Secondary Hypertension Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Secondary Hypertension Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Understanding

Secondary hypertension, or secondary increase in blood pressure, is a condition of increased blood pressure caused by another underlying health condition. Secondary hypertension can be caused by health conditions that involve the kidneys, arteries, heart, or endocrine system in the body. This condition can also occur during pregnancy.

Secondary hypertension is different from the type of increase in blood pressure in general (primary hypertension), which is commonly known as hypertension. The cause of primary hypertension is not known with certainty and is thought to be related to genetics, less than ideal diet, low physical activity, and obesity.

Good management of secondary hypertension can control both the condition of elevated blood pressure and the underlying medical conditions. This can reduce the risk of serious complications such as heart failure and stroke.

Symptoms

Similar to primary hypertension, secondary hypertension generally has no specific signs or symptoms, although blood pressure can be very high sometimes.

Apart from an increase in blood pressure, sometimes there are several things that indicate secondary hypertension. For example, a sudden increase in blood pressure before the age of 30 or after the age of 55, no family history of increased blood pressure, no obesity, and so on.

Reason

There are various health conditions that can cause secondary hypertension, including:

• Kidney complications from diabetes (diabetic nephropathy). Diabetes can affect the filtering ability of the kidneys, which can cause an increase in blood pressure.
• Polycystic kidney disease. In this inherited condition, cysts in the kidneys can prevent the kidneys from functioning normally and increase blood pressure.
• Cushing’s syndrome. Corticosteroid treatment used to treat this condition can cause secondary hypertension. In addition, hypertension can also be caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland or other factors in the adrenal glands which result in increased production of the hormone cortisol.
• Pheochromocytoma. This relatively rare tumor of the adrenal gland can increase production of the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, which can cause an increase in blood pressure, both in the short and long term.
• Thyroid disease. Increased blood pressure can be caused by a condition of decreased thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) or an increased thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism).
• Hyperparathyroidism. The parathyroid glands function to regulate calcium and phosphate levels in the body. When the gland overproduces parathyroid hormone, the amount of calcium in the blood can increase, leading to an increase in blood pressure.
• Obesity As body weight increases, the amount of blood circulating in the body also increases. This can add pressure to the artery walls, which increases blood pressure.
• Excess body weight is associated with increased heart rate and decreased ability of blood vessels to deliver blood. In addition, fat deposits in the body can release chemicals that increase blood pressure. All of these factors can cause hypertension.
• Pregnancy. The condition of pregnancy is known to cause an increase in blood pressure, both in people who previously had normal blood pressure and in people who had previously had hypertension.
• Consumption of certain medications or supplements. Several types of medication are known to increase blood pressure in some people. Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor first before taking drugs.