The
Diagnosis Of Hypertension
Screening tests for the diagnosis of hypertension
One of the most
alarming facts about hypertension is that it isn't something that
affects a few people only, but it is believed that about 58 million
Americans sufferer from high blood pressure hypertension.
This
condition is also the leading cause behind suffering from heart
failure,
coronary artery disease, strokes, and renal diseases as well.
These are just some of the most common complications that cause serious
diseases amongst Americans, and there are other risks as well to
contend with.
Are the tests effective?
Well, it is always
necessary to have some screening tests to help in the diagnosis of
hypertension, but first, you need to learn about how effective is
conducting such tests.
The main reason about
why do
you need to be sure that you are using the proper devices to conduct
screening tests in the detection of hypertension is because:
-
even the most
accurate of devices used to measure blood pressure may not be
appropriate to conducting routine screening tests
-
because such
devices are invasive
-
because of certain
technical limitations to their use
-
because of the
costs involved
Still, the most common
device that is used when conducting screening tests for high blood
pressure is the office sphygomanometry – at least, in the asymptomatic
population. This is a very accurate means of testing blood pressure,
though it must be performed correctly because
sometimes the results may show a blood pressure that is not
representative of the mean blood pressure of the patient.
The reason about why
screening tests need to be done is because normally it is very
difficult to diagnose hypertension during normal,
routine physical examinations, even when the disease is in an advanced
stage. That is why doctors need to do screening tests, because the
results obtained will help rule out the possibility of other possible
causes
for hypertension in the person being tested.
Screening tests may
include :
-
Echocardiogram,
-
Transesophageal
echocardiogram,
-
Pulmonary function
test,
-
Perfusion lung
scan,
-
right heart
catheterization,
-
computerized
tomography,
-
magnetic resonance
imaging or MRI,
-
genetic tests
-
and in some cases,
open-lung biopsy
After the results of your screening tests have become available, your
physician can then classify your condition as being Class I, II, III or
even IV.
-
Class I condition
- It means that you are suffering from pulmonary hypertension though
there are no symptoms discovered.
-
Class II condition
- It means that you are not showing symptoms while at rest though you
may feel fatigued, as well as breathless and even chest pain.
-
Class III
condition - It means that you are comfortable while at rest, though you
will notice a few symptoms whenever you exert yourself.
-
Class IV - It
means that you will show symptoms even while resting.
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