Language
Country/Area
No result found
Hypertension and brain crisis: Do you know what hypertensive encephalopathy is?
Hypertensive encephalopathy (HE) is a brain dysfunction caused by significantly elevated blood pressure. Symptoms of the disease include severe headache, vomiting, difficulty with balance and confusion, and usually begin acutely. If not treated promptly, it may lead to complications such as convulsions, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and retinal hemorrhage. Hypertensive encephalopathy usually occurs when blood pressure exceeds 200/130 mmHg, and sometimes even occurs at a blood pressure of 160/100 mmHg.
Symptoms of hypertensive encephalopathy usually develop within 12 to 48 hours after a sudden and sustained increase in blood pressure. The first noticeable symptom is a severe headache, which occurs in more than 75% of patients.
Hypertensive encephalopathy usually occurs in young and middle-aged hypertensive patients. Although its incidence is low, we still need to be vigilant. As the detection and treatment of high blood pressure have improved, the incidence of this condition has gradually decreased. Symptoms that patients may experience include confusion, impaired judgment and memory, drowsiness and coma. If the condition worsens, it may eventually lead to coma and worsening of other neurological symptoms.
Factors that lead to hypertensive encephalopathy include acute nephritis, epilepsy during pregnancy, hypertensive crisis, and sudden cessation of antihypertensive treatment. What these factors have in common is that they can all cause a sharp increase in blood pressure, thereby disrupting the normal regulation of cerebral blood flow. Generally speaking, blood flow to the brain is maintained through a self-regulatory mechanism, but when blood pressure rises to an abnormal level, this mechanism will fail, leading to cerebral ischemia and edema.
According to the concept of autoregulatory breakthrough, the small arteries in the brain are forced to dilate during acute hypertension, leading to angioedema. Brain edema can be generalized or localized, compressing the ventricles and flattening the cortical folds.
To diagnose hypertensive encephalopathy, doctors usually do a physical examination, measure blood pressure, and do blood tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), an electroencephalogram (EEG), a chest x-ray, a urinalysis, and imaging tests (such as CT scans). scan or MRI). Because rapidly lowering blood pressure is key to managing this condition, treatment is usually started before the results are known. As the condition stabilizes, doctors will switch patients to oral medications to gradually return blood pressure to normal levels over the next few months.
The initial treatment of hypertensive encephalopathy usually uses a combination of powerful antihypertensive drugs, including nitroprusside and labetalol. These drugs can quickly lower blood pressure, but they must be used under hospital monitoring to avoid adverse reactions.
If people receive prompt treatment, they usually recover fully with no lasting effects. However, if left untreated, the condition can lead to death.
The history of hypertensive encephalopathy can be traced back to the early 20th century. As early as 1914, Volhard and Fahr distinguished between neurological lesions caused by acute hypertension and uremic symptoms. In 1928, Oppenheimer and Fishberg first introduced the term "hypertensive encephalopathy" to describe brain symptoms caused by acute nephritis.
Nowadays, with the advancement of disease understanding and the improvement of medical technology, the incidence of hypertensive encephalopathy is gradually decreasing. Here, we should pay attention to blood pressure issues and have regular physical examinations to prevent problems and avoid unnecessary health losses. How much do you know about this?
