Malignant hypertension is a severe form of hypertension in which a patient has an unusually high blood pressure. The diastolic pressure that is typically around 80mmHg reaches a reading of 130mmHg or higher. When this occurs, organs in the body such as the brain, kidneys, eyes, and the heart are most susceptible to damage. If not treated immediately, permanent complications in these organs may arise. Intracerebral hemorrhage, heart attack, kidney failure and permanent blindness are the most probable difficulties that a patient would endure. This hypertension is also known as accelerated hypertension and arteriolar nephrosclerosis.

This form of hypertension is classified as a medical emergency. Upon physical examination of a patient some of the common findings are: an unusually high blood pressure; swelling of the lower part of the legs and feet; an abnormal beating of the heart; abnormality in breathing which may be due to the presence of liquid in the lungs; slow reaction time and numbing of the senses. Results of the chest x-ray will show that the heart is enlarged and that the lungs are congested. During examination of the eyes, retinal bleeding and blood vessel narrowing can be observed. Development of kidneys problems may also occur as a complication of hypertension. Several other complications may also develop.

The general characteristics of persons who are most susceptible to malignant hypertension have been identified. Individuals at high risk are younger patients; those having African ethnicity; people who have experienced kidney disorders particularly renal artery stenosis; and women who are pregnant and are experiencing gestational hypertension or its complications such as toxemia of pregnancy. About one percent of high blood pressure patients have the malignant one, making it a rare case. This fact however should not weaken precautionary instincts. The complications that may occur if the condition is neglected pose a serious threat as implied in the previous paragraph.

Common symptoms of malignant hypertension are closely related to the affected organs and organ systems such as the brain, kidneys, eyes, and the circulatory system. Some of these are: hazy vision, headache, restlessness, fatigue, confusion, decreased attentiveness, chest pain and lesser urine output. Overall feelings of numbness and weakness of the arms, legs and face are also experienced by the patient. It has been observed that patients having serious illnesses like stroke, kidney disorders and heart ailments also suffer the same symptoms. The most probable reason is that the same organs are targeted by all these diseases.

Patients with this condition are immediately brought to hospitals so that further tests can be conducted and to enable easier facilitation of treatment. The severity of the malignant hypertension indicates if the patient will be staying in the intensive care unit or not. Initially, medications that reduce the blood pressure are given intravenously. Oral drugs are given when the normal blood pressure of the patient is restored. Other medications that may decongest the lungs or that may aid in treating heart conditions are also given. The results of the physical examination will help the doctor determine the most suitable treatment for the patient.

By: Mary Ponce

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