Complications of high blood pressure

High blood pressure affects the state of the whole organism: complications of arterial hypertension relate to the functioning of the heart, brain, and kidneys.

Complications in arterial hypertension are dangerous for their consequences.

With untimely diagnosis and lack of appropriate treatment, high blood pressure can cause damage to the brain, heart, and kidneys.

Consequences of hypertension

Hypertension is characterized by persistently high blood pressure. In a person who suffers from this disease for a long time, irreversible changes in the blood channels occur, which leads to a disruption in the supply of tissues with essential nutrients and oxygen. As a result, the functioning of organs is disrupted.

Arterial hypertension can take two forms:

• asymptomatic (primary);
• symptomatic (secondary).

Both species are quite insidious and are a threat to the life of the patient. In the first case, the disease does not have pronounced manifestations, the patient may not know about the presence of the disease for a long time. The development of pathology occurs gradually, and target organs are also “imperceptibly” affected. The symptoms of the disease become clearly distinguishable when there are already significant functional disorders, and the person goes to the doctor with other problems (for example, a headache).

The secondary form of hypertension progresses rapidly. Its symptoms are noticeable even at the beginning of the development of pathology. Exacerbations of the symptomatic type of the disease are hypertensive crises. This complication is characterized by a sharp increase in blood pressure against the background of a neurovascular reaction.

Signs of a hypertensive crisis are:

• nausea;
• darkening in the eyes;
• pressing feeling in the chest;
• strong pulsation in the back of the head;
• headache;
• possible loss of consciousness.

Most often, the cause of a hypertensive crisis is stress, excessive emotionality or great physical exertion.

As a result of an attack, when examining the fundus, traces of hemorrhage are observed. With hypertension, crises can be repeated repeatedly.

Brain damage

One of the most common consequences of a crisis is cerebral hemorrhage. Moreover, such a complication can occur in any part of the organ. This pathology carries the highest degree of danger, as it develops instantly and unexpectedly.

The disease is characterized by a sharp increase in pressure, a sudden headache, after which the person’s speech is disturbed, paralysis develops. It is impossible to completely restore all body functions after such a hemorrhage.

Also, such a complication of this organ as a hypertensive lesion is often encountered. Pathology is formed as a result of spasm of the blood channel, resulting in cerebral edema. In the absence of immediate treatment, necrosis of tissue adjacent to the lesion occurs.

The symptoms of hypertension are:

• sharp pain, cutting character;
• high blood pressure;
• loss of consciousness;
• convulsions.

If such signs occur, blood pressure should be immediately reduced, otherwise the processes occurring in the brain will become irreversible.

In addition, stroke and acute hypertensive encephalopathy may occur against the background of hypertensive lesions.

Heart failure

One of the complications of hypertension is heart failure. This pathology is characterized by insufficient “pumping” ability of the organ, as a result, normal blood flow is not provided. This consequence occurs due to the weakening of the myocardial muscle, loss of elasticity of the tissues of the organ.

Due to inefficient blood flow through the channels, the pressure in the heart increases. This leads to a decrease in the nutrition of cells of organs and systems. The immune system "signals" the lack of essential substances. To compensate for the lack of required elements, the heart works with a vengeance. But this leads to the fact that the muscle tissues of the organ weaken, kidney dysfunction occurs. Water and sodium are not completely removed from the body. As a result, the patient develops swelling of the extremities, fluid stagnates in the organs, and heart failure develops.

Signs of the disease are:

• swelling;
• nausea;
• difficulty breathing when lying down;
• dyspnea;
• constant fatigue;
• nocturia (frequent urination at night).

Very often, with heart failure, patients complain of poor health during rest. This is due to the fact that when a person lies, the blood flow to the heart is simplified, that is, the load on the organ increases, it becomes difficult for the patient to breathe. If the patient rises, the blood "flows" to the legs, which reduces the workload on the heart.

Arterial hypertension can also cause coronary artery disease (IHD). This pathology is characterized by a deterioration in blood flow through the vessels responsible for the blood supply to the heart. IHD may be indicated by pain in the chest, extending to the left side of the face, neck, arm. Unpleasant sensations are manifested mainly after significant physical exertion or psycho-emotional stress. Such pain may go away on its own, but sometimes nitroglycerin is required.

One of the consequences of this disease is myocardial infarction. With this pathology, necrosis of the area of ​​the myocardial muscle occurs. A characteristic symptom of this disease is pain in the region of the heart, extending to the left limb or neck.

She may be:

• oppressive,
• cutting,
• compressive nature.

The use of nitroglycerin in this case does not help at all or relieves pain for a very short time.

In case of a heart attack, it is very important to provide medical assistance in time, therefore, in case of symptoms, an ambulance should be called immediately.

visual impairment

One of the symptoms of arterial hypertension is the flashing of dots before the eyes and darkening during a sharp rise. This manifestation is due to a violation of blood flow in the vessels of the eyes. Prolonged development of hypertension can lead to canal thrombosis, which affects visual acuity. As a rule, this does not lead to a complete loss of the ability to see, since the diagnosis of the disease is simple.

A more serious consequence of high blood pressure is a spasm of the artery that feeds the optic nerve or a rupture of the retinal vessel. If the integrity of the channel is violated, complications are possible in the form of a dark spot in the field of view or a complete loss of the ability to see.

Kidney damage

The development of arterial hypertension can lead to chronic renal failure (CRF). With this disease, irreversible disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys occur due to the developing death of nephrons. Products of nitrogen metabolism accumulate in the body (in a healthy person they are excreted in the urine). The toxic effect of such elements negatively affects the state of the whole organism.

At the initial stage, CRF does not have pronounced symptoms and can only be diagnosed in the case of laboratory tests. Only after the death of more than 80% of nephrons, clear signs of this disease appear.

The first signs of kidney failure are:

• frequent weakness;
• constant fatigue;
• fast fatiguability;
• nocturia;
• polyuria.

Progressing, CRF affects the functioning of almost all organs. As a result, nausea, muscle twitching, itching of the skin, bitterness in the mouth, indigestion, chest pain, shortness of breath appear, nasal hemorrhages occur against the background of high blood pressure. In the later stages, attacks of cardiac asthma, clouding of the mind, and pulmonary edema are possible.

Erectile dysfunction in men

Stably high blood pressure cannot but affect erectile male function. According to research results, about half of the men suffering from arterial hypertension have problems with potency.

This is due to a functional violation of the blood channels responsible for filling the cavernous bodies of the organ with blood. Also, in men with constantly high blood pressure, a reduced level of testosterone, a hormone involved in sexual arousal, is ascertained.

Arterial hypertension does not lead to impotence. But factors that provoke high blood pressure can cause erectile dysfunction. So, if the cause of hypertension is atherosclerosis, sclerotic plaques are deposited on the walls of the blood channels. These include the iliac veins in the region of the aortic bifurcation. And since the vessels of the penis are directly related to them, due to the narrowing of their lumen, the blood flow in the organ itself is disturbed.

In addition, some drugs for hypertension can have a side effect in the form of impotence. These drugs primarily include diuretics and beta-blockers.

In the case of the presence of arterial hypertension, one should strictly follow the advice of a doctor and change the way of life. Giving up bad habits, changing attitudes to the principles of nutrition, playing sports will prevent the progression of the disease and will prevent the disease and complications of AD.