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High blood pressure has rightly been called the silent killer because it works silently for years damaging your body before you see any obvious effects. This is certainly not a condition that should be ignored or left unchecked because it may lead to severe disability or may even cause a fatal heart attack. Here is a list of some health conditions that are caused due to hypertension (high blood pressure).

Arteries:Healthy arteries are elastic, flexible and strong; their inner endothelium lining is smooth to facilitate the smooth flow of blood to supply the vital organs and the tissues with the necessary nutrients and oxygen. However, consistent high blood pressure can cause several problems such as:

Aneurysm: This is a condition where weakened arterial walls when subjected to continuous high blood pressure develop a bulge and enlarge in certain areas. These bulges can potentially rupture causing life threatening internal bleeding. Even though any artery in the body can form aneurysm it is commonly seen in the aorta which is the body’s largest artery making it an extremely dangerous and often fatal condition.

Arteriosclerosis: A hardening of the arteries can be attributed to the damage caused to the cells of the arterial lining due to high blood pressure. This in turn results in an extremely harmful cascade of events that eventually result in the arterial walls becoming thick and stiff. Current findings show that the main cause is deposition of calcium into the muscle layer of the affected arteries.

These hardened arteries become susceptible to fat accumulation from the fats that enter the blood stream through the diet causing a condition called atherosclerosis. The reducing diameter of the blood vessels can prove detrimental to several organs of the body such as the kidneys, arms, legs, eyes, brain and the heart. These blockages can cause several other problems like heart attack, heart failure, chest pain, stroke, aneurysm and peripheral arterial disease.

The Heart: Since the heart is responsible for pumping the blood out any blockages in the arteries or thickening of the blood can cause undue pressure on it and so uncontrolled blood pressure can cause several heart related ailments such as:

Heart Failure: When your heart is subjected to high blood pressure continuously for a prolonged period of time the heart muscles weaken and cannot work efficiently, Eventually the muscle fatigue results in wear out and failure. Damage caused due to heart attacks further worsens the problem.

Coronary Artery Disease: As the name suggests, this disease affect the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscles. Coronary artery disease narrows the diameter of the arteries which in turn prevents the free and unrestricted flow of blood through the arteries leading to frequent chest pains. This condition can also be caused if the blood flow is blocked due to arteriosclerosis. When the blood flow to the heart muscles is restricted or has to pass through blockages you may not only experience chest pains but even go into a heart attack or experience irregular heart beat known as arrhythmias. People with a history of heart attack and high blood pressure are more likely to experience fatal heart attacks.

Enlarged Left Heart: The heart has to work harder in case of high blood pressure to pump the blood through the body, this in turn causes the left ventricle to stiffen and enlarge, the principle is quite simple when you lift weights your biceps enlarge, this is what happens with your heart as well when it’s overworked. But this enlargement prevents the ventricle from pumping blood to the body and increases the risk of heart failure, heart attack and sudden cardiac death.

The Brain

High Blood pressure can also cause several brain related problems because like the other organs in your body you brain also need nourishing blood supply for proper functioning. These problems include:

Stroke: You get a stroke when a part of your brain is starved of oxygen and nutrients causing the cells in that area of the brain to die. Uncontrolled and consistent high blood pressure can damage the blood vessels that carry blood to the brain, weakening, narrowing or rupturing them leading to a stroke. Also high blood pressure can cause blood clots in the blood vessels to the brain greatly increasing the risk of a stroke. Aneurysm or the bulging and enlargement of a particular section of the artery is also possible in the blood vessels responsible for blood supply to the brain. This may result in rupturing of an important blood vessel causing fatal bleeding in the brain.

Transient ischemic attack (TIA): This condition is also known as a mini stroke and is caused due to a brief interruption in the blood flow to the brain. Common causes of this condition include: blood clot and atherosclerosis both of which are known to occur due to high blood pressure. A transient ischemic attack is often a prelude to a full blown stroke.

