It isn't the high blood pressure itself that will ultimately kill you. It's the damage that it does to the organs in your body that will. Chronic high blood pressure can lead to an enlarged heart, kidney failure, brain or neurological damage, and changes in the retina and back of the eyes. How is this damage detected?
In the case of the eyes, a simple eye exam can determine if there are any changes to the retina or back of the eyes. What the eye doctor looks for is narrowing of the small arteries, small haemorrhages in the retina, and swelling of the eye nerve. Based on how much damage he finds he can then gauge the severity of the high blood pressure.
As for the heart, the increased stiffness in the arteries because of the high blood pressure causes the heart to work harder in order to pump the blood to the rest of the body. This increased workload puts a great strain on the heart which can, over time, lead to heart abnormalities. These abnormalities are usually seen as an enlarged heart muscle. An enlarged heart can be discovered by either a chest x-ray, electrocardiogram or most accurately by an ultrasound examination of the heart called an echocardiography. An ultrasound is very useful for determining the actual thickness or enlarging of the heart muscle. This enlarging over time could lead to heart failure, coronary artery disease, and abnormal heart rate or rhythms. Blood pressure medications can relieve some of these problems.
As for the kidneys, blood and urine tests can be used to detect kidney abnormalities in people who have high blood pressure. Kidney damage can either be the result of high blood pressure or the cause of high blood pressure. By measuring the serum creatinine with a blood test, we can measure exactly how well the kidneys are working. An elevated level of serum creatinine indicates a problem with the kidneys. Also, if there is a presence of protein in the urine, this may also be an indication of kidney damage as a result of high blood pressure even if the kidney function itself is normal. As a matter of fact, protein in the urine alone indicates that there is already damage to the kidneys and if the blood pressure is not controlled will most likely get worse. African Americans are at greater risk of end organ kidney damage than Caucasians and therefore should be checked regularly.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can also cause brain or neurological damage which show up in the form of a stroke in most cases. The strokes are mostly caused by haemorrhage or blood clots of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. Multiple strokes can cause dementia. The best way to avoid this from happening is simply to keep your blood pressure under control.
High blood pressure is a disease which in the worst cases can be fatal. The symptoms often go unnoticed by many sufferers and when they are recognised serious damage has often occurred. It is therefore recommended that you go and see a trained doctor and get checked for high blood pressure right away.
Blood pressure is said to be normal if it is 140 over 85. However, it can differ between different races and geographic locations. Generally speaking blood pressure above 140 over 85 is said to be high. A few degrees above normal may not cause any significant problems but a signficant increase can be dangerous.
As I mentioned above high blood pressure does not always display symptoms. However, there are a number of signs you can look out for. Regular migraines are also a sign of high blood pressure. If you find yourself breathless after a little exertion this is another sign that you may have high blood pressure, particularly if this didn't seem to happen previously. A third sign is increased nose bleeds or increased bleeding from any other area of the body. Additional signs of high blood pressure can include hyperventiliation and tension. If you notice any of these signs, particularly an increased occurence of any particular sign e.g. increased nosebleeds, you should seek further advice from your doctor immediately.
If it is not treated high blood pressure can cause damage to multiple areas of your body. Your eyes receive blood through the optic arteries and if these are damaged by high blood pressure then your vision may be impaired. Brain damage is another possible outcome of high blood pressure. The brain requires oxygen and nutrition which is supplied in the blood stream. If this supply is impaired by high blood pressure it can lead to a mini-stroke, a full stroke and even dementia in old age. High blood pressure can also cause serious damage to the heart including heart attacks and heart failure.
As you can see high blood pressure can easily go unnoticed and potentially cause a lot of damage to your body. However, if it is identified early enough then you are likely to never experience any of the consequences mentioned in this article. It is advisable to go and see your doctor immediately and be tested for high blood pressure. As long as it is diagnosed early enough it can be managed using a combination of medication, diet and exercise.
Both Michael Russell & Tom Parker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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