Hypertension Treatment in South Africa

• Primary high blood pressure: This is also known as essential high blood pressure. They are classified as such due to genetic factors and non specific lifestyle. Lifestyle factors that increase the risk of hypertension include excess body weight, obesity, excess salt, alcohol consumption and smoking.
• Secondary high blood pressure: This is when high blood pressure is due to an identifiable cause such as narrowing of the kidney arteries, an endocrine disorder, chronic kidney disease or using birth control pills.

There are two measurements that express blood pressure. These are diastolic and systolic pressures, which are the minimum and maximum pressures respectively. Normal blood pressure when the body is at rest is in the range of 60-90mmHg (millimeters mercury) diastolic and 100-140mmHg systolic. Hypertension occurs when the resting blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg for most adults.

High blood pressure is usually asymptomatic and it is usually identified through screening, or when seeing a doctor for an unrelated problem. Any symptoms, however, may be related to associated anxiety rather than the high blood pressure itself. Some with high blood pressure report

• Headaches particularly at the back of the head and in the morning
• Lightheadedness
• Vertigo
• Tinnitus, which is buzzing or hissing in the ears
• Altered vision
• Fainting episodes
• Changes in the optic fundus

High blood pressure is usually asymptomatic and it is usually identified through screening, or when seeing a doctor for an unrelated problem. Your doctor will examine you and look for any changes in your body such as the presence of changes in the optic fundus.

The first step to managing and treating hypertension is identifying the underlying causes. Steps should then be taken to manage hypertension. In most cases lifestyle changes and medications can lower your blood pressure and in turn, decrease the risk of health complications. Lifestyle changes include weight loss, decreased salt intake, physical exercise, and a healthy diet. However, sometimes lifestyle changes are not sufficient and medications to lower your blood pressure have to be used. The following are ways to prevent and treat hypertension.

• Dietary changes: These include decreased salt intake, vegetarian diets, and diets high in potassium the DASH diet and reduce alcohol consumption
• Physical exercise:This includes aerobic exercises, resistance exercise, isometric resistance exercise, device-guided breathing.
• Stress reduction techniques: These include transcendental meditation and biofeedback.

The first line of medications for high blood pressure includes calcium channel blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers, thiazide diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. Hypertension medications may be used alone or in combination.