The dangerous effects of high blood pressure

The effects of high blood pressure are potentially life-threatening and include heart failure, brain damage and renal failure among other problems. This article takes a look at how elevated blood pressure causes some of these effects.

Even a moderate degree of hypertension increases the workload on the heart far beyond normal levels. This is because the heart has to pump harder given that the whole blood circulation system is operating under increased pressure. Often, hypertension is accompanied by constricted arterioles. This narrowing of the passageways through which blood must flow increases the workload on the heart.

One of the effects of high blood pressure is heart enlargement. Like any other muscle, the heart increases in bulk and size when it is used beyond normal limits. A chest x-ray or an ECG (electrocardiogram) can reveal an enlarged heart.

When the heart's excessive workload continues over a period of time, it begins to falter. This results in reduced blood supply to various body organs and tissues. The patient begins to feel an unusual weakness and lethargy. Thickening of the left ventricle wall is an early sign of heart failure. The aorta emerges from this lower left side compartment of the heart.

When the pressure within the left ventricle remains high, the blood from the lungs is prevented from draining easily into the heart. This results in congestion in the lung tissues. The patient will feel breathless and may have a persistent cough, which may be either dry or produce frothy phlegm strained with blood.

The cough typically worsens during the night and in acute cases, the patient may feel that he or she is choking to death. In the early stages, the patient may feel breathless after moderate exertion. As the heart condition progresses, breathlessness may become evident even when the patient is resting.

If the hypertension continues to be neglected, eventually the heart's right side also gets affected. The veins that drain blood into the right atrium will experience a build up of back pressure. When heart failure reaches this advanced stage, the patient's external jugular veins may become enlarged and show up prominently on his neck. Although these veins are visible even in healthy persons because of their proximity to the skin, now they become very noticeable.

Patients who experience right sided heart failure may show symptoms like liver enlargement, abdominal swelling, swelling around the feet and ankles, reduced appetite, impaired urine flow, etc.

High blood pressure can lead to blindness. This occurs because the blood vessels supplying the eyes become functionally impaired leading to loss of vision.

Hypertension affects the cerebral tissues. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to nervous system damage which results in incoherent speech, convulsions, ataxia and other problems. Some patients may show signs of clinical depression, which probably results from the secondary effects of hypertension on several body organs. There have been cases where severe hypertension led to brain death.

Ulcers are also one of the effects of high blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure causes damage to the gastro-intestinal system, which results in ulcers.

Given the possibly fatal effects of high blood pressure, persons predisposed to this condition should have their blood pressure checked regularly. If it is found to be elevated, treatment should be started immediately.

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