If you have secondary hypertension (high blood pressure) due to a medical condition, such as kidney disease, turn to Southern Kidney Specialists, with locations throughout Middle Tennessee. The superior nephrology team offers treatments to reduce your chance of life-threatening complications. Call the nearest office to schedule an appointment, or use the online booking feature today.
Secondary hypertension, also called secondary high blood pressure, is a condition in which the pressure inside blood vessel walls is too high because of another medical condition. Pregnancy and conditions that affect your arteries, endocrine system, kidneys, or heart, can all contribute to secondary hypertension.
Early detection and effective treatment of secondary hypertension reduce your chance of kidney failure, stroke, heart disease, and other problematic complications.
There aren’t usually any symptoms associated with secondary hypertension. For some people struggling with blood pressure that has reached dangerously high levels, nose bleeds, headaches, or shortness of breath may appear.
The following signs may indicate that your high blood pressure is secondary to another medical problem:
You may also have high blood pressure previously controlled by medication that no longer responds to the medicine.
When left untreated, secondary hypertension can worsen its underlying medical problem. It can cause an aneurysm, artery damage, heart failure, narrowed or weak kidney blood vessels, damage to the blood vessels in your eyes, and metabolic syndrome. You might also have memory problems or other cognitive issues.
Some of the common causes and risk factors for developing secondary hypertension include:
Adopting healthy habits and properly managing chronic diseases are the best ways to reduce your risk of developing secondary hypertension.
To find out if you have secondary hypertension and treat it properly, the Southern Kidney Specialists team checks your blood pressure using an inflatable cuff and blood pressure machine. You might also need blood tests, urinalysis, an electrocardiogram (EKG), a kidney ultrasound, or additional diagnostic testing.
The solution for secondary hypertension involves treating its underlying cause by taking medications or undergoing surgery as needed.
It’s also important to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, including eating nutritious foods, minimizing your sodium intake, getting regular exercise, and maintaining an ideal body weight. Limit or avoid alcohol, don’t smoke, and keep stress levels as low as possible.
To get screened and treated for secondary hypertension, schedule an appointment at Southern Kidney Specialists by phone or book one online today.