Effects of Hypertension in Arteries

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when blood flows through your arteries with too much force. There are usually no symptoms, so high blood pressure can do a lot of damage to your body before you and your doctor realize it's there and take steps to control it. One of the biggest effects hypertension has on your body is in the arteries.

Hardening of the Arteries

• The flow of blood hitting the artery walls with too much force damages cells in the inner lining of your arteries. This causes a disease called arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which makes the walls of your arteries stiff and thick.

Atherosclerosis

• When fats you eat reach the damaged cells, plaque builds up in your arteries and blocks the flow of blood to all parts of your body. This causes a disease called atherosclerosis that can lead to chest pain, heart problems, stroke, kidney disease and peripheral artery disease.

Aneuryms

• Arteries all over your body can weaken under the constant high force of blood. Sections of artery walls become enlarged and bulge out. When these weak areas rupture, it can cause internal bleeding.

Effects

• The effect of hypertension in arteries affects nearly every part of your body. When arteries to your heart are damaged, your heart weakens because it has to work harder with less oxygen. Damage to your brain's blood vessels cause brain cells to die and blood clots that form in arteries to your brain cause stroke or dementia. Artery damage in kidneys scars the part of your kidneys that remove toxins from your body. Legs, feet, arms and hands weakened and damaged by loss of blood flow develop peripheral artery disease that can result in pain, loss of feeling or even amputation of extremities.

Prevention/Solution

• To avoid the aging effect of hypertension on your arteries you should exercise more, lose weight and eat foods with more potassium, magnesium and calcium and less salt and fat. Stop smoking, reduce stress, and lower the amount of alcohol you drink to one or two drinks a day. Your doctor may prescribe medicine if lifestyle changes don't work.