Hypertension Causes & Risk Factors

What Are the Causes?

Hypertension is a condition that causes chronic high blood pressure. A variety of explanations exist for high blood pressure. Reasons for all six types of hypertension involve a combination of environmental and hereditary factors.

Your diet and lifestyle can influence whether your blood pressure is high. If you are dehydrated or if you have an excessive amount of salt in your system, you are at risk for high blood pressure. If you have chronic high blood pressure, a physician will likely diagnose you with hypertension.

There is no identifiable cause for primary hypertension, as chronic high blood pressure can result from multiple factors that are related to your genes and environment. It is difficult to reverse or control hypertension without a clear understanding of the cause. With secondary hypertension, the cause of your high blood pressure is recognizable and tends to be related to kidney problems, thyroid disorders, tumors, and sleep apnea. After identifying the underlying cause, it is possible to control and reverse the effects of hypertension.

Who's at Risk?

Hypertension affects certain demographic groups more than others. Studies reveal that the disease occurs at higher rates among populations of older black women. In general, blacks are at higher risk for the disease than whites.

Hypertension is known as the silent killer. People with hypertension may not realize that their blood pressure is chronically high and cannot take preventative measures against strokes, heart attacks, and high cholesterol. Without regular check-ups and constant blood pressure monitoring, a person might experience a sudden and detrimental attack.

People who experience high levels of stress are at risk for hypertension-related complications such as strokes and heart attacks. Stress related to work, family, and other factors can all cause symptoms to become more severe. In rare situations, patients who also suffer from sleep apnea may experience disturbances in their sleep. Some hypertension patients experience neurological problems.

Women who are pregnant should seek close medical attention since complications can result for both the mother and baby. Mortality is a risk for infants with mothers who experience hypertension. Some doctors prescribe bed rest to pregnant women who experience hypertension.

All hypertension are at an increased risk for strokes, renal failure, heart attacks, and coronary artery disease. Medications can help reduce these risks, but the medications themselves can pose additional risks for other conditions.