Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects one in three adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is described as a "silent killer" by the CDC because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it has many bad effects on the body. Symptoms seen in hypertension are secondary to the damage inflicted by its effects on the different organs.
Effects on the Heart and Blood Vessels
According to the American Heart Association, untreated high blood pressure inflicts tears in the walls of blood vessels. The tears and ensuing scarring lead to collection of small particles and development of plaques or atherosclerosis.. Plaque development narrows the arteries and leads to clot formation within the blood vessels. All these affect the organs by reducing blood flow. In the arteries of the heart, this results in coronary artery disease, leading to chest pain and heart attacks.
Repeated damage to the heart and increased work load from the high blood pressure weakens the heart muscles and eventually leads to heart failure as the heart falters in providing adequate blood flow to the organs of the body.
The small tears can lead to bulging and weakness in the walls of large blood vessels particularly the aorta. Aortic dissection and aneurysms can result from this. Ruptured aneurysms, according to the Mayo Clinic, can lead to life-threatening bleeding.
Effects on the Brain
Narrowed or weakened vessels and blood clots in the blood vessels of the brain lead to confusion, headaches and stroke. Repeated strokes and narrowed blood vessels can result in memory loss and early development of dementia.
Effects on the Kidneys
According to the National institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hypertension causes 25,000 new cases of kidney failure in the United States every year. Blood vessels in the kidneys can get damaged or narrowed, leading to end-stage renal disease. The damaged kidneys result in further increase in blood pressure and a worsening of the overall picture.
Effects on the Eyes
Damage to the arteries in the eye can result in hypertensive retinopathy. The arteries in the eyes can get narrowed or burst, leading to loss of vision. The blood flow to the optic nerve can also be affected, leading to optic neuropathy, according to the Mayo Clinic. The part of the brain involved in vision can also be affected in a stroke, leading to blindness.
Erectile Dysfunction
According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is a contributory factor in medical erectile dysfunction. The damage to the arteries leads to reduced blood supply and the failure of the processes involved in erection.
Other Effects
According to the Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure is contributory to loss of calcium in urine and the development of osteoporosis particularly in menopausal women.
Blood clots in peripheral blood vessels and damage to the heart also results in fluid collection in the lungs.
References
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: High Blood Pressure
- The American Heart Association: Discover Why HBP Matters
- The American Heart Association: Heart and Artery Damage
- The Mayo Clinic: High Blood Pressure Dangers
- The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases: High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease
