Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against the artery walls as the heart pumps the blood through the body. Your blood pressure reading tells you how hard your heart is working to do its job. If you have heart disease, or if your arteries are clogged with plaque, your heart may have to pump harder and faster to do its job. This results in a rise in your blood pressure. High blood pressure often exists without symptoms; so the only way to know if it is high is to have it tested. However, even without causing symptoms your high blood pressure is still doing damage to your body. It can quickly become life-threatening if not properly managed.
Heart Attack and Stroke
According to the American Heart Association (AHA,) high blood pressure damages the artery walls. It can speed plaque buildup and cause small tears in the arteries. This causes the arteries to narrow and restricts the amount of blood and oxygen that can get to the heart and brain. When the arteries that supply the brain become blocked you can have a stroke. When the arteries that supply the heart are blocked you can have a heart attack. If you are not testing your blood pressure to see if its high, a heart attack or stroke may be your first warning sign; and either one can be fatal.
Enlargement of the Heart Muscle
The Mayo Clinic states that high blood pressure means your heart muscle is pumping harder than normal. This can lead to the left side of the heart becoming enlarged. Like any muscle in your body if it is stressed it will get larger. Lifting weights to make the muscles in your body larger is healthy. However, this is not true with the heart muscle. When the heart muscle gets larger due to high blood pressure it becomes less effective and can wear out. This can result in heart failure or sudden cardiac death.
Malignant Hypertension
According to the National Institutes of Health, malignant hypertension is a sudden rise in your diastolic blood pressure to a very high level. This means that the bottom number climbs to 130 mmHg or higher. Various areas of your body may become numb and weak, you may have trouble seeing because high blood pressure can damage the vessels that supply the eyes, you may feel fatigued, confused and have chest pain. You need immediate medical attention with this condition as it can be life-threatening.
Hypertensive Crises
If your blood pressure rises dangerously high to 180/110 mm Hg or higher, you may enter a hypertension emergency. The Cleveland Clinic claims that blood pressure this high can do damage to your organs. You may have a headache, edema and become short of breath. You may also become confused and feel sick. If not treated properly, there can be damage to the kidneys and liver. You may suffer seizures, heart failure and go into a coma. Your best defense is to test your blood pressure regularly and take steps to control it. The Cleveland Clinic states that most cases of hypertensive crisis can be avoided.
