Dangers of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a complex and common disorder, which is characterized by elevated blood pressure levels. Almost 90% of high blood pressure cases occur without any cause, while the rest can be attributed to other medical conditions like tumors and kidney diseases. Usually, high blood pressure does not produce any symptoms, but sometimes, it can cause dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting. As most of the affected people do not experience any symptoms, high blood pressure is often referred to as the 'silent killer'. This condition develops gradually and can be detected through a medical checkup only. If not detected and treated on time, this condition may cause damage to many organs. Persistent high blood pressure can lead to serious complications, like strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, vision problems, etc. The following are some of the health risks of high blood pressure.

Brain Damage

One of the most common and life-threatening complications of high blood pressure is the damage caused to the brain. High blood pressure can affect the normal flow of blood to the brain, which in turn can lead to various complications. This includes transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ministroke, which can be an indicator of a more severe stroke in the future. Other problems are strokes, dementia and cognitive impairment. A ministroke is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to the brain. This leads to a brief neurologic dysfunction, which lasts for less than 24 hours and if persists, is considered as a stroke only.

A stroke is a more severe form of TIA, caused by high blood pressure, which leads to a rupture or damage of a blood vessel in the brain. This causes death of the brain cells due to blockage of oxygen supply to that part. High blood pressure is also known to cause aneurysm, which is characterized by a bulging blood vessel, which can rupture and bleed anytime. Dangers of high blood pressure can also cause dementia and cognitive impairment. The former leads to problems in thinking, speaking, vision, memory and movements, whereas the latter can affect the ability to read, write, think, react and memorize.

Heart and Kidney Disorders

The dangers of high blood pressure include disorders of heart and kidneys, which are among the most vital organs of the body. Even though the heart is a organ which pumps blood to the whole body, very high blood pressure can cause damage to this body part. Likewise, kidneys are the organs which purify the blood and removes excess fluid from it. High blood pressure can damage both, the blood vessels leading to the organ, and those inside them.

• High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors, as far as heart attacks and heart failure is concerned. It can cause heart attack in a person who is already affected by coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. The consistent strain on the heart muscles, due to high blood pressure, may weaken them and cause heart failure, in course of time.
• Another condition called enlarged left heart is also a result of high blood pressure, as it forces the heart to work harder. This leads to the enlargement of the left ventricle, which affects its ability to pump blood. An enlarged left heart is also a risk factor for heart attack, heart failure and cardiac arrest.
• As in the case of brain, aneurysm may occur in the kidney arteries too. This is a bulge in a blood vessel leading to the kidneys and is termed as kidney (renal) artery aneurysm. High blood pressure can enlarge the wall of a weakened artery and cause aneurysm, which can lead to serious internal bleeding, once ruptured.
• Another danger of high blood pressure is kidney failure caused by the damage to the large arteries leading to these organs and the smaller blood vessels inside them.
• Once again, high blood pressure can result in kidney scarring or glomerulosclerosis, which can further lead to kidney failure. This is a condition wherein the glomeruli, which are the group of blood vessels inside the kidneys which carry out the function of filtering waste, are affected.

Apart from the brain, kidneys and heart, high blood pressure can also affect the eyes and the bones and may also cause many other medical conditions.

High Blood Pressure and the Eyes

As in the case of heart, brain and the kidneys, and other body parts, blood vessels supply blood to the eyes too. High blood pressure can cause damage to these vessels, which in turn can cause vision disorders. One such condition is termed as retinopathy or eye blood vessel damage, which is caused by damage to the blood vessels leading to the retina. This can result in blurred vision or total loss of vision, bleeding, swelling of the optic nerve, etc. Another eye disorder is the fluid accumulation under the retina, termed as choroidopathy, caused by a leaking blood vessel in the choroid (a group of blood vessels near the retina). This condition can also affect the vision of the person. High blood pressure can also cause nerve damage in the eyes (optic neuropathy), which can lead to the death of the nerve cells and result in loss of vision.

Other than the above mentioned complications, in some cases high blood pressure is also the culprit behind the deficiency in calcium, which leads to bone loss. It can also cause erectile dysfunction in men. Dangers of high blood pressure are not mild symptoms, but are very severe conditions, which can sometimes lead to death. Hence, it is very important to control this disorder, by regular medications, routine checkups and by acquiring a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet.