What High Blood Pressure Can Do To You

By Erin Song


Hypertension can affect many organs in the body. It especially targets the heart. You should be aware that there is a close connection between hypertension and heart disease.

If a person has hypertension, there is an increase in the load on the left side of the heart. Arterioles are often diseased or constricted, which increases resistance to blood flow. So the heart would have to work harder to pump blood into the arteries.

When any muscle is overused, it tends to increase in size and bulk. The heart muscles react the same way. A heart that is enlarged is never a good sign.

You can detect heart enlargement in many ways. A chest x-ray is the first. You can also have a physical examination or an electrocardiogram.

In many high blood pressure patients, the walls of the left ventricle thicken. This increases the workload on the heart. Time will come when the heart cannot pump adequately because of the weakened left side.

When this happens, major organs and tissues of the body are denied sufficient blood supply. The affected person becomes lethargic and weak.

Because of the higher pressure in the left ventricle, the blood from the lungs can't drain into the atrium of the heart. As a result, the lung tissues get congested which brings on bouts of breathlessness and coughs.

The patient would have dry cough or frothy phlegm with blood stains. This is a very scary experience to the sufferer and onlookers. During an acute attack, the patient would feel like he's choking to death.

Breathlessness caused by heart problems may be noticed during prolonged physical exertion. If the person's condition progresses even further, then he might get breathless even when he's resting.

This is very serious and should be treated right away. If this damage worsens, the right side of the heart will be affected as well. When there is pressure in the right atrium, the veins will have difficulty draining blood into it.

At this point, the external jugular veins may become enlarged and more prominent already. These veins are naturally close to the skin, but heart condition may cause them to become very prominent.

There are other symptoms of right side heart failure. These symptoms include enlarged liver, swollen ankles and feet, appetite loss, swollen abdomen, and decreased urine flow.

Hypertension and heart disease often have a cause and effect relationship. Keep yourself healthy to prevent both.




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