What makes hypertension so dangerous

If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or think you might be at risk, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider today. Portal provides patients across the central Pennsylvania region with secure access to their health information. It is the fastest way to send a message to your doctor, refill prescriptions, get test results, and schedule and manage appointments, including video visits. When it comes to health care for you and your family, UPMC is here.

It's easy to find the right doctor, health screenings and programs, classes and more. Your health information, right at your fingertips. Read the Latest. Here are eight ways that uncontrolled high blood pressure can negatively affect your health: It raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure damages the walls of your arteries. This makes them more likely to develop deposits of plaque that harden, narrow or block your arteries.

These deposits also can lead to blood clots. Blood clots can flow through your bloodstream and block blood flow to your heart or brain, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.

It makes you more likely to develop heart failure. When your arteries are hardened or narrowed, your heart has to work harder to circulate your blood. This increased workload can cause your heart to become larger and fail to supply your organs with blood. This will relax the vascular smooth muscle, causing the muscle to contract less forcefully, the arteries to widen, and blood pressure to go down.

CCBs may not always be suitable for people with a history of heart disease, liver disease, or circulation issues. Learn more here about calcium channel blockers. Thiazide diuretics help the kidneys get rid of sodium and water. This lowers blood volume and pressure. People taking thiazide diuretics should have regular blood and urine tests to monitor their blood sugar and potassium levels. Beta-blockers were once popular for treating hypertension, but doctors only tend to prescribe them now when other treatments have not been successful.

Beta-blockers slow the heart rate and reduce the force of the heartbeat, causing a drop in blood pressure. Beta-blockers are often the standard medication for a person with very high blood pressure, known as a hypertensive crisis. Aliskiren Tekturna, Rasilez reduces the production of renin, an enzyme that the kidneys produce. Renin helps produce a hormone that narrows blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Reducing this hormone causes the blood vessels to widen and blood pressure to fall.

This drug is relatively new, and healthcare professionals are still determining its optimal use and dosage. It is essential to read the packaging of any medication to check for interactions with other drugs. Find out more detail here about blood pressure medications. A healthful, balanced diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, vegetable and omega oils, and good quality, unrefined carbohydrates , such as whole grains. People who include animal products in their diet should trim all the fat off and avoid processed meats.

Experts recommend reducing salt consumption and increasing potassium intake to manage or prevent high blood pressure. Limiting salt intake to less than 5—6 grams per day could help improve cardiovascular health and reduce systolic blood pressure by 5. In moderation, plant sources of fats, such as avocados, nuts, olive oil, and omega oils, can be healthful.

People should limit their intake of saturated fats and trans fats, common in animal-sourced and processed foods.

Health experts recommend the DASH diet for people with high blood pressure. The DASH diet focuses on an eating plan that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and low-fat dairy products. Which foods are good for reducing blood pressure? Some studies indicate that consuming some alcohol may help lower blood pressure. However, others report the opposite, noting that even drinking a moderate amount might increase blood pressure levels.

People who regularly drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol will almost always experience elevated blood pressure levels. Studies into the relationship between caffeine and blood pressure have produced conflicting results. A report published in concluded that a moderate intake of coffee appears to be safe for people with high blood pressure. The AHA recommend a range of lifestyle adjustments that can help reduce blood pressure, such as:.

Regular exercise may help lower blood pressure. The AHA note that most healthy people should do at least minutes of moderate intensity physical exercise a week. This could be 30 minutes — or three lots of 10 minutes a day — on 5 days of the week. However, a person who has not exercised for a while or who has a new diagnosis should talk to their doctor before starting a new physical activity program to ensure the choices they make are suitable for them.

Studies have revealed that losing as little as 5—10 pounds in weight can help reduce blood pressure. For more advice on maintaining weight loss, click here. Increasing sleep alone cannot treat hypertension, but too little sleep and poor sleep quality may make it worse. A analysis of data from a Korean national health survey found that people who had less than 5 hours of sleep per night were more likely to have hypertension. In this article , you can find more tips on how to manage high blood pressure.

The NCCIH add, however, that there is not yet enough evidence to confirm that these can make a difference. Some supplements can have adverse effects.

They may raise blood pressure or interact with medications. Meditation and exercise therapies are usually safe, but some poses may not be suitable for people with high blood pressure. Get some tips for lowering blood pressure naturally. Learn more here about what makes systolic and diastolic pressure. There are different devices for measuring blood pressure. A doctor will often use a manual sphygmomanometer with a stethoscope. Digital devices are suitable for home use, and they available from pharmacies and for purchase online.

Read our review of the best home blood pressure monitors currently available for home use. When a person gets a blood pressure reading, they will have one of the following :. At this stage, a doctor will advise the individual to make lifestyle changes to return their blood pressure to the normal range.

A person will typically need more than one reading to confirm a diagnosis, as various factors can affect the result. However, a doctor will take immediate action if a reading shows very high blood pressure or if there are signs of organ damage or other complications.

Urine and blood tests: These can check for underlying problems, such as a urine infection or kidney damage. The results can give important clues about heart health. For a person with hypertension and high cholesterol levels, a doctor may order an ECG as a baseline for comparing future results.

Changes in future results might show that coronary artery disease is developing or that the heart wall is thickening.

Holter monitoring : For 24 hours, the individual carries an ECG portable device that connects to their chest through electrodes. This device can provide an overview of blood pressure throughout the day and show how it changes as the level of activity varies. Echocardiogram : Ultrasound waves show the heart in motion.

That's because limited blood flow caused by high blood pressure can block blood from flowing to your penis.

Women can also experience sexual dysfunction as a result of high blood pressure. Reduced blood flow to the vagina can lead to a decrease in sexual desire or arousal, vaginal dryness, or difficulty achieving orgasm. High blood pressure is usually a chronic condition that gradually causes damage over the years.

But sometimes blood pressure rises so quickly and severely that it becomes a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment, often with hospitalization.

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A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension's effects on your body. Products and services. High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension's effects on your body High blood pressure is a risk factor for more than heart disease. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Open pop-up dialog box High blood pressure complications Close.

High blood pressure complications High blood pressure can cause many complications. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.

Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Basile J, et al. Overview of hypertension in adults. Accessed Oct. Health threats from high blood pressure. American Heart Association.

High blood pressure.