60 Best Doctors for Hypertension available in Delhi

What is hypertension?

Increased blood pressure is called hypertension or high blood pressure. High blood pressure makes the heart pump more blood to organs through narrow arteries. Uncontrolled blood pressure is the primary risk for cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure or stroke. Maintaining blood pressure in control is required to reduce the risk of serious conditions.

What are the causes of hypertension?

Primary hypertension - there is no exact cause for this hypertension. This may develop gradually over years.

Secondary hypertension - this hypertension caused due to underlying medical conditions. This occurs suddenly and following are few of the medical conditions:

• Kidney disorders 
• Thyroid disorders 
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Adrenal gland tumors
• Pregnancy 
• Congenital disorders related to blood vessels 
• Few medications such as decongestants, birth control pills, cold remedies, over-the-counter pain relievers
• Some of the illegal drugs like cocaine, amphetamines

What are the risk factors for hypertension?

There are many risk factors that increase blood pressure. Few of them are:

• Older age
• Family history
• Obesity
• Physically inactive
• Too much salt in the diet
• Too little potassium in the diet
• Excessive drinking alcohol
• Tobacco usage
• Stress
• Conditions like diabetes, kidney disease 

What are the complications associated with hypertension?

Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to complications such as:

• Heart stroke 
• Heart failure 
• Aneurysm
• Torn blood vessels in the eyes
• Weak and narrow blood vessels in the kidneys
• Dementia 
• Metabolic syndrome

Who can treat hypertension?

Well experienced Cardiologists can treat high blood pressure through various appropriate medications and lifestyle changes. However, an individual should follow the instructions given by the Cardiologist to control and maintain blood pressure.

How can high blood pressure be diagnosed?

To measure the blood pressure doctor may use a sphygmomanometer. It is a painless method and reading can be shown on the instrument. Doctors may suggest a few of the following tests to check for the cause of hypertension.

• Blood tests (includes blood urea creatinine levels)
• Lipid profile
• Tests for thyroid and adrenal gland hormones
• Urine tests
  A painless eye examination with an ophthalmoscope
• Kidney ultrasound
• CT scan (abdomen)
• ECG echocardiogram doppler ultrasound or plain X-rays can detect damage in the heart blood vessels

Can lifestyle modifications help to prevent hypertension?

Yes, lifestyle modifications can help to prevent and control hypertension. Some of the measures include:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat healthy foods
• Reduce salt in the diet
• Increase physical activity
• Reduce intake of alcohol
• Do not smoke
• Manage stress
• Practice relaxation methods - slow or deep breathing
• Monitor blood pressure regularly