Seven Complications of Hypertension

Some have called it the silent killer because people who suffer from it show no symptoms during the first stages. Keep reading to learn more about this serious condition.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a cardiovascular disease. It develops when there are difficulties transporting blood through your body. It could either be due to the narrowing of your arteries or some kind of blockage.

If the problem persists, your heart has to work twice as hard to pump your blood. Your heart moves your blood through narrower vessels, which makes your blood pressure rise.

Some have called it the “silent killer.” This is because in its first stages, it doesn’t have any symptoms and most people ignore they symptoms they have. That is, until they suffer something much worse.

At first, it doesn’t cause great harm. But as time passes, it changes other body systems. It can even cause life-threatening diseases.

In this article, we want you to learn about this “silent killer.” We want to share the 8 complications high blood pressure may cause if you don’t treat it early.

1. Heart attacks

Heart attacks are one of the worst diseases associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Of course, this condition can be deadly. Heart attacks occur because the arteries become hard and narrow. This affects your blood flow.

2. Strokes

Strokes can happen when blood flow is restricted on one of the blood vessels that transports blood to your brain.

Blood pressure directly affects blood flow to this vital organ. Because of this, those with hypertension have a higher chance of suffering from this disease.

3. Heart failure

Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, comes from over-stressing your heart. This happens because your heart has to pump blood through hard, narrow arteries.

In fact, this condition is one of the main causes of death for those with hypertension. This is because it directly affects your cardiac muscle.

Among its symptoms you can find:

• Difficulties breathing
• Swelling in your limbs
• Abdominal distension
• Difficulties sleeping
• Urinary incontinence
• Fatigue or feeling weak

4. Diabetes

Diabetes is different than other diseases caused by high blood pressure. This is because it can either be the cause or the result of uncontrolled high blood pressure.
The loss of control over your blood sugar can affect your blood flow. It can also affect your arterial health and interrupt proper blood flow to your heart.

However, blood pressure caused by other factors can affect blood in the same way. This reduces your ability to use sugars as a source of energy.

Sometimes, diabetes can get worse in hypertension patients. This is due to the fact that blood pressure affects your metabolism, the function of your pancreas, and your kidneys.

5. Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a condition that shows up when there is constant high blood pressure. There isn’t any significant kind of treatment for this disease.

Atherosclerosis makes your arteries become hard. This can cause blockages and dangerous diseases such as coronary artery disease.

6. Kidney diseases

Your kidneys are organs that are located at both sides of your back. They’re designed to filter waste products from your blood. They also regulate electrolytes and get rid of excess liquids through urine.

Hypertension directly affects their functions. It restricts blood flow that the kidneys need to work well.

As time passes, this causes a strong renal system deterioration. This is because it reduces the oxygenation and the passage of nutrients to these organs.

Also, the arteries around them can become narrow. This limits their ability to eliminate waste. It also generates irreversible damage.

7. Eye diseases

Most people can’t even start to imagine how much damage high blood pressure is doing to their eye health.

It may appear like it’s not related. However, restricted blood flow in any part of your body can cause damage to the blood vessels in your retina.

Patients diagnosed with hypertension usually slowly develop eye diseases. These diseases start with common symptoms. For instance, some include inflammation, blurry vision, and loss of clarity.

Controlling hypertension

However, there are some prescriptions that you should know about. Some drugs used to control hypertension can noticeably reduce the symptoms of diseases like hypertensive retinopathy.

It’s important to visit your doctor regularly and get the right tests done. They can detect irregularities in your blood pressure early on.

It’s vital to pay attention. This is especially true when it starts to show up with problems in other parts of your body.

Pay attention to your body and take care of yourself.