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You Could Have Hypertension and Not Know It
Hypertension (high blood pressure) affects about half of all American adults, putting them at risk of serious and even life-threatening complications. The good news is, hypertension can be managed, and by treating it early, the risks of complications can be vastly reduced.
The problem: Hypertension rarely causes symptoms on its own, which means you could have high blood pressure and not even know it. In fact, many people don’t know they’re hypertensive until a serious complication happens, like a heart attack or stroke.
Unmanaged hypertension can also lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ultimately, kidney failure. Elevated blood pressure damages the tiny blood vessels inside your kidneys and impairs circulation necessary to keep your kidneys healthy and functional. Without early care, you could wind up needing dialysis or a kidney transplant.
As a leading nephrology practice in Dearborn, Michigan, Nephrocare MD LLC, helps patients manage hypertension and prevent complications, like CKD. In this post, Chadi Saad, MD, and his team offer a brief overview of hypertension, including how it happens and why it’s so hard to detect on your own.
Why hypertension happens
High blood pressure is just what it sounds like: elevated pressure exerted by your blood as it travels through your circulatory system. Your blood carries nutrients and oxygen to every part of your body at a specific pressure range. If the pressure exceeds that range, the excess pressure can wind up damaging your organs, nerves, or other parts of your body.
High blood pressure can happen for different reasons. One common cause is plaque buildup inside your arteries. Composed mainly of cholesterol deposits, plaque sticks to artery walls, narrowing the arteries and increasing the pressure of your blood as it circulates.
Eating a diet high in sodium (salt) is another common cause of hypertension. In fact, the CDC says the average American consumes about 3400 mg of sodium every day — well above the recommended maximum amount of 2300 mg per day. Excess sodium pulls fluids into your bloodstream, increasing blood volume and raising the pressure inside your vessels.
High blood pressure is also more common among people who:
- Are overweight or obese
- Are over age 50
- Lead sedentary or relatively inactive lives
- Consume alcohol regularly
- Eat a high-fat diet
- Smoke
Some people are initially predisposed to hypertension, as well.
Hypertension complications
When your blood pressure is high, that elevated pressure is continually affecting your organs and tissues, too. That means hypertension can cause a lot of complications, most of which can be extremely serious if not treated in time.
Some of the more common complications include:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
- Heart attack or heart failure
- Stroke
- Kidney disease or kidney failure
- Vision problems
- Some types of dementia
Early management helps reduce these risks while improving your overall health and wellness.
Diagnosing and managing hypertension
Because hypertension rarely causes noticeable symptoms in its early stages, having regular office visits is essential for diagnosing it as early as possible. Once hypertension is diagnosed, a custom management plan, including lifestyle changes and medication, can help bring your blood pressure into a healthier range.
If you have risk factors for hypertension, it’s important to schedule an evaluation, but remember, hypertension can affect anyone, even those without risk factors. Regular checkups help “catch” hypertension early, so you can avoid kidney damage and other serious problems.
To learn more about hypertension management or to find out if you have hypertension, call 313-960-6605, or book an appointment online with the team at Nephrocare MD LLC today.