Typical Cases

• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): Often asymptomatic but can lead to serious conditions like heart disease and stroke if untreated.
• Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure): Can cause dizziness and fainting.

Symptoms and Management

• Hypertension:
  • Symptoms: Often none, but can include headaches, shortness of breath, and nosebleeds.
  • Management: Lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, reducing sodium), medications (diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers), and regular monitoring.
• Hypotension:
  • Symptoms: Dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, and nausea.
  • Management: Increasing salt intake, drinking more water, wearing compression stockings, and medications to raise blood pressure.

Monitoring

• Home Monitoring: Patients are often encouraged to monitor their blood pressure at home using automated devices.
• Clinical Monitoring: Regular check-ups in a healthcare setting to measure blood pressure and assess treatment efficacy.

Lifestyle Modifications

• Diet: A heart-healthy diet such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.
• Exercise: Regular physical activity, such as 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
• Weight Management: Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise.
• Sodium Reduction: Limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day.
• Alcohol Moderation: Limiting alcohol consumption to moderate levels.

Medications

• Diuretics: Help eliminate excess sodium and water from the body.
• ACE Inhibitors: Relax blood vessels by inhibiting the formation of a hormone that narrows blood vessels.
• Beta-Blockers: Reduce the workload on the heart and open blood vessels.
• Calcium Channel Blockers: Relax the muscles of the heart and blood vessels.
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs): Block the action of a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict.