This article has been written by Vaibhavi Kodnani, a content writer at Proactive For Her.
The heart pumps the blood that flows through the blood vessels in the entire body. The normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 mm Hg. Under high blood pressure or hypertension, the force exerted on the walls of the blood vessels is much higher than normal.
What increases the risk of hypertension?
- Unhealthy dietary habits: Consumption of junk food, salty food, fatty food, packaged and processed food hardens the walls of your blood vessels.
- Unhealthy lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, uncontrolled alcohol consumption, stress, lack of sleep and physical activity also increases the risk of high blood pressure.
- Diabetes: The blood vessels of diabetic people become narrower and weak.
- Old age: Arteries of people above 60 years naturally hardened with age.
Why is hypertension termed as a dangerous condition?
Hypertension is a dangerous medical condition because of the following reasons:
Hypertension can start at any age: Nowadays, due to the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet choices, even younger people are developing hypertension. The longer your body has to adjust to higher levels of blood pressure, the higher the chances of damage to vital organs in the body.
Hypertension affects all vital parts of the body: A healthy level of blood pressure must be maintained in all blood vessels of the body starting from the brain, right up to your toes. Long-standing hypertension will affect the arteries (blood vessels) supplying blood to these vital organs and lead to a myriad of complications.
Hypertension is a silent killer: Your body will adapt to slightly higher blood pressure, thus you may remain asymptomatic for a long time. Since there are no significant signs, it will delay your diagnosis and prove to be very harmful.
What are the effects of hypertension on the body?
High blood pressure has a tremendous effect on various vital organs of the body.
Brain
The brain is one of the most crucial organs of the body. Without its optimal functioning, the entire body can suffer. The brain requires an adequate supply of blood to perform its functions.
One may experience hypertension either as a result of naturally hardened blood vessels with age or due to cholesterol plaque deposits due to increased blood cholesterol. This causes a narrow lumen in blood vessels over time. The blood has to flow under high pressure through these narrow arteries. Thus, the blood supply to the brain gets diminished. The blood vessels also get weak and at some point, may break. It will cause the blood to leak; portions of the tissues will stop getting the blood supply. Due to the lack of oxygen supply, those brain cells will die, causing a stroke. Failure to take timely action can even cause death.
Dangers: Transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke
Heart
Due to high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the entire body. For this, the heart needs more energy, thus, more blood supply. The narrow blood vessels are unable to supply sufficient blood to the heart. It will hamper the functioning of the heart. As a result, the whole body will not receive an adequate blood supply. This reduced supply of blood to the heart can cause chest pain that is also called angina.
Hypertension can also cause one of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscles to rupture. This ultimately causes death of heart muscles which is known as a "heart attack" in colloquial terms.
Dangers: Angina, heart attack, heart failure
Eyes
Blood supply is required in the eyes as well. High blood pressure affects the delicate blood vessels in the eyes. Blood clots can form in the arteries, which will block the blood supply to the eyes. It can lead to blindness of that eye.
Dangers: Loss of vision
Arteries
Arteries are the pipelines that carry the blood from the heart to the different parts of the body.
During high blood pressure, the force exerted on the arterial walls is way more than usual. It can either cause blockages in the arteries or ruptures with time. The blood supply to the tissues and different organs beyond the obstructions will be affected. It can eventually damage those organs and worsen the person’s condition.
Dangers: Narrowed arteries, blockage in arteries, artery ruptures
Kidneys
The renal arteries supply around ⅓ rd of the blood flow to the kidneys. Kidneys filter out the blood from the body and throw out the excess fluids and other waste. The high blood pressure damages the arteries; the low blood supply affects the filtration process. It can lead to kidney failure.
Dangers: Kidney failure
Reproductive system
The male and female reproductive organs, i.e. testes and ovaries also require blood supply. Under high blood pressure, even these organs will not receive enough blood, harming their functioning. It may result in infertility. The low blood supply and blockages in the arteries that supply blood to the penis and vagina can cause sexual dysfunction. Males may get erectile dysfunction and females may experience vaginal dryness and difficulty in getting aroused.
Dangers: Infertility, sexual dysfunction for men and women
Bones
Long bones have bone marrow, a tissue that produces the blood cells. When there is inadequate blood supply due to high blood pressure, the bone marrow will deplete. So, there will be less production of blood cells. It will lead to anaemia; the bones will lose calcium and phosphorus. Thus, the bones will become weak and prone to fractures, pathological fractures and bone pain.
Dangers: Osteoporosis, fractures, pathological fractures, weakened bones
Muscles
Muscles of the limbs are significantly affected due to low blood supply. Brisk walking, running and other strenuous limb exercises require more blood supply. High blood pressure will obstruct the necessary blood supply; the lower limbs will start paining.
Dangers: Muscle pain
How can one control hypertension?
By now, you must have understood the dangerous repercussions of untreated hypertension. However, it is possible to keep it under control and prevent yourself from further complications by following the necessary steps. Lifestyle and diet changes are the foremost step in managing hypertension. If need be, your doctor may also suggest hypertensive medications.
- Eat a healthy diet
- Reduce oil/ fat intake
- Reduce salt intake
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Quit smoking and alcohol
- Find ways to manage stress in healthy ways
- Get adequate sleep
- Exercise - Brisk walk for 40 mins every day. Brisk walk means more than 100 steps in a minute. But, don’t try to run because it may cause chest pain and ultimately a heart attack.
- Health visits and medication - Visit your doctor regularly and don’t forget to go for the follow up visits. Take the prescribed medications on time and review them with your doctor from time to time.
How can one prevent hypertension?
Since hypertension does not show any symptoms, regular screenings are the only way to prevent or detect at an early stage. Once you turn 20-25 years of age, you should go for a health check-up every few years. After 35 years of age, you should go for a full-body health check-up every year.If someone in your immediate family has developed high blood pressure under 35, be sure to be regular and more frequent in blood pressure screening. Lastly, take your doctor’s advice seriously to prevent further damage.
Disclaimer - This information is provided for educational purposes and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare practitioners before undertaking any changes in your diet or adding supplements.
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