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What Happens When Blood Pressure Is Too High?

It had been years since Jane had been to the doctor for a physical. She said she felt fine, but her husband encouraged her to go in for a checkup anyhow. During her exam, Jane's blood pressure was high - 150/95. The doctor asked her to return a week later. Once again, Jane’s blood pressure was on the high side.

When the doctor told Jane she had to reduce her blood pressure, she said, "I feel just fine."

"You feel fine now," replied the doctor, "but your high blood pressure could lead to a stroke or heart disease."

High blood pressure
High blood pressure is also called “hypertension.” It usually has no symptoms, but if you have it, it can slowly damage your vital organs.

How high blood pressure harms the body
As blood circulates through your body, it puts pressure on your artery walls: blood pressure. It is recorded as 2 numbers. The top number is the “systolic” blood pressure. It is the pressure when the heart beats. (This number was “150” for Jane.)

The bottom number is the “diastolic” blood pressure. This is the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. (This number was “95” for Jane.)

Blood pressure that is greater than 120/80 is too high. It puts a huge strain on the circulatory system. This can harm your whole body. High numbers for systolic or diastolic pressure can increase your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Kidney damage
• Other serious conditions

Conditions related to high blood pressure
High blood pressure must be treated and controlled. If it is not, you run the risk of having serious complications. They can include:

Hardening of the arteries - Excess pressure on artery walls makes arteries stiff. They can’t stretch or move, which makes the heart and kidneys work harder. This is damaging to both of these organs.

Stroke - High blood pressure may break a blood vessel in the brain. Hardened arteries in the brain are also at risk for a blockage. The blockage can be caused by a blood clot, which is another cause of stroke.

Kidney damage - When arteries are hardened, kidneys are less able to do their job of filtering the body's wastes, which can result in kidney failure.

Heart disease - High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, putting you at higher risk for a heart attack. High blood pressure can also cause congestive heart failure. This happens when the stressed heart cannot pump enough blood.

Vision loss - Blood vessels in the eye can burst or bleed when blood pressure is high. This can cause blurred vision or blindness.

Why treatment is so important
Talk with your doctor about treatment for high blood pressure and get your blood pressure checked regularly. Treating high blood pressure is important because it can protect you against serious illness. Reducing high blood pressure can lower your risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney damage and other serious conditions.

Doctors suggest both medicine and lifestyle changes to control blood pressure. Their recommendations for lowering blood pressure include:

• A nutritious, low-sodium, low-fat diet
• Exercise
• Weight loss, if necessary
• Alcohol in moderation
• Not smoking

For many people, medicine is also needed.

Don’t let high blood pressure sneak up on you
Get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. If you need medicine, follow your doctor’s instructions and take it regularly. Don’t ever stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor.

For more information on high blood pressure, visit www.americanheart.org.