Blood pressure 170 over 80: what does it mean, causes, symptoms, what to do and how to reduce elevated levels?

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Many people may experience unpleasant symptoms such as increased blood pressure. Hypertension is a common disease for older people, but young people often face this problem too. A pressure of 170 to 80 completely deviates from the norm and is systolic hypertension, which indicates the presence of various problems of the cardiovascular system, as well as the brain.

Such hypertension is dangerous for a person at any age; not only older people are faced with such deviations. To alleviate your condition and get rid of unpleasant consequences, you first need to understand the reasons for this increase in blood pressure, they are different.

Meaning of indicators

The upper indicator of the tonometer displays systolic pressure, the lower - diastolic. A discrepancy of 50 mm for the first indicates overstrain of the heart muscle during contraction. Compliance with the norm for the second indicates the natural behavior of the heart during relaxation. The New York Heart Association recommends keeping your blood pressure under 120/80 at any age.

Is this kind of blood pressure dangerous?

A blood pressure of 170/80 is diagnosed as second-degree systolic hypertension. This disease significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular pathologies over the next 10 years. The probability can reach up to 20%. Hypertension affects all blood vessels and can also lead to chronic heart or kidney failure. Elderly people deserve special attention in case of hypertension, since in older people the vessels are already worn out due to age.

Why is high blood pressure dangerous?

An increase in systolic pressure to 170, while diastolic pressure is within 80, poses a great danger to the body. Such a difference between the indicators indicates that the cardiac system is in a critical condition, and hypertension develops into pathology. With readings of 170 to 80 mm Hg. Art. the doctor can diagnose a disease such as stage 2 hypertension.

High levels often lead a sick person to stroke and heart attack. If you do not take the necessary measures in time and do not visit a specialist for examination and treatment, a rapid rupture of blood vessels in the brain may occur, which will result in severe hemorrhage into its cavity. Hypertensive patients should definitely monitor their health, have a tonometer with them and measure their blood pressure in case of any changes in their health. Only a serious approach and responsibility for your life will help maintain your health at the proper level.

Causes

The causes of hypertension often lie in poor lifestyle choices due to living in a metropolis. These include:

excess weight;
smoking;
alcohol abuse;
an excess of fatty, salty and sweet foods in the diet;
lack of physical activity;
heredity;
stress;
lack of sleep.

Changing your diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help you protect yourself from cardiovascular diseases.

Causes of pressure surges

Blood pressure can regularly increase due to external factors or the development of internal pathologies. To prescribe the correct treatment regimen, the doctor needs to determine the root cause of the jump in arterial parameters.

The main reasons for pressure 170 to 90:

Obesity. With excess body weight, increased blood counts are not uncommon. This is due to the increased loads borne by the heart muscle, changes in the speed of blood flow, and an increase in the volume of circulating blood. An overweight patient should be tested for insulin resistance syndrome, which causes blood vessels to become constricted. With the syndrome, harmful cholesterol and fats accumulate in the blood. This is a dangerous condition that poisons the body. To normalize the condition, it is recommended to consult a nutritionist who will help you establish proper nutrition.
Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system. With hormonal imbalances, jumps in blood levels are a common occurrence. They can go up and down all the time. The patient needs to check the condition of the thyroid gland. The heart experiences double stress, and it is possible to develop hyperfunction of the thyroid gland or insufficient production of thyroid hormones. To normalize the indicators, you need to contact an endocrinologist.
Renal dysfunction. Diseases of the organ lead to deterioration of blood filtration, stagnation of fluid in the body, swelling, and high blood pressure of 170/90 mmHg.
Magnesium deficiency. Magnesium enters the body with certain foods. If there is a deficiency of the mineral, you should supplement your diet with legumes, nuts, and wheat bran. You can take dietary supplements or vitamin complexes.
Excessive salt intake. An excess of salt in the body affects blood pressure, which is constantly increasing. To return to normal levels, you need to reduce your salt intake.
Chronic course of internal diseases. Disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and vital systems do not pass without symptoms. They can often be detected by persistently high blood pressure, which does not decrease even under the influence of antihypertensive drugs. To normalize the condition, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination and detect pathologies that affect blood pressure.

Kidney diseases always provoke an increase in blood pressure

Provoking factors for a persistent increase in blood pressure may be:

the man's age is over 55 years;
female age from 60 years;
high cholesterol levels;
smoking;
excess body weight;
sedentary lifestyle;
diabetes.

