In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that close to 700,000 Americans died from high blood pressure, both directly and indirectly. Almost half of the adult population has some level of the condition.
Nizar A. Tejani, MD, knows the dangers you face as your blood pressure climbs. The only way to know your status is through regular blood pressure cuff testing and, if you’re diagnosed with hypertension, controlling your condition with lifestyle changes and medication.
High blood pressure doesn’t attack your body in a single way. Every system in your body relies on vascular health to perform correctly, so a wide range of dangers are associated with high blood pressure. Let’s look at some of the most serious.
Damage from high blood pressure builds over time. It causes tiny tears throughout blood vessels, and high blood pressure forces the body to make repairs.
Like a cut on your skin, clots form to protect and heal these tears. These healing sites also attract cholesterol and fats, creating arterial plaque, which can reduce blood flow.
When the flow of blood reduces sufficiently to your heart, you have an increased risk of heart attack. Strokes result from blood flow restrictions to the brain. Both are potentially fatal, depending on their severity.
Your eyes depend on the tiny blood vessels supplying the retina and other eye structures. If blood flow stops to the retina, so does your vision. High blood pressure can also contribute to fluid buildup beneath the retina and damage to the optic nerve. It’s also a contributor to conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration.
High blood pressure is a leading contributing cause of erectile dysfunction in men since this body response depends on the movement of blood to create and maintain an erection. However, women can suffer, too. Vaginal changes can lead to lower sex drive and less comfortable sex.
Blood pressure damage to the arteries around the kidneys impedes their ability to filter waste from the blood. When this filtering is inefficient, you have kidney disease, and when it stops altogether, you have kidney failure.
When your heart must pump blood harder to satisfy the body’s need for blood, damage occurs over time, enlarging the heart. The pumping of blood is less efficient, which, in turn, causes the heart to work even harder. A descending spiral of poor health follows.
Call Dr. Tejani's Stockbridge, Georgia, office or use our appointment request link on this page to schedule a blood pressure evaluation. Diagnosing and treating high blood pressure may be one of the most important changes to your future health. Plan your visit today.
