High blood pressure can have a substantial impact on kidney health, and in turn, the kidneys play a vital role in keeping high blood pressure in check. Also referred to as Hypertension, high blood pressure can cause damage to kidney health and also lead to chronic kidney disease.
Blood pressure is a means to measure the force blood carries when it hits the wall of the blood vessels. When the body is consumed by extra fluid, it can raise the amount of fluid in the blood vessels, causing for an increase in blood pressure. If the blood vessels are clogged, stiff or narrow, that as well can lead to high blood pressure.
What high blood pressure does is that it increases the rate at which the heart functions, which can ultimately damage the blood vessels, present throughout the body. If the kidney blood vessels are damaged, the kidneys may not be able to perform their function of removing waste materials from the body and also the extra fluid that gets accumulated due to high blood pressure. The presence of this extra fluid in the body can further worsen the condition of high blood pressure, making it into a vicious cycle.
Furthermore, high blood pressure and you kidneys are also related as high blood pressure is one of the most leading and recognizable causes of kidney failure. Individual’s suffering a kidney failure will need to get a kidney transplant or undergo a treatment called dialysis, which has to do with regular blood cleansing, a function the kidney is supposed to perform.
High blood pressure does not usually display any symptoms. The only way to check whether you have high blood pressure is by having it measured by a doctor with a special blood pressure cuff. The blood pressure is expressed as two numbers, with the top number called systolic pressure and the bottom number called diastolic pressure. A normal rate is said to be 120/80 or below, while a systolic pressure of 120 to 139 or diastolic pressure of 80 to 89 is described as pre-hypertensive. Individuals who are pre-hypertensive need to make serious lifestyle changes in order to get their health back on track. An individual with a systolic blood pressure consistently higher than 140 or a diastolic blood pressure consistently higher than 90 is said to have high blood pressure. In such a case, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
Individuals suffering from chronic kidney disease can potentially keep their blood pressure under control, that is, to a 130/80, if they make intensive lifestyle changes, take regular medication and employ any therapy that is deemed as advisable or necessary by your doctor.
There are several ways that can be employed to keep high blood pressure into regular blood pressure. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute describe the following 5 measures to be highly necessary in keeping high blood pressure under control:
