Hypertension & Its Side Effects

High blood pressure (hypertension) can cause severe health hazards if not controlled properly. Hypertension can damage the human body even before the symptoms start to appear. If high blood pressure is not controlled in its early stage, it can lead to poor quality of life and several disabilities.
If proper treatment and a healthy lifestyle are adopted it can reduce the risk of heart attacks and fatal life-threatening complications.

List of complications by uncontrolled/ untreated high blood pressure-

1. DAMAGE TO THE EYESIGHT - Loss of eyesight can happen as the tiny blood vessels get damaged due to high blood pressure and thus affects the supply of blood to the eyes. Optic nerve damage can also happen leading to bleeding in your eyes and loss of vision. The fluid buildup also occurs during your retina due to high blood pressure. Retina damage is also seen in the same way; the risk gets higher if the patient also has diabetes.

2. KIDNEY DAMAGE - The kidney is a very important organ in the human body. It helps to filter the blood and clear excess fluids. If the blood pressure is high in a body, it can damage the blood vessels and lead to kidney failure . the risk of kidney failure is high if the patient is diagnosed with diabetes. To cure kidney failure, a diagnosis is required or a kidney transplant.

3. BRAIN DAMAGE - There are major brain issues caused by high blood pressure if the blood supply is improper.
High blood pressure can cause blood clots in the brain which eventually leads to a stroke. disease like dementia or vascular dementia can also be caused if there is a limited flow of blood in the brain.

4. DAMAGE TO YOUR HEART- Higher blood pressure causes strain in our heart which leads to weaker heart muscles and thus the heart works less efficiently leading to heart failure in the future. High blood pressure leads to enlargement of the left heart because the heart works very hard to pump blood in the entire body. a thickened part in the heart can cause heart failure and stroke.

5. ARTERIES DAMAGE - Hypertension/ high blood pressure increases the flow of blood, as blood flows through arteries and reaches every organ. high bp can damage the arteries and prevent the flow of blood. The thin lining of arteries gets narrowed by the fat deposit on the arteries thus it becomes less elastic and limits blood flow.

By: Aaleya Bhattacharya 

Content: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868