In such conditions, an increase in arterial values up to 170 to 90 is common and can lead to the development of complications.

Symptoms

Symptoms of high blood pressure seriously reduce a person’s performance and make him irritable or apathetic. These include:

headache;
nausea;
dizziness;
tremor and numbness of the limbs;
chest pain;
blurred vision and black spots in the eyes;
prostration.

If you experience the above ailments with hypertension, consult a doctor immediately!

Signs and symptoms of blood pressure 170 over 80

The very first signs that you need to pay attention to are frequent and prolonged headaches that are sharp in nature. Dizziness, pain in the heart area, blurred vision, weakness and other manifestations often occur. Symptoms for each patient may manifest themselves differently, but most often they are observed in the following form:

Increased heart rate.
Noise in ears.
Frequent and prolonged headaches.
Facial redness.
Palpitations.
Decreased performance.

These are only some of the symptoms that can occur with isolated systolic pressure. Deterioration in well-being, loss of performance, increased heart rate - all this may indicate a sharp increase in systolic blood pressure, which must be combated in various ways. Doctors will be able to choose the right treatment option suitable for each patient individually. To do this, various studies are carried out in advance, on the basis of which a course of treatment is drawn up.

Pulse

The normal heart rate of a healthy person ranges from 60 to 80 beats per minute. Its increase in hypertension indicates excessive physical activity, or the development of pathologies in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, if you have not exercised and your pulse becomes higher than normal, coupled with arterial hypertension, consult a doctor immediately. A decrease is observed in hypertensive patients who are constantly taking antihypertensive medications.

And also read on our website: What to do if the pressure is 100 to 100, why is it dangerous and what are the pulse values?

What to do?

Proper first aid for hypertension is the key to reducing the risk of complications to a minimum. If you or someone you know suffers from hypertension, you definitely need to know a few basic first aid rules.

First of all

The following algorithm of actions will allow you to either finally bring the patient back to normal, or maintain his condition until the doctors arrive.

Help the patient take a semi-sitting position.
Don't panic under any circumstances.
Give an antihypertensive drug if previously prescribed by a doctor.
If the pressure does not decrease within 20 minutes, call an ambulance.

Never take antihypertensive drugs unless they have been prescribed by a doctor and do not exceed the dose prescribed by him. This can be very harmful to your health!

By medical means

Treatment of blood pressure 170 over 90 can be done at home. There are several groups of drugs that can be prescribed by a doctor. Medicines are selected depending on the unique properties and individual condition of the patient.

There are the following groups of antihypertensive drugs:

diuretics;
beta blockers;
sartans;
calcium channel blockers.

Tablets are taken in the morning, before or after meals, since the peak effect of the medication is reached 4-6 hours after administration.

Traditional treatment

In the treatment of hypertension, you can rely not only on medications, but also on traditional medicine, because it contains many recipes, the effect of which is determined by their pharmacological properties.

And also read on our website: What does blood pressure 160 over 110 mean, what are the reasons, what to do, how to reduce it and treatment at home

What you can do for hypertension:

Apple cider vinegar compress on calves. The effectiveness of this method is due to the fact that vinegar irritates certain reflex zones.
Tincture of motherwort or valerian. They are excellent for lowering blood pressure due to the sedative effect of these herbs.
You can also eat watermelon. Its diuretic effect will eliminate excess fluid in the body and have a hypotensive effect.

However, before trying any of the methods, be sure to discuss it with your doctor.

Drug treatment

Medicines prescribed by a doctor will help you get rid of hypertension forever; all you need is timely consultation. Prescribed drugs are divided into different active groups:

sartans;
diuretics;
calcium channel blockers;
ACE inhibitors.

Treatment involves lifelong taking of pills. As a rule, one tablet per day is enough to provide a hypotensive effect. The dosage is individual for each patient; it must be obtained from the doctor. For most medications, the blood pressure lowering effect develops within 1 hour, reaches its peak between 4 and 6 hours, and lasts up to 24 hours.

Treatment for pressure 170 to 80

When visiting a cardiologist, each patient receives a full examination, an accurate diagnosis and individual treatment that will be most effective for him. Among the medications prescribed to lower blood pressure, we note:

Diuretics.
Ganglioblockers.
Beta blockers.
Receptor blockers.

Remember that certain medications can only be taken with a doctor's prescription. Their effect will be positive only with individual selection, which is why do not overuse self-medication, trust your health only to professionals. If you choose the wrong treatment option, the patient may experience the following side effects:

Skin rashes.
Loss of consciousness.
Vomit.
Lack of appetite.

