Healthy Living Tips

Hypertension or high blood pressure can lead to several complications, the most common of which is the narrowing and hardening of the arteries, a condition known as Arteriosclerosis. This happens when fatty deposits build up on the inner lining of the arteries, causing it to harden and thicken. When hypertension worsens, the fatty build up may rupture forming blood clots.

High blood pressure also causes aortic aneurysm wherein the aorta or the main artery expands because of the accumulation of fatty deposits. This is dangerous because the aorta may burst. Aneurysms may occur below the kidneys, in the chest or in the abdomen.

One of the most serious cardiovascular complications from hypertension that could result to heart failure is Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, wherein the muscles of the heart’s left chamber thickens as the heart works harder to pump blood.

Kidney complications from hypertension can also occur when the blood vessels in the kidney becomes weak and narrow. When this happens, the kidney’s main function which is waste removal becomes affected. Unfortunately, the early stages of kidney problems caused by hypertension usually do not have noticeable symptoms.

Hypertensive retinopathy and severe hypertensive retinopathy are two complications from hypertension that affect the eye, particularly the retina. High blood pressure may damage the retina’s blood vessels and this may lead to headaches, problems with eyesight and even blindness.

Complications from hypertension may also affect cognitive abilities and memory. Uncontrolled hypertension has been associated with senile dementia. Stroke is another complication of high blood pressure that occurs when the flow of blood to a part of the brain is cut off, causing the cells in that area to die. This may result to permanent damage to the brain. High blood pressure increases the risk of having a stroke by 6 times.

With so many possible complications from hypertension, it is critical for a person with this disease to take active steps in controlling it. There are many ways to effectively lower blood pressure starting with making changes to one’s lifestyle. In particular, daily exercise is one effective way to fight hypertension. So is quitting smoking and drinking in moderation.

Dietary changes are also necessary from eating more health foods such as fruits and vegetables, cutting down on fatty foods and reducing salt intake. You most likely have heard all these suggestions before and that is because they work. In fact, they are not only effective in reducing high blood pressure and preventing complications from hypertension but also contribute to one’s over well-being.

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