Blood is the medium through which nutrients and oxygen are transported to every cell in the body. Blood also contains white blood cells and other components of the immune system that help to defend the body as well as repair damaged parts of the body. The impairment of blood flow can affect the various organs of the body and can even result in organ failure. The heart produces a certain amount of pressure to circulate blood throughout the body by the pumping action of its muscles. The blood circulation system is made up of veins and arteries. Capillaries branch out from the main blood vessels to feed various parts of the body. These vessels are designed to function optimally at a certain rate of blood pressure. The pressure of blood should be enough to hold the vessels open but not so much that they tend to bulge out. Blood pressure measurements are made using a gauge which measures the pressure during the beating and resting phase of the heart. The normal pressure should be around 120/80 which means 120 millimeters of mercury pressure during the beating phase and 80 millimeters during the resting phase.
Hypertension is defined as chronically high blood pressure. This is a condition where, during the resting phase, the individual's blood pressure registers above 120/80, usually above 130/90. Hypertension can be caused by excessive water and sodium in the body. The functioning of various related processes of the body is also vital when it comes to determining the blood pressure level of an individual. High blood pressure is also a symptom of many medical conditions including heart problems, kidney problems, alcohol abuse, and diabetes. It should be noted that the blood pressure of an individual will rise when he or she is performing physically intensive tasks. This is because the tasks demand greater blood circulation and therefore cause the heart to beat faster and stronger. Blood pressure measurements for the sake of health assessments are made when the patient is resting. Therefore, temporary phases of hypertension do not damage the body if the level of pressure while resting is reasonable. Hypertension damages the body when it is left untreated for long periods of time. This damage is therefore due to continuous exposure to high pressure and can be termed as a type of wear and tear damage.
Over a period of time, high blood pressure will damage the healthy blood vessels of the body. Normally, blood vessels are elastic and strong. When there is chronic high blood pressure, the blood vessels gradually lose their elastic quality and become hard and thickened from the inside which affects their performance. An elastic blood vessel is capable of changing to accommodate changes in blood pressure associated with increased or decreased physical activity. Hard and thickened blood vessels cannot cope with changes as effectively and are therefore less likely to work well when the body is under pressure. Fat deposits may also begin to develop in the damaged cells of the blood vessels. Both these changes damage the blood vessels over a period of time and cause problems with the functioning of the blood circulation system. An aneurysm is a failure of the wall of the blood vessel that is partial in nature. This means that a part of the blood vessel wall fails causing the vessel to develop a bulge. This bulge slows the flow of blood and can eventually lead to a burst. If the burst occurs in a critical part of the body, an aneurysm could even be fatal.
The heart is a major organ that can be damaged by chronic high blood pressure. As the heart is both pumping blood and being fed with blood, it is vulnerable to the effects of high blood pressure. The muscles of the heart themselves require blood as they need nutrition and oxygen. This part of the blood circulation system is known as the coronary artery system. This system can develop a disease if there is chronic high blood pressure. When this happens, the heart will not receive blood as efficiently as it should. This can lead to the development of major heart conditions including heart attacks and cardiac arrest. The heart may develop problems and cause secondary health conditions due to the strain that is being placed on it.
The brain is also susceptible to problems caused by high blood pressure. Improper circulation of blood to the brain can cause brain damage which may be temporary or permanent. The development of aneurysms in the brain is a common side effect of high blood pressure. These often lead to strokes or catastrophic internal bleeding. Many individuals who suffer from high blood pressure suffer from mild forms of cognitive confusion. Because of the imbalance of pressure in the brain, the brain will not be fed properly with sufficient nutrients and oxygen. This causes confusion in the way the brain functions and this confusion can affect the clarity of mental processes as well.
The kidneys are a pair of organs that are used to filter the blood for impurities and waste products. When blood flows through the kidneys, it is filtered and cleaned. The wastes are passed into the urinary system for disposal. When the pressure of blood flowing into the kidneys is excessively high, the kidneys may suffer from scarring or failure. Blood vessel damage within the kidneys is also a possibility in this situation.
Finally, high blood pressure can damage the eyes as well. These organs have extremely small blood vessels within them that may be damaged temporarily or permanently by high blood pressure. Some individuals suffer from burst blood vessels in their eyes which causes blood to accumulate in the eye, often leading to temporary vision loss.
High blood pressure is treatable and should be treated as soon as it is diagnosed. As explained above, the effects of high blood pressure are extremely dangerous and this condition must be avoided as best possible. The root cause of the elevated levels must be diagnosed so that it can be treated. In many cases, simple changes to the diet and lifestyle of the individual are enough to tackle the problem of chronic hypertension.
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