Hypertension is an asymptomatic disorder.
Asymptomatic is a term used in medicine to name something or someone who does not show symptoms of disease . To better understand this concept, therefore, we can delve into the main words of said definition.
A symptom (from Latin symptoma ) is an indication or sign of something that is already happening or is going to happen in the future. In the medical field, it is the phenomenon that reveals the existence of a disease. This phenomenon is narrated by the patient subjectively when he notices something abnormal in his body. When a person feels dizzy or has recurrent nausea, for example, they usually go to the doctor and express those symptoms so that the specialist can proceed to examine them in search of any clinical sign (the objective manifestation that the expert notices).
Disease , for its part, is a condition that causes a certain process and that results in a certain status that alters the ontological state of health of a living being. The disease state can be generated by factors ( noxas ) intrinsic or extrinsic to the organism.
Concept of asymptomatic
With these two notions (symptom and disease) clear, we can return to the definition of asymptomatic . If an individual goes to the doctor and tells him that he thinks he has chickenpox, the expert can tell him that his body is asymptomatic regarding said condition, since he does not have the classic rash nor has the subject experienced a headache or fever. An individual can also be said to be asymptomatic when they have recovered from a disorder and no longer have symptoms.
Another use of the term appears when a disease does not generate symptoms that can be noticed by the patient. In this sense, it is said that a disease is asymptomatic when it is only noticed through a study, without the person feeling anything strange in their body .
Glaucoma is asymptomatic and can lead to vision loss.
Diseases and disorders of this type
Below are some of the diseases and conditions considered asymptomatic, although some of them begin to become evident once the initial stages have passed.
Aneurysms
Aneurysms are widenings of the arterial walls. When they grow there is a chance that they will rupture, causing dangerous bleeding and, in some cases, death. Aneurysms typically occur in the aorta (the main artery that begins in the heart and runs to the chest and abdomen), but they can also be found in the brain and heart, among other possibilities.
Before symptoms appear, aneurysms can grow and develop; In the case of the brain, if they rupture, a stroke occurs. Doctors can stop the rupture if they can detect the problem and treat it early, both through drugs and surgery .
Glaucoma
The term glaucoma represents a group of disorders that can cause damage to the optic nerve and is the leading cause of total vision loss in the United States. It usually occurs when the pressure of the fluid inside the eye increases to the point of injuring the nerve. Most commonly, there are no symptoms during the initial stage .
When not treated in time, those affected lose peripheral vision (to the sides) and, later, often go blind. Despite being an asymptomatic problem, it is possible to detect it through a comprehensive eye examination.
High blood pressure
The force that blood exerts against the arterial walls is known as blood pressure. When its values exceed a certain limit, high blood pressure occurs, and it normally does not present symptoms, although it can lead to serious conditions, such as heart failure, strokes, kidney failure and heart attacks.
Controlling blood pressure is possible through a healthy lifestyle and, in some cases, the consumption of certain medications.