache, dizziness, tachycardia, eye pain, or more serious symptoms such as chest pain.
Immediate medical attention: When a hypertensive crisis occurs, the person must be seen by a doctor to evaluate the condition they are suffering and determine if it is due to an anxiety or hypertensive crisis.
Be aware of severity: the hypertensive crisis can lead the patient to heart failure, a stroke or a serious condition that could lead the person to death. “Depending on the severity of the underlying condition that the patient suffers, whether or not he will be able to withstand a rise in blood pressure. If, for example, there is underlying heart failure, the hypertensive crisis can be very serious,” Martell clarifies.
Make sure the person doesn’t get nervous: While gaining access to medical care it is important to reassure the person so that nervousness does not contribute to raising the tension even further.
Martell clarifies that if these voltage spikes occur frequently, the doctor will have to refer the patient to a specific hypertension unit to study the secondary causes associated with these imbalances.