Identifying Causes of Secondary Hypertension

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. 

Identifying Causes of Secondary Hypertension

The two types of hypertension are simply referred to as primary and secondary. The main difference between the two is the cause. In essence, when the incidence of hypertension has no known medical
cause is diagnosed as primary hypertension against secondary hypertension caused by another medical condition.

According to the American Heart Association, 5-10 percent of hypertension cases are secondary, which means that the patient has an underlying condition which led to high blood pressure. In this case, the treatment of these underlying causes for secondary hypertension is the key to controlling high blood pressure. It is important to restore normal blood pressure level because just like how a condition can lead to hypertension, hypertension can lead to various complications such as stroke and kidney failure.

Here are the most common causes of secondary hypertension:

A renal disease that develops in renal failure will lead to excessive amounts of sodium and water being retained in the body, which usually results in hypertension. When high blood pressure in the set, the arteries that carry blood to the kidneys narrow making it difficult for blood to flow to these organs. This condition will result in a type of hypertension known as renovascular hypertension. In most cases, this can be treated with surgery.

Adrenal tumors that are causes of secondary hypertension are pheochromocytoma, primary aldosteronism, and Cushing's syndrome. The last two types of adrenal tumors require complicated treatment, which unfortunately is not always effective in reducing blood pressure, while the removal of the pheochromocytoma has a better chance of treating hypertension.

Some hormonal imbalances are also possible causes of secondary hypertension such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism or overproduction and underproduction of thyroid hormone. The excessive production of growth hormone by pituitarygland can also cause hypertension.

A sleep disorder called sleep apnea can also lead to hypertension. This condition is characterized by periodic arrests in a person's breathing during sleep. The good thing is that the sleep apnea can be effectively treated by the use of a device that continuously keeps airways open of a person during sleep, thereby, reducing blood pressure significantly.

Some medications such as corticosteroids, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, epoetin and anti-inflammatory drugs can cause secondary hypertension There are also some over-the-counter products that may increase blood pressure including common painkillers pain, nasal decongestants, and loss weight products with caffeine. Illegal drugs amphetamine and cocaine are also known to increase blood pressure.

Since there are a number of causes of secondary hypertension, it is important to know them in order to correctly identify the appropriate treatment. Treat or control the causes of secondary hypertension is critical to treat the resulting incidence of high blood pressure.