Renee's Blood Pressure

Blood pressure can be a confusing topic to those who do not study the subject. Renee’s blood pressure is 158/97. The top number, 158 is the systolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the highest blood arterial pressure reached during ejection of blood from the heart. The bottom number, 97 is the diastolic pressure (Haiken, M., 2010). Diastolic pressure is the lowest arterial pressure when the ventricles are relaxed. A healthy blood pressure is 120/58 indicating that Renee has elevated blood pressure (How to Understand Blood Pressure Readings, 2016) Hypertension is defined as having an abnormally high blood pressure over 140/90. There are two primary types of hypertension. Essential hypertension is diagnosed after a doctor notices elevated blood

Renee’s hypertension could also be genetics as she is only 32 years old and age would not be a factor. On the other hand, for secondary hypertension, a cause can be found. Secondary hypertension is an abnormality in the arteries supplying blood to the kidneys. Secondary hypertensions can be caused by airway obstruction during sleep, diseases, and tumors of the adrenal glands, hormone abnormalities, thyroid disease, and high intake of salt or alcohol (Different Types of Hypertension, 2009, para.3). If Renee has secondary hypertension, these could be the causes. Isolated systolic hypertension occurs when the systolic pressure rises over 140. This kind of hypertension is mostly seen in the elderly, caused by the loss of elasticity in the arteries. This hypertension is more critical that diastolic pressure as it links to cardiovascular disease (Different Types of Hypertension, 2009, para.5). Malignant hypertension is very rare, however, is more common in younger adults, African-American men, and women who have pregnancy toxemia. This type of hypertension occurs when there is a sudden rise in blood pressure. Malignant

These results can abrupt the flow of blood to the kidneys. This is problematic due to the fact that nephrons in the kidneys will not be able to receive the necessary amount of oxygen and nutrients (How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Kidney Damage or Failure. n.d. para. 1). This results in the kidneys failing to filter wastes, blood, and regulate hormones, acid, and salts. Hypertension can cause kidney disease which can lead to kidney failure. Some symptoms of kidney disease are the continuous elevation of blood pressure, decrease or difficulty urinating, edema, and a need to urinate frequently (How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Kidney Damage or Failure. n.d.). Hypertension can also cause an aneurysm, which is a section of a weak artery that has enlarged and formed a bulge (High blood pressure dangers, n.d.). This can be threatening if an aneurysm ruptures and causes internal bleeding. High blood pressure can affect your whole body as your blood vessels carry all your blood throughout your whole body. Hypertension can cause coronary heart disease, enlarged left heart, heart failure, Transient ischemic attack, stroke, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, eye blood vessel damage, and nerve damage (High blood pressure dangers, n.d.). An enlarged left heart can occur due to the high blood pressure which forces your heart to pump hard at