Every time you visit a doctor’s office, it’s standard practice to measure your blood pressure. Medical professionals closely monitor this because hypertension, or high blood pressure, significantly raises your risk of severe and potentially life-threatening conditions.
To highlight this, hypertension is listed as a primary or secondary factor in half a million deaths annually in the United States.
To help you understand the seriousness of hypertension, Dr. Kim and the team at James Kim Cardiology will discuss five complications that can result from high blood pressure.
1. Heart Attack
Hypertension can damage or block the walls of your arteries, reducing blood flow to your heart and significantly increasing your risk of a heart attack.
2. Stroke
Just as hypertension can damage or block the blood vessels to your heart, it can also affect the vessels leading to your brain. A clot can block blood and oxygen from reaching your brain, causing a stroke, which is often severe and life-altering, if not life-threatening.
3. Heart Failure
When your heart has to work harder due to high blood pressure, it can weaken, leading to congestive heart failure. In this condition, your heart doesn’t pump blood efficiently, causing it to back up and your heart to enlarge.
4. Kidney Disease
Your kidneys filter your blood, relying on numerous blood vessels. Hypertension can damage or weaken these vessels, leading to kidney disease and potentially kidney failure.
5. Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
Hypertension can cause the blood vessels in your arms and legs to narrow, reducing the oxygen and nutrients your limbs receive. PAD can result in pain and fatigue in your limbs. As PAD progresses, ulcers that don’t heal due to poor blood flow may develop, leading to gangrene and possible amputation.
The Seriousness of Hypertension
The complications arising from hypertension are serious and varied, including potential issues with vision and sexual health. Alarmingly, nearly half of all adults in the United States have hypertension, but only a quarter have it under control.
Fortunately, there are ways to lower your blood pressure and reduce your risks. One visit with us can start you on the path to better control of your hypertension. To learn more, contact one of our locations in Chula Vista or National City, California.
CATEGORIES:
TAGS:
Heart Disease Prevention, Hypertension Management