Doctors often prescribe individual injections for each patient, which are selected depending on the severity of the disease and the patient’s well-being. Most often used:

Lokren.
Eprosartan.
Amlodipine.
Atenol.
Bisoprolol.
Amlodipine.

To prevent the deterioration of the condition from becoming frequent, it is necessary to adhere to certain doctor’s recommendations, which will be aimed exclusively at alleviating the patient’s condition.

Treatment with folk remedies

Traditional medicine also has many effective methods for getting rid of hypertension. We provide recipes for some of them:

Mix 1 to 4 lemon juice with water and drink at once.
Add 200 ml of water to 50 ml of valerian tincture, drink when your blood pressure rises.
Apply an apple cider vinegar compress to your ankles.

The effectiveness of these recipes can be proven from a scientific point of view. Lemon juice dilates blood vessels, valerian soothes, and apple cider vinegar has a positive effect on blood circulation. However, they cannot replace full-fledged drug treatment.

Prevention of acute conditions

If pressure surges are noticed, it is necessary to take preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of a repeated increase in readings to 17 by 90 mmHg:

take blood pressure measurements twice a day: morning and evening;
to refuse from bad habits;
include physical activity with a sedentary lifestyle: this can be walking, sports, swimming, running;
improve your eating habits: give up salt, fatty foods, smoked foods, strong tea and coffee;
reduce the impact of stress;
practice breathing techniques.

If the doctor has prescribed antihypertensive drugs, you need to take them in a course, observing the dosage and duration of use. You should not take antihypertensive pills without a doctor's prescription. You cannot interrupt treatment with pills or change medications on your own.

Prevention

Despite the fact that the source of hypertension is often the consequences of living in a metropolis, the following measures will maximally protect you from hypertension:

getting rid of excess weight;
change in diet;
healthy sleep pattern;
gymnastics classes;
cessation of smoking and alcohol abuse;
cold and hot shower.

It would also be a good idea to protect yourself from sources of stress. Try to change the situation or environment.

Possible danger

With frequent high blood pressure above 170 to 140, a person already has hypertension, which is classified as a moderate-severe form. In this case, the systolic value indicates stage 2 of the disease, and diastolic pressure marks indicate stage 3 hypertension.

The main danger of a high indicator is the increased risk of complications, since various systems and organs are damaged:

Circulatory system. Frequent high blood pressure increases the load on the heart, which causes the development of organ failure, and after a while a heart attack is possible. In addition, there is a strong load on human vessels, due to which their elasticity is lost, the walls become thinner, and the risk of hemorrhages as a result of rupture of blood vessels increases.
Brain. At a pressure of 170 to 140, the blood vessels in the brain malfunction, the body does not receive enough nutrients and oxygen, and brain starvation begins. Blood clots and bleeding in the brain may form, followed by a stroke.
Kidneys. The organ also cannot function normally with hypertension, constantly high blood pressure. Urea enters the blood, after which kidney failure occurs.

In addition to the described complications, the pressure is 170/140 mm Hg. Art. causes tissue changes and many other consequences.

During pregnancy, blood pressure always increases slightly, especially in the 3rd trimester. This is due not only to changes at the hormonal level, but also to increased stress on the body. If blood pressure rises to 170/140 mm Hg during pregnancy. Art., then you need to call an ambulance as quickly as possible, since you cannot stop the jump yourself. Pregnant women are prohibited from using medications for hypertension, so measures should only be taken by physicians. The danger lies in the possibility of stopping the development of the fetus, stopping its heart, and in addition, during pregnancy, a woman can die at such pressure.

Principles of antihypertensive therapy in the elderly

Factors that determine the characteristics of treatment for older people:

When selecting adequate doses of antihypertensive drugs, blood pressure control is mandatory
It is advisable to start treatment with one antihypertensive drug in a small dose. Then the dose is gradually increased until a sufficient antihypertensive effect is achieved. This avoids poor tolerance in elderly patients to rapid reductions in blood pressure.
individual selection of drugs for initial treatment should be carried out taking into account the individual pathophysiological characteristics of arterial hypertension, comorbidities, indications and limitations of antihypertensive drugs;
Long-acting drugs should be preferred
You should not use drugs that can cause orthostatic hypotension (α-blockers) and impaired cognitive function (central α-2-adrenergic agonists).