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Dangers of High Blood Pressure: Important Awareness Article!!

Rider

Rider

TID Board Of Directors
Aug 27, 2010
1,670
1,061
I just read a great article and wanted to share it. So many of us have high blood pressure, and aren’t even aware of it before it’s too late. This is a very important read, imho.

High blood pressure (hypertension) can quietly damage your body for years before symptoms develop. Left uncontrolled, you may wind up with a disability, a poor quality of life or even a fatal heart attack. Fortunately, with treatment and lifestyle changes, you can control your high blood pressure to reduce your risk of life-threatening complications.
Here's a look at the complications high blood pressure can cause when it's not effectively controlled.

Damage to your arteries
Healthy arteries are flexible, strong and elastic. Their inner lining is smooth so that blood flows freely, supplying vital organs and tissues with adequate nutrients and oxygen. If you have high blood pressure, the increased pressure of blood flowing through your arteries gradually can cause a variety of problems, including:

  • Artery damage and narrowing. High blood pressure can damage the cells of your arteries' inner lining. That launches a cascade of events that make artery walls thick and stiff, a disease called arteriosclerosis (ahr-teer-e-o-skluh-ROE-sis), or hardening of the arteries. Fats from your diet enter your bloodstream, pass through the damaged cells and collect to start atherosclerosis (ath-ur-o-skluh-ROE-sis). These changes can affect arteries throughout your body, blocking blood flow to your heart, kidneys, brain, arms and legs. The damage can cause many problems, including chest pain (angina), heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, stroke, blocked arteries in your legs or arms (peripheral artery disease), eye damage, and aneurysms.
  • Aneurysm. Over time, the constant pressure of blood moving through a weakened artery can cause a section of its wall to enlarge and form a bulge (aneurysm). An aneurysm (AN-yoo-riz-um) can potentially rupture and cause life-threatening internal bleeding. Aneurysms can form in any artery throughout your body, but they're most common in the aorta, your body's largest artery.
Damage to your heart
Your heart pumps blood to your entire body. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your heart in a number of ways, such as:

  • Enlarged left heart. High blood pressure forces your heart to work harder than necessary in order to pump blood to the rest of your body. This causes the left ventricle to thicken or stiffen (left ventricular hypertrophy). These changes limit the ventricle's ability to pump blood to your body. This condition increases your risk of heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
  • Heart failure. Over time, the strain on your heart caused by high blood pressure can cause your heart muscle to weaken and work less efficiently. Eventually, your overwhelmed heart simply begins to wear out and fail. Damage from heart attacks adds to this problem.
Damage to your brain
Just like your heart, your brain depends on a nourishing blood supply to work properly and survive. But high blood pressure can cause several problems, including:

  • Stroke. A stroke occurs when part of your brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, causing brain cells to die. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke by damaging and weakening your brain's blood vessels, causing them to narrow, rupture or leak. High blood pressure can also cause blood clots to form in the arteries leading to your brain, blocking blood flow and potentially causing a stroke.
  • Mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment is a transition stage between the changes in understanding and memory that come with aging and the more-serious problems caused by Alzheimer's disease. Like dementia, it can result from blocked blood flow to the brain when high blood pressure damages arteries.
Sexual dysfunction

  • Although the inability to have and maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction) becomes increasingly common in men as they reach age 50, it's even more likely to occur if they have high blood pressure, too. Over time, high blood pressure damages the lining of your blood vessels and causes your arteries to harden and narrow (atherosclerosis), limiting blood flow. This means less blood is able to flow to your penis. For some men, the decreased blood flow makes it difficult to achieve and maintain erections — often referred to as erectile dysfunction. The problem is fairly common, especially among men who are not treating their high blood pressure.
  • Women may have sexual dysfunction as a side effect of high blood pressure, as well. High blood pressure can reduce blood flow to your vagina. For some women, this leads to a decrease in sexual desire or arousal, vaginal dryness, or difficulty achieving orgasm. Improving arousal and lubrication can help. Like men, women can experience anxiety and relationship issues due to sexual dysfunction.
 
TheSpectre

TheSpectre

MuscleHead
May 4, 2013
890
156
Long term hypertension can lead to major kidney problems that may require dialysis or a translation later in life.
 
woodswise

woodswise

TID Board Of Directors
Apr 29, 2012
4,334
1,340
There are many problems that are caused by high blood pressure. Thanks for the good article bud!
 
Big_paul

Big_paul

MuscleHead
May 14, 2014
667
99
Hypertension leads to nothing good. If anyone has this problem deal with it. For years I avoided the problem because I thought the meds took away from my workouts, which they did, but it is nice to still be alive and kicking with an enlarged heart and a resting heart rate usually between 90 and 100. It sucks.I take all my medication religiously now. Great read rider.
 
Mini Forklift Ⓥ

Mini Forklift Ⓥ

The Veganator
Dec 23, 2012
4,313
730
Nice article, thanks for sharing. BP is definitely one thing that we should all keep in check and be aware of, especially over time and as we get older.

Can you link to the actual site that it came from? Would like to check it out ~ thanks MF.
 
enjoy_tren

enjoy_tren

VIP Member
Jan 7, 2014
448
309
Is it possible to reverse the damage from years of high boood pressure?
 
Gregger

Gregger

MuscleHead
Dec 16, 2012
1,583
375
I deal with this crap everyday... Been on meds since my early 30's for it (I'm 53 now).
The meds I'm on now have no sides that I am aware of... that's a good thing
BUT...
I'm going to tell you guys if you are on Atenolol or Lisinopril get the hell off off; make a change.
I took them for years, made me a zombie. It was the reason I changed doctors originally...

BP is definitely one thing that we should all keep in check and be aware of, especially over time and as we get older
100% agree

Is it possible to reverse the damage from years of high boood pressure?
Lifestyle change in my case...

there's your health tip for today from your Uncle Greg
 
enjoy_tren

enjoy_tren

VIP Member
Jan 7, 2014
448
309
^^^ im on lisnipril/hctz and dont have sides so why are they bad? As far as tbe lifestyle change thing i understand but after youve made the changes will the damage be reversible ? I.e hard arties going soft again
 
G

GL77

New Member
Jan 13, 2013
4
0
double post sorry (this needs erased)
 
Last edited:
G

GL77

New Member
Jan 13, 2013
4
0
Gregger can you go into why Lisinipril is bad for you? What do you mean zombie no energy? I Just haven't heard or read anything like this yet so I am curious. Oh good read rider.
Thx
 
Gregger

Gregger

MuscleHead
Dec 16, 2012
1,583
375
The combo for me Atenolol/Lisinopril slowed me down I was lathargic and foggy, scared my poor wife to death. When I made the doctor change the new doc said this combo was what he would have prescribed over 20yrs ago... It took quite some time to wean off and begin a new combo.

I'm on Diovan and Norvasq now, no diuretic (hzt) currently but I've gone that route previously on occasion...

Reversing arterial damage is a great question! I see my doc I. Tuesday and planned on bringing it up...
 
Bullmuscle7

Bullmuscle7

MuscleHead
Jun 11, 2014
8,847
2,439
Thank you for the article Rider! My BP is good but I always appreciate reading things like this.
 
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