High blood pressure is a reading of your blood pressure that shows that your blood is pushing hard on the walls of your arteries. It’s a silent killer brought on by a mix of lifestyle and dietary choices and other variables. It’s a widespread problem in the modern world, affecting millions of individuals, and research shows it poses serious risks if left unchecked.
The effects of high blood pressure on the body, if not treated promptly, are the focus of this article. Below, we take a look at about ten of these, as described by WebMD.
1. Heart failure
Having high blood pressure increases your risk of developing heart failure. This is because hypertension can produce arterial constriction, putting more strain on an already weakened heart. A condition known as heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood to the body’s tissues and organs.
2. Enlarged heart
The bad news is that when your heart gets bigger as a result of high blood pressure, it becomes less able to do its function, which means that your tissues will not get the oxygen and nutrients they require.
3. Stroke
High blood pressure has been identified as a major contributor to stroke incidence. Haemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke are the two primary categories of stroke. Both can be caused by a clump of plaque breaking loose and blocking blood flow to brain cells, but the former is caused by a weakened artery bursting in the brain. Both can lead to a reduction in your capacity to think, move, speak, and see if your brain’s various regions are deprived of oxygen and blood.
4. Artery damage
Most people assume that healthy people have arteries that are strong, elastic, and smooth, allowing blood to flow unimpeded from the heart and lungs to the rest of the body. Plaque can build inside the arteries because they are pressed too hard when someone has high blood pressure. Arteries hardened and narrowed by plaque are more likely to develop atherosclerosis, a leading cause of cardiovascular disease.
5. Aneurysm
Whenever arterial wall weakness is caused by pressure pushing out a portion of artery wall, the result is an aneurysm. The risk of internal bleeding is high if the weakening arterial wall ruptures. The aorta, which is located in the center of your body, is typically affected.
7. Heart attack
6. Coronary artery disease (CAD)
Plaque buildup in the arteries surrounding the heart has been linked to coronary artery disease, which can cause a variety of symptoms such as chest pain and irregular heartbeat (called an arrhythmia). A heart attack might occur if there is a complete blockage.
Excessive plaque buildup is a common cause of heart attacks, especially when it totally cuts off a major artery supplying blood to the heart. Your heart muscle can be damaged because of the lack of oxygen and nutrients caused by the obstruction. Pressure or pain in the chest, but also in the arm, neck, or jaw; difficulty breathing; and disorientation are some of the symptoms.
8. Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is very similar to coronary artery disease (CAD), with the main distinction being that PAD affects the blood vessels in your arms, legs, brain, and stomach rather than your heart. Leg soreness or cramps, especially while walking or climbing stairs, and fatigue are possible symptoms. Stroke, ulcers, and poor circulation in the legs might result if it goes untreated.
9. Kidney failure
Among the major causes of kidney failure, high blood pressure ranks second, per WebMD’s data. The kidneys are severely impacted because of its ability to constrict the blood arteries that carry waste products and excess fluid out from the body. Damage to the kidneys can result from inadequate blood and nutrition supply to the nephrons.
10. Eye problems
Long-term high blood pressure can impair vision because it reduces blood flow to the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. In addition, high blood pressure can hinder blood flow to the optic nerve, which helps convey signals to the brain, leading to impaired vision or even blindness.