Dementia: Dementia is a disorder that results in impaired speaking, thinking, reasoning, vision, movement and memory. Even though several factors can lead to the condition, one of them is inadequate blood supply to the brain caused due to narrowed or blocked arteries. This condition may also be caused after a stroke. In either case, high blood pressure is often the primary causative factor. Even people who suffer from high blood pressure in middle age may suffer from dementia later in life.

Mild Cognitive Impairment: This condition can impact attention, reading, writing, language, critical thinking, memory and reaction time. It is often the transition stage in the impairment of memory and understanding that occurs due to old age or serious conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Like some of the other brain conditions mentioned above, this too can be caused due to blocked blood supply to the brain caused by high blood pressure.

The Kidneys: The kidneys are responsible for purging the toxins out of the body in the form of urine. They form the body’s filtration system. The blood that passes through the s is filtered and the waste and excess fluids are removed through this process; however, the efficacy of the filtration process largely depends on the heath of the blood vessels that go in and out of the kidneys. High blood pressure can damage these blood vessels leading to several kidney related complications. If a person suffers from diabetes matters can quickly get worse.

Kidney Artery Aneurysm: As defined earlier aneurysm is a bulge in the arterial wall which may lead to the rupturing of the blood vessel. When the aneurysm occurs in an artery that leads to the kidney, the condition is known as kidney artery aneurysm. One of the causes of aneurysm is atherosclerosis, a disorder that damages the arterial walls. When subjected to continuous high blood pressure the weakened arterial wall bulges. Aneurysms are prone to rupturing which can lead to fatal internal bleeding.

Kidney Failure: Among the most common causes if kidney failure is high blood pressure; it can damage the large arteries that lead into the kidneys and also the tiny blood vessels known as glomeruli. Damage to the blood vessels prevents the kidneys from filtering the toxins from your body. This in turn can lead to the accumulation of unwanted fluids and toxins in the body and you may have to opt in for a dialysis or a kidney transplantation procedure to get rid of them.

Kidney Scarring: Also known as glomerulosclerosis; this condition is caused due to the damaged glumeruli, blood vessels inside the kidney that are responsible for filtering the blood and removing the excess fluids and waste. This disorder often precedes a renal failure because it hampers the kidneys ability to filter waste.

The Eyes:Like all the other blood vessels in the body which can get damaged as a result of high blood pressure, arteries feeding the optical muscles and tissues may also be impacted by high blood pressure. Some of the eye related ailments that can be attributed to high blood pressure are:

Fluid accumulation under the retina: this condition is known as choroidopathy and it is characterized by the accumulation of fluids under the retina due to a leaky blood vessel. The disorder can lead to impaired or distorted vision.

Optical Nerve Damage: The blocked fluids may exert pressure on the optical nerve damaging it permanently. This will lead to the death of the cells which may in turn cause internal bleeding and even loss of vision.

Damage of the Optical Blood Vessel: High blood pressure can also damage the blood vessels that feed the retina, optical muscles and the other parts of the eyes. Depending on the extent of damage these blood vessels may leak or have blockages. Both conditions will lead to internal bleeding in the eye, swelling of the optic nerve, microaneurysm and loss of vision. The level of risk is augmented if you also suffer from diabetes.

Other Complications:
Bone Loss: High blood pressure can also cause the loss of calcium from the bones; this calcium is purged out of the body through the urine. Because high blood pressure increases the frequency of urination it may lead to an excessive loss of calcium from the body resulting in loss of bone density and osteoporosis. Women in their senior years are particularly susceptible to this problem.

Sleep Disorders: Hyper tension can also cause sleep apnea, a condition in which the throat muscles relax causing loud snoring. This condition is observed in 50% of the people who suffer from high blood pressure. Recent studies have pointed to the fact that hypertension may trigger sleep apnea. Sleep deprivation can also play havoc with your blood pressure level.

Sexual Issues: Although erectile dysfunction is a condition that is primarily attributed to aging, men with blood pressure at greater risk of developing the problem.