There are several types of hypertension diseases. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hypertension is the medical term for prolonged, elevated blood pressure. Hypertension can often be helped by lifestyle modifications, such as participating in regular exercise, quitting smoking, losing excess weight in a sustainable manner and consuming a healthy, nutrient-rich diet. Limiting the amount of sodium in the diet and reducing stress levels will also help control blood pressure.
Essential Hypertension
Essential hypertension is a type of hypertension disease. According to Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine, essential hypertension is blood pressure that's chronically elevated for no apparent reason. Medical experts believe that essential hypertension may be caused by several as of yet undetermined factors, yet it is the most common of the three principal types of hypertension. Approximately 95 percent of people with hypertension have essential hypertension, and African Americans of both genders, along with Caucasian males, have higher rates of this condition.
Common symptoms associated with essential hypertension include mild headache, tiredness, dyspnea or shortness of breath, confusion, dizziness, visual changes, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, perspiration, nose bleeds and angina-like chest pain. However, many people with essential hypertension experience few or no symptoms.
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is a type of hypertension disease. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the NIH, states that pulmonary hypertension is increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries, or the arteries that carry blood from a person's heart to her lungs to pick up oxygen. According to the NHLBI, pulmonary hypertension causes a person to experience shortness of breath during routine physical activity or exercise, tiredness, chest pain and an increased heart rate. As pulmonary hypertension progresses, symptoms may prevent a person from participating in any sort of physical activity.
The NHLBI notes that three types of changes can affect the pulmonary arteries and cause pulmonary hypertension, including tightening of the arterial walls, stiffening of the arteries and blood clot formation within the arteries. There is currently no cure for pulmonary hypertension.
Secondary Hypertension
Secondary hypertension is an additional type of hypertension. This condition is distinct from essential hypertension in that the latter does not have a definitive cause---although genetics, poor diet, inadequate exercise and obesity are thought to play significant roles---whereas secondary hypertension, according to the Mayo Clinic, is often associated with conditions affecting a person's kidneys, arteries, heart and endocrine system. It is also relatively common among pregnant women.
Secondary hypertension often arises suddenly and can lead to serious health complications, such as heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Common signs and symptoms associated with secondary hypertension include elevated blood pressure that's unaffected by blood pressure medication and the sudden onset of high blood pressure before the age of 20 or after the age of 50.
