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Effects of High Blood Pressure
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Click on an icon to view.High blood pressure can also cause changes in the retinas of your eyes. The retina is where the eye receives visual images. High blood pressure also puts the blood vessels in the eyes at risk for:
- Getting more narrow
- Rupturing
- Bleeding.
These effects result in impaired vision and, over time, may lead to blindness.
As you can see, blood vessels, the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes are the structures in your body most affected by high blood pressure. That's why a person who has had high blood pressure for many years is at a serious risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure, even if he or she hasn't had any hypertension symptoms along the way. In fact, when compared to people without high blood pressure, people with untreated high blood pressure are:
- Three times more likely to have heart disease
- Six times more likely to develop congestive heart failure
- Seven times more likely to have a stroke.
Fortunately, making certain lifestyle changes can help reduce the effects of high blood pressure on the heart and blood vessels. This helps control the bad effects high blood pressure can have on other organs as well.
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD