$Unique_ID{PAR00101}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  High Blood Pressure}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{High Blood Pressure Headache Headaches Pounding heartbeat heartbeats
breath Shortness breathing difficulty Flushed face transient Persistent kidney
diseases tumor obstruction obstructions infection infections nephritis adrenal
testicular tumors heart defect artery defects arteries overactive thyroid
gland medication medications steroids ephedrine overweight licorice Essential
hypertension silent disease}
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Your Child:  A Medical Guide


High Blood Pressure


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Most often, there are no symptoms.

     POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS
     - Headaches
     - Pounding heartbeat
     - Shortness of breath during exercise
     - Flushed face

     HOME CARE
     - High blood pressure must be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Your child should have regular checkups, and the doctor should measure
       the child's blood pressure during each examination.
     - High blood pressure can be dangerous if left untreated.

     It has been known for decades that high blood pressure, or hypertension,
occurs in infants and children as well as in adults.  A baby's blood pressure
at birth is normally about 80/40.  The blood pressure then rises gradually
until, by the time the child is a teenager, it is about 120/80.  If the blood
pressure is substantially higher than that, a child is considered to have high
blood pressure.
     The most common cause of transient (temporary) high blood pressure in
children is emotion (for example, fear or worry).  Persistent high blood
pressure can be caused by kidney disease (tumors, obstructions, infections, or
nephritis), adrenal and testicular tumors, defects of the heart or of a major
artery, an overactive thyroid gland, certain medications (for example,
steroids and ephedrine), extreme overweight, and eating too much licorice.
Essential hypertension, the most common cause in adults, may be hereditary and
has no known cause.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     High blood pressure has been called the "silent disease" because it often
has no symptoms.  Symptoms, if they occur, can include headaches, pounding
heartbeat, shortness of breath during exercise, and flushing of the face.
Accurate diagnosis can be made only by taking careful blood pressure
measurements with instruments that are the correct size for use on your child.
If the blood pressure is high on the first reading, the doctor will check it
several times at return visits to make sure that the first reading was
accurate.

HOME CARE

     There is no home treatment for high blood pressure.  The condition must
be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.  All children should have an annual
physical examination.  High blood pressure in childhood is curable, but it can
be dangerous if it is not treated.

PRECAUTION

  -  Be sure the doctor checks your child's blood pressure during each
     checkup.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     The doctor will give your child a complete physical examination,
including measuring the blood pressure, feeling the arteries in the groin, and
examining the eyes for changes in the blood vessels in the backs of the eyes
(where the effects of high blood pressure may be recognized early).  The
doctor will also examine the child's heart, abdomen, and genitalia.
     It takes complicated diagnostic evaluation to check for all of the many
possible causes of high blood pressure.  Except in rare cases, all the causes
of high blood pressure can be successfully treated or cured by medications,
changes in diet, or surgery.  However, it is frequently necessary for the
child to be hospitalized for tests and determination of treatment.

RELATED TOPICS:  Nephritis; Thyroid disorders