When the heart pumps blood to
circulate it all over the body, a specific amount of force is exerted on the
vessels. It is this pressure that is known as blood pressure. When a person has
high blood pressure, the heart makes extra efforts for proper circulation of
the blood. As a result, sufficient amount of blood may not reach the vital
organs of the body. Decrease in oxygen supply prohibits normal functioning of
these organs.
Effects of
Hypertension
Arteries: Hypertension causes
substantial damage to the inner lining of the arteries and can make the
flexible arteries of the body, thick and stiff. This condition is known as
arteriosclerosis. When dietary fats get absorbed into the blood and move
through the arteries with damaged cells, they get collected on the walls of the
arteries and narrow down the passage, thus causing atherosclerosis. Due to
continuous exertion of high pressure on the damaged blood vessels, walls of the
arteries bulge out. This is called aneurysm and it may result in breaking up of
the artery walls and cause internal bleeding. These three forms of damage in
the arteries can result in certain serious health consequences.
Heart: It adversely affects the
heart's health. With an increase in the blood pressure, the heart muscles have
to work very hard to carry out their activities. They, in turn, get tensed and
weak, and are unable to function properly. The improper functioning of heart
muscles may prove fatal, as they can cause heart failure. Also, the extra
pressure makes the heart's left ventricle large and stiff. This reduces the
capacity of the heart to pump blood. Thus, the risk of a heart attack and
sudden cardiac arrest resulting in death is increased. Coronary artery disease
narrows down the passage of those arteries that are responsible for supplying
blood to the heart muscles. Thus, the free flow of blood becomes difficult and
gives rise to pain in the chest muscles (called angina). Sometimes, blood flow
through the arteries can be completely or partially blocked due to
atherosclerosis. As a result, irregular heart rhythms (or arrhythmias) or heart
attacks may occur. The chances of a severe heart attack are more in those
people, who have hypertension.
Brain: Like any other organ of
our body, proper functioning of the brain is dependent on the nutrients
supplied through the blood. When blood pressure rises to an uncontrollable
extent, it not only weakens or damages the blood vessels, but also causes blood
clots in the arteries of the brain. Due to these clots, supply of oxygen and
nutrients to the brain decreases and the brain cells die. This condition is
known as a stroke. Furthermore, in a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also
known as mini stroke, blood supply to the brain is temporarily disrupted due to
atherosclerosis. Dementia is a form of brain disease in which thinking,
reasoning, vision, and movements are affected because of blockage or narrowing
down of the arteries.
Kidneys: The main function of the
kidneys is to throw out the waste material from the body. There are tiny blood
vessels in the kidneys, which are known as glomeruli. They are responsible for
filtering the fluid and waste present in our blood. High blood pressure can
render them ineffective and lead to a type of kidney damage known as
glomerulosclerosis. Similarly, when arteries that lead to the kidneys are
damaged, the kidneys fail to filter out the unwanted material from the
bloodstream and this is termed as kidney failure. Accumulation of these
substances in the blood is a serious health concern. Sometimes, dialysis or akidney transplant may be required to treat this health condition. Another
kidney disorder that arises due to high blood pressure is kidney (renal) artery
aneurysm, which is the formation of a bulge on the weakened artery wall.
The biggest problem is that high blood pressure does not have any signs and symptoms from which it can be detected. It can be diagnosed only when the blood pressure of a person is checked to identify other health problems.
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