Risks of High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure fluctuates during various activities, different times of the day and during changing phases in a person’s life. Pressure increases when doing physical activities and decreases when resting. Some women develop high blood pressure when they are pregnant but blood pressure reverts to normal levels after delivery. However, there are times when a person’s pressure constantly remains elevated. This is a serious condition known as high blood pressure. Initial stages of high blood pressure (hypertension) show no symptoms. Therefore, the condition quietly damages the body before symptoms become apparent. There are several health risks of high blood pressure if the condition is not detected and treated. Awareness of these harmful effects of high blood pressure helps understand the seriousness of the condition. A person with high blood pressure should obtain immediate treatment to avoid any medical emergencies.

What is High Blood Pressure?

The heart pumps blood through the arteries to reach various parts of the body. To push the blood to various parts of the body which lies away from the heart, there should be sufficient pressure in the blood flow. The pressurized blood pushes against the walls of the arteries while the heart pumps blood. Prolonged, elevated, pressure will damage the heart, kidneys, blood vessels and other vital parts of the body. High blood pressure can be fatal as it can cause arterial rapture leading to blood clots. These clots can block valves and result strokes and heart attacks. A healthy blood pressure remains at 120/80. A pressure reading of 140/90 indicates the onset of high blood pressure. Many conditions cause the increase of pressure. These range from obesity, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of physical activity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and many more. Blood pressure also increases due to medication and certain medical conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, conditions of the endocrine system and heart problems. Regular, blood pressure checks, help identify high blood pressure (HBP).

Effects of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure damages various parts of the body. Over time, the damage to vital organs causes complications that may result in death. Below are some of the major complications that results from untreated high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure and the Arteries – There are many harmful effects of high blood pressure to the arteries. The arteries carry blood to various organs and muscles in the body. The arteries control the speed blood travels and manages the direction the blood flows. The arteries open and close by using tiny muscles in the artery walls. High blood pressure affects the arteries’ ability to function in the proper manner. This causes the arteries to become thicker and narrower and harden. This is known as arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis, blocks the blood flow to the heart, brain, kidneys and other parts of the body. This causes severe damage to the organs resulting in angina attacks, heart attacks, strokes, kidney diseases. Sometimes, the blocked arteries enlarge and bulge and burst. This is known as an aneurysm. Aneurysms are dangerous as internal bleeding can be life-threatening.

High Blood Pressure and Heart – The arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart. The blocking of the arteries starves the heart of much needed oxygen and nutrients. The result is a permanent damage to the heart muscle causing coronary heart disease. HBP also forces the heart to work harder to supply blood to the rest of the body causing the left ventricle to stiffen and thicken. This increases the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. The heart muscles also weaken, as a result, of HBP. Over time, weakened hearts stop working.

High Blood Pressure and the Brain – HBP causes raptures in weakened blood vessels. If a blood vessel in the brain gets damaged, it can cause bleeding in the brain. One of the biggest risks of HBP is the possibility of a blood clot getting lodged in arteries, depriving the brain of oxygen and nutrients. This results in a stroke and can put the person in to a coma or death. Furthermore, HBP also causes disruption of blood supply to the brain temporarily. This is known as a transient ischemic attack. Dementia, a brain disease and mild cognitive impairment are also risks of high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure and the Kidneys – Kidneys are vital organs that filter waste fluids from the body. HBP damages blood vessels to the kidneys, causing a problem with the kidneys’ function. As a result, kidney failure, kidney artery aneurysm and kidney scarring occurs. Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys cannot adequately flush waste fluids from the body. This results in a build-up of fluids. Kidney aneurysms occur when an artery supplying blood to the kidneys gets blocked and bulges and ruptures. Aneurysms are life-threatening. Furthermore, kidney scarring occurs when the glomeruli are unable to filter waste in the proper manner.

Most of the risks of high blood pressure are life-threatening. The only method of prevention is to eat healthy meals, exercise as often as possible, keep weight at healthy levels and have regular pressure checks. If any signs of hypertension are detected, a medical opinion should be sought from a physician and medications should be taken so that harmful effects of high blood pressure can be avoided.