High blood pressure is a medical condition that rarely has noticeable symptoms but can have an outsized impact on your body’s systems. High blood pressure damages your heart and arteries, since the condition is a problem within the circulatory system. But your blood supplies every part of your body with oxygen, so when flow is affected it takes a toll on the body. For example, did you know high blood pressure could lead to memory loss? Read on to discover some of the more hidden dangers of high blood pressure.
Kidney damage
Your kidneys filter and remove the waste from your bloodstream. When a person has high blood pressure, however, the arteries in the kidneys become damaged, keeping oxygen from reaching the finger-like projections that filter the blood. Damaged kidneys also produce less of the hormone renin, which helps the body regulate blood pressure. The damage from high blood pressure then continues to affect the body.
Fluid in the lungs
If your heart is not able to pump oxygenated blood effectively, it will push fluid back into the lungs, in a condition known as pulmonary edema. This fluid prevents the full absorption of oxygen from inhaled air. This can cause a buildup of fluid in other parts of the body, as the heart becomes weaker and less able to transport blood. In the worst cases, the fluid buildup in lower extremities can cause liver congestion and swelling, which damages the liver. Pulmonary edema can be fatal.
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction has two main types of causes — psychological and medical. Proper blood flow is absolutely vital to the function of sexual organs. But with damaged arteries, the body is unable to provide adequate blood flow to achieve and sustain an erection. In fact, most medical causes for erectile dysfunction have roots in the circulatory system.
Memory loss
If you feel like you’re constantly in a fog or forgetting things, the cause could be your blood pressure. Pressure and damage to the arteries and blood vessels in and around the brain often begin to deprive the brain of oxygen, which can lead to fatigue, memory loss and an inability to focus. In the worst cases, it can even lead to a stroke, which can destroy a person’s ability to speak, dress and feed themselves. In the worst cases, a stroke can lead to a coma or death.
Vision loss
High blood pressure can subject the eyes to heavy force from the movement or buildup of blood, causing damage to blood vessels and optic nerve. Over time, this can cause swelling of the optic nerve or degradation of the parts of the eyes, like the rods and cones that help detect movement and color. This is a scary effect of high blood pressure, and its only treatment is to lower blood pressure. And because the eyes are so sensitive, any damage to them is likely to be permanent.
So here are five really good reasons to get your blood pressure checked frequently! The lack of direct symptoms of high blood pressure can make it hard to detect, until it starts damaging other organ systems. So if you’ve noticed any of these changes in your body, it’s a good idea to get your blood pressure tested!
