What are some causes of high blood pressure?

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Posted by Master, Specialist II Pham Tuyet Trinh - Head of Inpatient Unit - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

There are many causes of high blood pressure that many people often ignore. Prolonged high blood pressure not only affects the heart, but also seriously affects overall health. Knowing the causes of high blood pressure will help you have a timely examination and treatment.

1. Eating a lot of salt (eating a lot of salt) - Causes of high blood pressure

This can be considered a big issue that many people care about because you have probably heard that people who eat a lot of salt are associated with high blood pressure. In fact, when you eat too much salt, your body needs to retain more water, leading to an overload of your heart and blood vessels that increases blood pressure.
Salty eating and anxiety, anger can cause high blood pressure immediately but over time can also have serious consequences.

2. Eat a lot of sugar

In addition to eating salty, eating a lot of sugar is also one of the causes of high blood pressure, even causing more severe hypertension than eating salty foods, especially for specially processed forms such as high-fructo corn syrup. . According to research, people on a high-sugar diet have significantly higher blood pressure numbers (both maximum and minimum numbers). On average, drinking 1 can of soft drink a day will increase systolic blood pressure (the top number) and diastolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg (the bottom number).
MORE: Aldosterone and renin tests diagnose the cause of high blood pressure

3. Loneliness

It's not about how much you have but about feeling connected, and stress and depression don't fully explain the effect, which also worsens over time. According to a 4-year study, the blood pressure of the loneliest people increased by more than 14 mmHg. Researchers suggest that fear of abandonment, frustration, feelings of need for safety, need for protection change the way your body works, which in turn can raise blood pressure.

4. Sleep apnea

Rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease are higher in people with sleep apnea. That's because when you have sleep apnea, your body releases chemicals that raise blood pressure. In addition, due to sleep apnea, the lack of oxygen leads to damage to the artery walls and causes hardening of the arteries, making it difficult to regulate blood pressure to normal.

5. Diet is not enough potassium

Your kidneys need to balance sodium and potassium levels to regulate the amount of fluid in your body. Therefore, even if you eat less salt, you may be more prone to high blood pressure than when you eat enough vegetables, fruits, beans, low-fat milk, fish... You can eat bananas, cauliflower Greens, chestnuts, green vegetables, these are all foods rich in potassium.

6. Sudden pain

When you have sudden or acute pain, your nervous system is attacked releasing chemicals that cause high blood pressure.

7. Use some herbs

Have you ever taken ginkgo, ginseng, guarana, ephedra, bitter orange... extracts of these herbs may increase blood pressure or may change the action of medications, including medications blood pressure control. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before use.

8. Abnormalities in the thyroid gland

When the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones, the heart rate slows down and the arteries become less elastic. Furthermore, low hormone levels also increase the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) and arteries become hard. As blood moves through the blood vessels, the hardening also accelerates, creating strong pressure on the blood vessel walls. Conversely, when thyroid hormone levels are higher than normal, the heart rate increases, the heart pumps blood harder, and blood pressure rises.

9. Refrain from urinating

Holding urine is one of the causes of high blood pressure. According to research, when holding urine for more than 3 hours, systolic blood pressure increases by 4 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure is 3 mmHg. Accordingly, the degree of this increase in blood pressure differs between men and women. Blood pressure also increases as you age. So you need to check to know your blood pressure number.

10. When using certain drugs

10.1. Non-corticoid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Some non-corticoid anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin, ibuprofen... can increase blood pressure, if you are a healthy person, an increase of a few mmHg does not affect anything. However, there are people who use anti-inflammatory drugs that cause high blood pressure to affect their daily activities and even have complications if you do not control your blood pressure.

10.2. When using certain nasal sprays Some nasal sprays with ingredients such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can cause blood vessel constriction, which in turn also reduces the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs. Therefore, if you already have high blood pressure and have problems with sinuses or colds, you should consult your doctor to choose the right medicine.
10.3. When taking birth control pills injectable or oral contraceptives or some birth control devices contain certain hormones, which cause constriction, narrowing of blood vessels and increasing blood pressure. So, if you are a woman over 35 who is overweight and smokes, you need to monitor your blood pressure and see a cardiologist every 6 months. In addition, you need to consult with your gynecologist to choose a method of contraception with the right amount of estrogen to ensure that blood pressure is not affected.
10.4. When taking antidepressants Drugs that inhibit substances in the brain such as: Monoamine oxidase (MAOIs) such as Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.. Tricyclic antidepressants such as: Prozac, Sarafem.. no These affect your mood but also affect your blood pressure. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase blood pressure if you are taking medications that contain Lithium or that affect serotonin. You should consult your doctor if you are prescribed antidepressant medication.

11. Raised blood pressure when seeing medical staff

You may also notice that your home blood pressure is often lower than when you go to the hospital or when you see a healthcare provider. This phenomenon is known as "white coat hypertension", this phenomenon normally increases systolic blood pressure about 10 mmHg, diastolic about 5 mmHg, due to too much anxiety and stress.

12. When the body is dehydrated

When the cells in the body are deprived of water, your blood vessels constrict, it is because your brain sends a signal to the pituitary gland to release chemicals that act on the blood vessels to help them constrict. In addition, your kidneys will work to reduce urine output, retaining water in the body. All of that makes the heart work harder, causing high blood pressure in the early stages of dehydration.

13. When arguing

High blood pressure when arguing can happen to anyone, whether young or old, wherever you are. If you normally have high blood pressure, when you talk, your blood pressure also increases and research shows that the topic and content of the debate is more relevant than the movements of the mouth to speak. Therefore, if you have high blood pressure or not, you should also control your emotions and psychology when arguing.
High blood pressure is a dangerous disease and can leave many complications. There are many causes of illness that you often overlook or do not pay attention to. To prevent high blood pressure, you can choose the HIGH PRESSURE EXAMINATION PACKAGE at Vinmec General Hospital. With a team of medical - doctors who are leading experts in the industry, with high professional qualifications; Modern equipment; Professional medical examination and treatment service, High blood pressure package can detect the disease promptly even when there are no symptoms, providing optimal treatment efficiency.

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Reference source: webmd.com