Will you die from high blood pressure?

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force required by the heart to pump blood through blood vessels to the rest of the body. Blood vessels are naturally elastic so they can make room for blood to flow through them.

When your doctor measures your blood pressure, you will hear two numbers. The top number is your systolic blood pressure . It tells you how much pressure is in the blood vessels when the heart contracts (pumps). The bottom number is your diastolic blood pressure . It gives you an idea of ​​how much pressure is in your blood vessels between heart contractions (when your heart is resting). Both numbers are important.

If your heart pumps a certain amount of blood and your blood vessels are elastic enough, your blood pressure should fall within the normal range. Normal blood pressure refers to systolic blood pressure below 120 and diastolic blood pressure below 80. Usually written as 120/80mm Hg. But if your heart starts working overtime (pumping too much blood) or your blood vessels become too stiff, your blood pressure can rise.

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure means your systolic blood pressure is over 130 and your diastolic blood pressure is over 80. High blood pressure is divided into several stages, depending on how high or low the readings are.

Here are the American Heart Association's blood pressure guidelines:

Stage 1 hypertension may respond to lifestyle changes and does not always require medication. This may include changes in diet or activity level.

For stage 2 hypertension, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication based on your blood pressure and lifestyle changes.

Hypertensive crisis is a medical emergency and should always prompt immediate medical attention.

Will you die from high blood pressure?

Yes. Death from hypertension can occur directly or indirectly. Most often, people die from indirect complications of high blood pressure, such as heart disease and stroke.

However, hypertensive crisis can directly lead to death. That's because your blood pressure is dangerously high. An emergency hypertensive crisis requires immediate medical attention but does not involve any organ damage. Once organs begin to suffer damage, it becomes an emergency hypertensive crisis. This can be life-threatening.

Signs that you may be having an emergency hypertensive crisis include the following symptoms:

• vision changes

• chest pain

• severe headache

• Confused

• Shortness of breath

There is no way to predict how quickly you will go from hypertensive emergency to death. Risks vary from person to person. Therefore, if you find that your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 mmHg, it is important to go to the emergency room.

Will you die if you have high blood pressure while sleeping?

The short answer is yes. The risk of dying from a hypertensive crisis exists whether you are awake or asleep. Therefore, high blood pressure while sleeping can have fatal effects.

Altered consciousness may also occur during a hypertensive emergency. This is brain damage caused by dangerously high blood pressure. This can make you feel less alert and very sleepy. If left untreated, death may result.

As you sleep, your blood pressure should naturally drop. However, there is also a type of hypertension that seems to occur at night. Nocturnal hypertension is when your blood pressure is higher than normal while you sleep. It's linked to a higher risk of death from heart disease and stroke overall, not just while sleeping.

What are the short-term effects of high blood pressure?

It's common for blood pressure to rise temporarily from time to time. And it's usually harmless. This can happen, for example, during moments of excitement or stress, or after drinking caffeine. Most of the time, we don't even notice when our blood pressure rises.

Brief episodes of high blood pressure are usually harmless, but it can get worse. In fact, if many of these temporary bursts occur over time, it can lead to chronic high blood pressure , or high blood pressure.

What are the long-term effects of high blood pressure?

If you have chronic high blood pressure, you are at higher risk for serious complications . These include the following conditions:

• heart disease

• Stroke

• heart failure

• blood clot

• chronic kidney disease

• blindness

• Sexual dysfunction (such as erectile dysfunction , low libido)

• weak circulation

To avoid these problems, your healthcare provider may recommend dietary changes and increased exercise. In some cases, they may prescribe medication to help keep your blood pressure at a moderate level.

Usually no effects of high blood pressure are felt. This may lead some people to think they don't need to take any medication to lower it. But it's important to take your high blood pressure medications as prescribed to prevent these long-term effects.