Hypertension is diagnosed when a patient has consistently high blood pressure. This condition must be properly monitored and treated, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. Without treatment, hypertension can cause numerous complications within the patient's body. Many patients do not experience severe symptoms of the disease until they are in a hypertensive crisis. These complications can be life threatening and should be treated as soon as possible.
Heart Failure
High blood pressure causes the heart to grow larger and become weaker, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Heart failure is defined as a disorder that is characterized by the heart's inability to pump adequate amounts of blood to the various parts of the body. Without blood getting to other organs, the body starts to deteriorate. In order to avoid this complication, hypertensive patients should be treated with the proper combination of medication and lifestyle modification (diet and exercise).
Blood Vessel Damage
Blood vessel damage has been listed by the University of Maryland Medical Center as one of the complications of untreated high blood pressure. Examples of blood vessel damage include aneurysms and a narrowing of various arteries throughout the body.
Aneurysms, according to NHLBI, are abnormal bulges in the wall of the artery. Aneurysms usually form in the aorta (which is the largest artery in the body) and the arteries in the brain, legs, intestines and spleen. Aneurysms cause a weakening of the wall of the arteries, which can rupture and cause a fatal loss of blood. Aneurysms are difficult to detect, and any patients with long-term uncontrolled high blood pressure should be tested thoroughly for this type of blood vessel damage.
Arteries that narrow can decrease blood flow to numerous organs. The most common organs affected are the heart, brain and kidneys. The damage can be so severe that the patient can suffer a heart attack, kidney failure, amputation, or stroke. Damage to organs such as the heart or kidney can lead to failure and the necessity for treatment to address the damage.
Malignant Hypertension
In 1 percent of hypertensive patients, the uncontrolled blood pressure develops into a complication termed malignant hypertension, according to BloodPressureUpdates.com. This condition is characterized by extremely high blood pressure. The pressure can cause a swelling of the main nerve in the eye, which can cause to loss of vision and maybe permanent blindness. This condition may also affect the brain, kidneys or heart.
