HYPERTENSION’S EFFECT ON THE BRAIN: SUNDAY MIRROR
Blood pressure is a vital parameter in our body. It is a dynamic parameter. It has fluctuations all day. In many instances, it increases and decreases. There are many conditions in which blood pressure fluctuates. Both rise and dip in blood pressure are bad for the brain.
What is the normal Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure isn’t always normal. When it increases we call it hypertension. When it decreases we call it hypotension. The range of blood pressure is not the same in every age. But on average the blood pressure should be kept in a range.
The height of your blood pressure is determined by how forcefully your heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, contracts, and by the diameter and stiffness of your arteries. In turn, your heart and arteries are influenced by a large number of genetic, hormonal, metabolic, neurological, psychological, and lifestyle factors that determine your blood pressure.
How does Elevated Blood Pressure harm your Brain?
High blood pressure is a chronic condition. There are many causes of it. However, elevated blood pressure is a bad factor for our brains.
Stroke
High blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes, both symptomatic and silent. Hypertension is a common causative factor of both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. Both systolic and diastolic hypertension contribute to risk; the higher your pressure, the higher your risk. According to one Harvard study, hypertension increases a man’s risk of stroke by 220%; according to another, each 10 mm Hg rise in systolic pressure boosts the risk of ischemic stroke by 28% and hemorrhagic stroke by 38%.
Dementia
Mental decline is one of the most feared consequences of elevated blood pressure in our lives. Hypertension takes a toll on the aging brain. Mild cognitive impairment can be a problem, but it’s usually quite manageable. However severe memory loss is a disaster. Two varieties of major dementias are multi-infarct or vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Both of them have hypertension as a common etiology.
Headache
A headache is a common complication of hypertension. It’s pulsating in quality and affects the whole head. It is very irritating and occurs at night.
Know more about Heat Headache.
Sleep Problems
Sleep problems are a common issue in hypertension. A decrease in sleep increases headache and anxiety causing more blood pressure. It leads to more difficulty.
Know What Poor Quality Sleep does to you?
Dizziness
Dizziness is a common symptom of hypertension. It’s very irritating. Sometimes it’s associated with nausea and vomiting. Many people feel problems in balance and gait while walking.
Blurring of vision
Visual blurring is a common presentation of hypertension. Sometimes it’s associated with vision loss.
In this World Hypertension Day let’s be aware and spread awareness about blood pressure and its effects.
Leave a Reply