Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure by Sheldon G. Sheps

Author:Sheldon G. Sheps [Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mayo Clinic Press
Published: 2015-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Atherosclerosis The buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries leads to the formation of plaques, which can obstruct or block blood flow.

Plaques also can cause other problems. As blood flows past the blockage, plaques may cause blood clots to form. In addition, inflammation often occurs in areas around plaques. Sometimes, plaques break apart, and the pieces combine with fresh blood clots to block the artery. Debris may also travel in your bloodstream and lodge in a smaller artery.

Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis can occur anywhere in your body but most often affect arteries in your heart, legs, neck, brain, kidneys and abdominal aorta.

Aneurysm

When a blood vessel is damaged, part of the wall may bulge outward. This bulge is called an aneurysm. An aneurysm commonly occurs in a brain artery or abdominal aorta. If the aneurysm leaks or bursts, it can cause life-threatening internal bleeding. In their early stages, aneurysms generally don’t produce any signs or symptoms.

But in more-advanced stages, an aneurysm in a brain artery can lead to a sudden, extremely severe headache that’s unlike any headache you’ve ever experienced before. An advanced abdominal aneurysm may cause constant pain in your abdomen or lower back. Occasionally, a blood clot lining the aneurysm wall breaks off and obstructs an artery downstream.

Coronary artery disease

The accumulation of plaques in the major arteries serving your heart is called coronary artery disease. It’s common among people who have high blood pressure.

A temporary drop in blood supply to the heart causes chest pain, also known as angina. If the heart muscle is too deprived of blood, a heart attack may follow. The complications of coronary artery disease are the major causes of death in people with uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Reduced blood flow in the coronary arteries calls for an immediate trip to the emergency room and treatment with medication or a procedure for opening blood vessels (angioplasty).

Left ventricular hypertrophy

When your heart pumps blood into your aorta, it has to push the blood out against the resistance to flow that has built up in the arteries. Higher resistance causes higher pressure. The higher the pressure, the harder the heart has to work and the larger your heart gets.

Eventually, the muscular wall of the heart’s main pumping chamber starts to thicken (hypertrophy) from the excessive workload. The enlarged left ventricle needs more blood. Because high blood pressure also causes the blood vessels feeding your heart to narrow, there’s often not enough blood going to your heart. Controlling high blood pressure can prevent this.

Heart failure

Heart failure occurs when your heart doesn’t pump effectively and can’t circulate enough blood to meet your body’s needs. As a result, fluid backs up and accumulates in your lungs, legs and other tissues, a condition called edema (uh-DEE-muh).

Fluid in your lungs leads to shortness of breath; fluid buildup in your legs causes swelling. By controlling high blood pressure, you can help reduce your risk of heart failure.

Your brain

High blood pressure increases your odds of having a stroke, also called a brain attack. A stroke is a

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