Hypertension is an important risk factor because the damage it causes to the body is life-threatening. Unfortunately, a significant portion of these damages develop insidiously. It may be too late at the stage when symptoms appear. For this reason, high blood pressure is also called the "silent killer". A significant portion of the damage caused by hypertension in the body occurs through the vessels. The most common change is that it causes "arteriosclerosis". Now let's talk briefly about the effects of high blood pressure on the vessels.
Atherosclerosis
Blood in the body reaches the tissues by moving through a system of pipes called vessels. The vascular wall generally has an elastic structure. It expands or contracts depending on the pressure inside it. There are many factors and mechanisms that cause the vessel to expand and contract. The most important factor causing this expansion and contraction is the degree of pressure within the vessel. If the patient is exposed to high blood pressure for a long time, the pressure on the vessel wall increases greatly and its wall hardens and thickens. As a result, loss of elasticity may be observed. If high blood pressure puts pressure on the walls of the veins for many years, elasticity is lost and hardening of the veins occurs. As a result of "arteriosclerosis", medically known as "atherosclerosis", the lubricity of the vessel wall is impaired and the ground on it becomes uneven. Blood clots, cholesterol, calcium minerals and other substances may accumulate on the vascular wall, which has impaired lubricity and increased indentations, causing plaques to form. These wax-like plaques on the vessel wall are small at first, but over time they grow and cause blockage of the vessel. Some of these wax-like plaques are soft and if they break off, they cause life-threatening situations, which we call embolism.
Let's talk about embolism a little. We can compare embolism to an avalanche breaking off from a mountain in snowy weather. A small piece of the plaque stuck to the vessel wall begins to drift depending on the flow in the vessel. While it is being dragged, the surrounding blood elements adhere to this part and cause it to grow even further. If the size of the broken piece reaches the diameter of the vessel, it blocks the vessel and prevents blood from reaching that area. In this case, what that vein feeds Oxygen and nutrients cannot reach the area. Cells and tissues are very sensitive to lack of oxygen, and after a short time they begin to lose their vital functions. They turn into dead cell communities, which we call necrosis. As physicians, we generally call the clinical picture that occurs as a result of vascular occlusion as infarction. If this occurs in the vessels of the heart, it causes heart infarction, that is, heart attack, and if it occurs in the vessels of the brain, it causes bad conditions called cerebral infarction or stroke. Excessive fluctuations in blood pressure in a person facilitate the formation of embolism.
Splintering or Cracking of the Vascular Wall
One of the mechanisms that causes the damage caused by high blood pressure is the outflow of blood as a result of the splitting of the vessel wall. If a weak area of the veins becomes under high pressure, the vein bursts and blood comes out. As a result, blood does not flow to that area.
Tissues cannot be fed. As we explained above, clinical conditions may occur due to malnutrition of the tissues. Additionally, if bleeding continues, blood accumulates and puts pressure on the surrounding tissues, crushing them and preventing them from functioning. Cleavage is mostly observed in the smallest artery region (arteriole) where the vessel wall is weak. The most common place where it is seen is the brain. This situation causes brain hemorrhage. In addition, bleeding may be observed in the retinal layer at the bottom of the eye and other weak vessels. A vascular rupture at the bottom of the eye can cause vision loss.
High blood pressure can cause damage by causing rupture in the aorta, one of the major vessels. Rupture of the aorta, which originates from the heart and distributes blood to the whole body, causes a severe condition and urgent intervention may be required.
Increased Resistance in Capillaries
A significant part of the damage caused by high blood pressure occurs in very thin vessels. Resistance is responsible. Increased resistance in the thin vessels in the body, that is, capillaries, prevents the circulation of blood in the tissues. In addition, this increase is also an important factor in the development of high blood pressure. Increased capillary resistance is also held responsible for damage to tissues and organs. It is very difficult to measure resistance in small vessels. Its existence is understood through some experimental studies.
This means that high Blood pressure damages organs by causing unwanted damage to the vessels. By treating hypertension, these damages can be prevented and the existing damages can be reversed.
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