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How does high blood pressure cause heart disease?

Many factors can contribute to heart disease. High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the primary medical factors that can be controlled or reversed with proper medical intervention, subsequently delaying or preventing development of heart disease.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can silently damage your body for years before you have life-threatening consequences such as heart disease or heart attack. Hypertension damages arterial cells and narrows arteries, leading to hardening of the arteries and walls.

 Eventually, blood flow is blocked to the heart and other body areas, resulting in heart related disease such as heart attacks and heart failure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure also is a contributing factor in other medical conditions such as stroke, dementia and kidney failure.
 
 How would I know if I have high blood pressure?
Regularly checking your blood pressure is the only way to know if you have hypertension. Most people don't have any noticeable symptoms even when blood pressure is dangerously high. Some people do experience dull headaches, dizziness, and nosebleeds.

If you have no risk factors and your blood pressure isn't elevated, have your blood pressure checked at least every two years. If you are not regularly seeing a doctor, many local pharmacies, clinics, health fairs and other health-related events offer free blood pressure checks.

Is medication the only treatment for high blood pressure?
Being overweight, eating a poor diet with excess salt intake and not exercising all contribute to high blood pressure. When you make appropriate lifestyle changes, your blood pressure should go down. In cases where lifestyle changes aren't sufficient, your doctor may recommend medication to lower your blood pressure.

Do children have high blood pressure?
While it's uncommon in children and hard to assess because what is considered normal changes as children grow, there are children who have high blood pressure.

Beginning at age 3, your child should have a blood pressure check as part of a routine appointment. If your child snores or has abnormal sleep patterns, these are signs that could be indicative of high blood pressure. In that case, talk to your pediatrician or primary care doctor about what you are observing.
Childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles are contributing to more children exhibiting signs of high blood pressure. These children are also likely to become adults with elevated blood pressures.

Is high blood pressure an emergency condition?

Bp Condition

Typically, it's a slow chronic condition that causes damage over the years. However, there are cases where blood pressure rises so quickly that immediate treatment and hospitalization are necessary. These patients usually experience major symptoms such as severe chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke and/or seizures. Even though high blood pressure isn't generally an emergency condition, don't delay treatment if you learn you have high blood pressure. Doing so will only increase the internal damage that can result in a chronic illness or even possible death from heart attack.

If you are diagnosed with heart disease, ask your doctor to refer you to a cardiologist for management of your heart disease.