1. It's Not Just Grandma's High Blood Pressure
Secondary hypertension is a less common form of hypertension that often goes undiagnosed in many people. Secondary hypertension means there is some underlying condition causing hypertension rather than a common cause. There are five main causes known to contribute to secondary hypertension. Knowing the cause of hypertension and whether or not it's secondary determines the appropriate course of treatment.
2. Know Your Alphabet
Doctors use the ABCDE method of determining whether the cause of hypertension is an underlying condition. These letters represent the primary possible causes for the disease. The conditions are accuracy of diagnosis, apnea, bruits, bad kidneys, catecholamines, coarctation Cushing's syndrome, drugs, diet, excess erythropoietin and endocrine disorders.
3. Right or Wrong
Accuracy of diagnosis is the most important first step in determining secondary hypertension. A blood pressure cuff that is too small, too big or too tight can give false high readings. An un-relaxed arm or bad arm position, as well as inexperienced medical staff cause high readings as well. Constrictive sleeves on clothing also cause false high readings. About twenty percent of high blood pressure readings in the doctor's office read normally in other locations. This "white coat syndrome" is a nervous reaction to the office environment causing elevated blood pressure. If you think your blood pressure reading is abnormally high, look for obvious causes and ask for a second reading before leaving the office.
4. The A's Have It
The other condition causing secondary hypertension in the A category is Apnea. Many patients suffering from sleep apnea also have secondary hypertension. Studies show that when patients diagnosed with sleep apnea have unobstructed air flow during sleep, their blood pressure goes down. Symptoms for sleep apnea include morning headaches, daytime sleepiness and obesity. Patients with both sleep apnea and hypertension need to ask their doctor about further testing.
5. The Rest of the Story
The other letters in the alphabet are conditions you'll need blood tests for. If you have hypertension, make sure your doctor requests a complete blood work to rule out these underlying causes. Although the ABDCE diagnosing formula is pretty comprehensive, there a few other causes of secondary hypertension. Pregnant women often experience a condition known as preeclampsia. This condition happens in the late stages of pregnancy and requires complete bed rest until delivery or labor induction if the pregnancy is far enough along. A big contributor to secondary high blood pressure is stress. If you have high blood pressure, try reducing your stress level. Whether it's an underlying cause of your hypertension or not, reducing stress is always a good idea for better health.
