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Hypertension & more ::
why is high blood pressure a health concern
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Why is high blood pressure a health concern?
The heart's left side comes under heavier loads with even moderately high blood pressure. If the arterioles are constricted or diseased, resistance to blood flow increases. Now the diseased heart has to work harder to do its job of pumping blood into the aorta and arterial system. What happens when you overuse a muscle? It increases in size and bulk. This is true of all muscles and is true of the heart. That explains why an enlarged heart is cause for serious concern. The effects of hypertension frequently show up in the size of the heart. Sometimes a physical exam can reveal heart enlargement. Often, an x-ray or electrocardiogram is needed to detect the condition. In some hypertensive patients, the left ventricle walls become thicker than normal. This also increases the load on the heart. As the condition progresses, the heart's left side can no longer pump blood well enough. In such cases, vital parts of the body including major organs don't receive enough supply of blood. This causes the lethargy and weakness often associated with heart disease. How does this affect the lungs? Blood from the lungs can't drain into the top compartment of the heart if the pressure in the left ventricle is too high. This causes congestion in the lung tissues which in turn causes choughs and breathlessness. The result could be a dry chough. In some cases, the patient expels blood stained phlegm, which can be a frightening experience. The sufferer may initially feel breathless while exerting himself. But if further deterioration has set in, breathlessness may happen during rest periods also. A person in this health condition needs to seek medical help immediately. There is real danger of the right side of the heart getting affected too. If that happens, the veins won't be able to drain blood into it. One symptom that the condition has progressed to this extent is that the patient's external jugular veins may become more prominent than before. The heart's right side failing can produce other symptoms as well, including loss of appetite, reduced urine flow, swelling in the ankles, liver enlargement, etc. Medical attention combined with lifestyle changes including the right diet for hypertension and cardiac disease can help. It should be clear now why high blood pressure is a health concern, and a very serious one.
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