High blood pressure is often referred to as “the silent killer” because it shows no symptoms and can be deadly. Over 30% of Americans have high blood pressure, and not everyone does everything they can do lower it. That may be because they don’t realize the dangers of high blood pressure.
Dangers of High Blood Pressure
Heart or Coronary Arteries
Having high blood pressure may damage your heart or coronary arteries. Health risks like heart attacks, congestive heart failure, or coronary artery disease.
These health risks usually happen as a result of too little blood reaching the heart due to constricted or blocked blood vessels. These are real dangers of high blood pressure that should not be overlooked.
Kidney Damage
When arteries are damaged or clogged from hypertension, the kidneys are impacted as well. The kidneys are filled with arteries and when they cannot receive enough blood, the kidney can start failing.
If kidney arteries fail or are damaged, then blood can’t be filtered, meaning that hormones, sodium, and body fluid can’t be regulated as well and cause further problems.
Vision Loss
Not one of the most well-known dangers of high blood pressure, vision loss can occur as a result of constricted blood vessels in the eyes.
The blood vessels in your eyes are small and if they become too narrow from plaque buildup, they can restrict vision by causing the optic nerve to swell. If high blood pressure goes untreated, it could lead to permanent vision problems.
Stroke
Strokes are dangers of high blood pressure as a result of damaged arteries throughout the body. Arteries in the brain that have become weakened have a greater risk of causing a stroke.
Recommended Reading: Stroke Risk Factors to Know
Most strokes are caused by a clogged blood vessel in the brain, prohibiting blood and oxygen to reach it. Stroked can permanently affect your speech, memory, and other health issues like paralysis.
Other Threats
While heart failure, kidney disease, and stroke are some of the bigger threats of high blood pressure, they’re not the only ones.
Men and women can experience sexual dysfunction. For example, due to the poor circulation, men can experience erectile dysfunction (ED) and women can experience lower libido.
If you feel chest pains, you might be experiencing angina, which is a common symptom of heart disease and microvascular disease.
Moreover, high blood pressure can narrow the arteries in the legs, arms, stomach, and head.
These are symptoms of atherosclerosis, a type of peripheral artery disease (PAD) that can cause pain and fatigue.
Though there are dangers of high blood pressure, it doesn’t mean that you will have to become a victim of them.
If you have high blood pressure, keeping track of it and speaking with your doctor openly and regularly can help you maintain a stable, healthy blood pressure.
There are many ways to lower your blood pressure or prevent high blood pressure altogether. Staying healthy is the best way to ensure the worst doesn’t happen.
Resources