Hypertension

Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, occurs when the blood forces or pushes against the blood vessels instead of flowing normally. This can cause damage to the vessels, the heart, the kidneys and other organs. Your child has high blood pressure if their blood pressure is equal to or above 95% of children who are the same sex, age and height. In children, there is no optimum value for blood pressure as what may be considered a norm as it changes as children grow. Hypertension in children below the age of ten is often indication of some other medical disorder such as co-arctation of aorta (narrowing in great vessel of heart), kidney disease, genetic disorder or hormonal changes. Other causes include obesity, improper diet consumption and lack of exercise.

Hypertension is becoming increasingly common in children and adolescents due to their sedentary lifestyle. There are two types of hypertension:

• Primary hypertension: which is caused without any underlying medical disorder

• Secondary hypertension: which is caused due to a known underlying medical disorder such as kidney diseases, blood vessel abnormalities, endocrinological disorder and heart disease?

When to seek expert advise

You can get your child’s blood pressure measured during routine check-up after the age of three years, and at every appointment after that if they have hypertension. In infants, certain cases such as premature birth, low birth weight, congenital heart disease and certain kidney problems require regular blood pressure checks. For a consultation with an expert, visit our Children's Hospital Service Line at The Aga Khan University Hospital which is the only internationally accredited hospital in Pakistan, where the doctors can help dispel your queries about hypertension in children and provide quality treatment if necessary. 

Imagery