When most people think of the dangers of high blood pressure, they typically think of a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or possibly a stroke. But hypertension (the medical term for high blood pressure) can also cause serious damage to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys.
In fact, high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure. To make matters worse, damaged kidneys can cause your blood pressure to go up.
The Relationship Between Blood Pressure and Kidneys
The kidneys rely on proper flood flow to perform their function of removing wastes and excess fluids. When your blood pressure builds up, it starts to flow too strongly to the kidney’s blood vessels. To compensate, the kidney’s blood vessels stretch.
Overtime, this weakens and scars the vessels, hindering their performance. Eventually, it can cause them to fail altogether.
Meanwhile, your kidneys help maintain proper blood pressure. When they’re weakened, your blood pressure can rise. If your kidneys aren’t receiving enough blood due to weak or damaged blood vessels, they will react by stimulating your body to retain sodium and water, which increases blood pressure even further.
This is why you need to deal with both blood pressure and kidney issues immediately.
How Do I Know if Something is Wrong?
Unfortunately, with both high blood pressure and kidney problems, you may not notice anything is wrong until things get severe.
In most cases, there aren’t any symptoms for high blood pressure, outside of a potential headache. That’s why it’s important to have regular checkups and have your blood pressure monitored. Even if you’re younger, you can still begin to develop high blood pressure, which will have more and more negative effects on your body as you age.
Kidney disease and other kidney-related issues typically don’t show immediate symptoms either. Early signs may include edema, which is swelling that typically occurs in the legs, feet, or ankles.
As your kidneys undergo further damage, you’ll start to experience further symptoms ranging from nausea and appetite loss to darkened skin and chest pains. It’s best to have your kidneys checked before that happens. Kidney disease is checked for through blood and urine tests.
If you already have high blood pressure, it’s a good idea to schedule a kidney screening to be safe. For trusted kidney doctors in Springfield, Ohio, contact Advanced Nephrology and Hypertension today! We often have same day appointments available, if needed.