Stroke is a leading cause of deaths in the United States and the world. The relationship between hypertension and stroke is close. During blood circulation, the process exerts pressure in the arterial walls. Hypertension increases this pressure, even when the person is not doing any strenuous physical activity. This condition is a major cause of other potentially fatal conditions such as heart attack, renal failure and aneurysm.
These conditions can cause damage and life threatening effects on the body without having visible symptoms for a long time. A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is cutoff, causing the brain to be deprived of oxygen and glucose. Without these two components, brain cells are damaged and can die. The brain can be permanently damaged, which leads to the eventual death of a person. These can all happen within minutes. Hypertension, when left unchecked and over a long period of time can cause the hardening of the large arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis. With the large arteries blocked and hardened, the small blood vessels in the brain are then exposed to the risk of bursting or getting ruptured. The higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk for stroke is.
Stroke can be of two types: ischemic or hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke occurs in the blood vessels. When the blood vessels get clogged and blocked, it causes the blood flow to the brain to become impaired. Accumulation of fats and cholesterol deposits, which are termed as “plaque”, in the blood vessels and arteries can cause an ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke, on the other hand, is caused by breaks and ruptures in the blood vessels, causing fluids to seep into the brain tissues. Increased pressure in the lining of the blood vessels due to hypertension causes the vessel walls to thin out or balloon outward.
The symptoms of hypertension and stroke may not be outwardly noticeable for a long time. Often, the damage caused by these conditions gets to be diagnosed when the bodily organs have considerably been affected. Some of the common signs, although not definitive symptoms, of hypertension are fatigue, irregular heartbeat, blurriness in vision, chest pain that feels like angina, confusion, blood in the urine, or buzzing noise in the ear. High blood pressure is diagnosed if the systolic blood pressure consistently gets above 140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure is more than 90 mmHg.
It is important to closely monitor your blood pressure especially if you have been showing signs of hypertension before the complications of the condition become worse. Some of the complications of hypertension are: coronary heart problems, kidney failure, blindness and heart attack. Fortunately, hypertension is easy to diagnose. Also, with a few adjustments in lifestyle and diet, it can be managed. Medications are also available to keep the blood pressure at the right level. Consult a medical doctor before taking any drugs, however, as these medications may also have other side effects that can harm the other organs.
Go to http://www.treating-hypertension.com to learn more about other hypertension facts.
