High blood pressure or hypertension blood pressure is often known as a silent killer because of the wide range of problems it creates apart from heart disease and stroke. One of the most serious yet lesser-known impacts of hypertension is the effect it has on the kidneys of a person. Kidneys are the bean-shaped organs of the human body that perform the function of filtering waste products and excess fluids from the body. These vital organs heavily rely on the blood vessels around them in order to be able to function properly. When the blood pressure of a person remains consistently high, it can put strain on these delicate blood vessels, which in turn leads to impairment in kidney function over time. In fact, it is a notable fact that hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The danger, however, lies in the fact that both hypertension and kidney damage are problems that can stay silently inside the body of a person for a long period of time, without giving rise to any noticeable symptoms. By the time these symptoms appear, the disease has generally advanced to stages where it cannot be reversed. Hence, it is of utmost importance for people to be aware of the effects of high blood pressure on the kidneys and its symptoms in order to facilitate early intervention and successful treatment. In this article, we will discuss in detail about the same.
How are hypertension and kidney health related?
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs of the human body that filter out the waste products, toxins, and excess fluids from the blood, while also regulating the acid-base balance, electrolyte balance, and hormone production of the body. High blood pressure damages the delicate blood vessels present around the kidneys, as a result of which, the overall kidney function is compromised, and the kidneys are robbed of their ability to filter the waste from the body. When the hypertension or high blood pressure is prolonged, it can cause narrowing of the blood vessels, reduced amount of blood flow to the kidneys, and scarring of the kidney tissue. As per kidney specialist near me, hypertension results in a vicious cycle, under which it is both a cause and an effect of improper or abnormal functioning of the kidneys. When the capacity of the kidneys to filter out waste is decreased, it increases the blood pressure, which in turn causes further damage to the kidneys.
How does Hypertension cause kidney damage?
There are different ways in which hypertension can damage kidney function, including:
- Damaging blood vessels: High blood pressure or hypertension damages the small and delicate blood vessels inside the kidneys, especially the glomeruli. This damage to the blood vessels causes them to become narrower, weaker, and harder, which reduces the flow of blood to the kidneys.
- Reduced Filtering Ability: Damaged glomeruli results in the reduction in the ability of the kidneys to filter out the waste products from the body, which leads to a buildup of toxins and waste products in the blood, which further puts pressure on the kidneys and leads to kidney failure.
- Fluid and Electrolyte Imbalance: Hypertension blood pressure causes the kidneys to lose their ability to maintain the electrolyte balance of the body, which might cause a condition called edema, in which parts of the body, such as legs get swollen up, while also giving rise to other problems.
- Proteinuria: When the glomeruli get damaged, they might leak proteins into the urine and develop a condition called proteinuria. This condition is a symptom of kidney damage.
- Kidney Failure: If the hypertension or high blood pressure stays constant for too long, it might cause hypertensive chronic kidney disease, which can lead to complete kidney failure.
- Vicious Cycle: As discussed above, hypertension or high blood pressure can damage the kidneys, which in turn causes an increase in blood pressure, making it both the cause and effect of kidney damage. This causes the onset of a vicious cycle.
Preventing the damage caused to the kidneys because of high blood pressure involves various steps and a multi-faceted approach. It includes healthy lifestyle and dietary changes, regular exercise, staying hydrated, managing stress, and quitting harmful habits like smoking and alcohol consumption. It is of utmost importance to be aware of the harmful impacts of hypertension on kidneys and pay regular visits to a urologist or kidney specialist so as to track the health of the kidneys and detect the problems, if any, in their earliest stages.
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