As the heart pumps blood through the arteries, it creates a pressure that is measurable. According to the American Heart Association, measured blood pressure is the result of two different forces. The first force occurs as blood is pumped out of the heart and into the arteries, the measurement of which is the systolic pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading. The second force occurs when the heart rests between contractions and the measurement here represents the bottom number or the diastolic pressure. High blood pressure has been linked to many different health disorders including heart disease. Doctors classify hypertension or high blood pressure based on its cause.
Essential
According to AARP, 90 to 95 percent of all people with high blood pressure have essential or primary hypertension. Essential hypertension has no identifiable single cause, but is likely caused by a variety of different factors, such as high sodium intake, age, hormone imbalance and poor cardiovascular health. The AARP also reports that hypertension is a common problem, with 690 million sufferers worldwide, and says that you have a 90% chance of developing hypertension later in life, even if you have normal blood pressure now.
Essential hypertension can be treated with medication, and diet and lifestyle changes, but no one particular treatment works for everyone because of the many varied factors that cause it.
Secondary
Secondary hypertension is caused by some other medical condition. Some of the common conditions that can cause secondary hypertension are renal artery stenosis, hyperthyroidism, Cushing syndrome, obesity and many medications, according to Mayo Clinic. Treatment of the underlying condition may be helpful in relieving secondary hypertension.
White Coat
Stressful situations can cause blood pressure to rise and some people find the visit to a doctor stressful, leading to a high reading in the office. If your blood pressure consistently reads higher at the doctor's office than it does at home, you may have White coat hypertension. In the past, white coat hypertension has not been taken seriously and has been dismissed as temporary anxiety, but because of such a high prevalence of stress in today's society it may be important to understand how stress affects blood pressure.
Labile
Stress, caffeine use, salt sensitivity and anxiety attacks are among some of the causes of labile hypertension. This type of high blood pressure is characterized by wide and abrupt swings in blood pressure making it difficult to measure and treat; however, it does pose a real risk for those who suffer with it.
Resistant
As the name implies, resistant hypertension does not respond to treatment like essential hypertension would. In all other ways, it appears to be very similar to essential hypertension. Careful medical management and trying a combination and variety of treatments or drugs can help reduce high resistant blood pressure.
