High blood pressure can wreck havoc on many body organs. Its effects on the heart are especially damaging. High blood pressure and heart disease are closely connected.
Moderate to high blood pressure significantly increases the load on the left side of the heart. Arterioles are often diseased or constricted, which increases resistance to blood flow. When this occurs, the heart has to work more to pump blood into the arterial system including the aorta.
When any muscle is overused, it can development of size and bulk. The heart muscles react same way. An enlarged heart is a signal of trouble.
Heart enlargement can be detected in a number of ways. A chest x-ray can reveal it. So can an electrocardiogram or even a physical examination.
In a few high blood pressure patients, the walls of the left ventricle thicken. This increases the work load on the heart. Eventually, the heart falters and the left side of the heart no longer pumps blood adequately.
When this takes place, major organs and tissues of the body are denied sufficient blood supply. The affected person becomes lethargic and weak.
As a result of the higher pressure in the left ventricle, blood from the lungs cannot drain into the top compartment of the heart (the atrium). Thus, the lung tissues get congested which brings on bouts of breathlessness and coughs.
The patient might have a dry cough or even frothy phlegm with blood stains in it. This is a very scary experience to the sufferer and onlookers. In an acute attack, it seems to the patient that he or she is choking to death.
Breathlessness as a result of heart problems can be first noticed during prolonged workout. If the complaint has progressed further, breathlessness may occur even while resting.
This is an essential situation and requires to be tacked immediately. If this damage worsens, the right side of the heart will be affected as well. When pressure builds up in the right atrium, it will be challenging for veins to drain blood into it.
When the heart’s condition deteriorates to this stage, the external jugular veins may become enlarged and more outstanding. These veins are anyway close to the skin and might be seen even in healthy adults, but stress on the heart can increase their protrusion.
There are a few other signs of right side heart failure. They include an enlarged liver, swollen ankles and feet, loss of appetite, swollen stomach and lower urine flow.
Hypertension and heart disease frequently have an underlying cause and effect relationship. Making necessary lifestyle changes can help battle both.
