Medical Keywords - Everything you need to know about health.

Hypertension and the Heart

Hypertension is the same thing as high blood pressure although it is the medical or scientific term for it. Some people incorrectly believe that "hypertension" means that an individual is hyperactive, nervous, tense or very stressed out. That is not what hypertension is. In fact an individual can feel very calm and relaxed but still have hypertension although they exhibit no symptoms. Hypertension is often referred to as the s"ilent killer" for this very reason. The only way to know conclusively that you have high blood pressure is to have it checked by a healthcare provider.

Hypertension can be deadly and should never be taken lightly. It forces the heart to work beyond its normal capacity, which means that both the heart and the arteries are more likely to be injured. High blood pressure raises the potential for heart attacks to occur, as well as strokes. It also paves the way for congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, and damage to the eyes and kidney failure.

If hypertension is left untreated, the heart is then forced to work as hard as possible to pump enough blood and also oxygen to the organs and tissues of the body. A heart that is forced to work beyond its normal capacity will over an extended period of time, enlarge to an abnormal size and become weaker. A heart that is only enlarged a small amount could possibly work adequately to well, however a seriously enlarged heart will experience a tremendous amount of problems with functioning.

Hypertension also adversely affects the arterioles and arteries. As time goes by, both the arteries and arterioles harden, become scarred and the elasticity is not as good. Problems with the arteries and arterioles sometimes get worse as people grow older, however having hypertension speeds the process along, mostly because it accelerates a condition known as atherosclerosis.

Damage to arteries as a result of hyper tension is not good because it means that the arteries which have become hardened and/or narrowed will not have to work even more vigorously to make sure all of the organs receive their necessary share of blood. If the body's organs are unable to receive the blood they need as well as the nutrients, they will have a difficult time working to their optimum capacity and this could mean another health problem could develop.

But that is not the only problem that arterial damage could cause. Another fear is that a blood clot could become clogged in an artery that has been blocked by fatty deposits. The blood clot could back up the blood supply in that area of the body and therefore blood does not get to where it needs to go.

Ensuring you do not develop hypertension is the best remedy to avoid the symptoms and problems caused through it. This can be done in various ways which includes eating a healthy diet, taking plenty of exercise and ensuring you do not become overweight.

If however you do develop hypertension, then it is imperative you visit your health care provider on a regular basis to ensure your blood pressure is monitored and the correct medication can be administered.