Many people know that high blood pressure, if left uncontrolled, can lead to the risk of heart attack and stroke. However, not everyone knows the harmful effects of this condition on kidney health, according to the health website Medical News Today (UK).
Medication and lifestyle changes can help prevent high blood pressure from leading to kidney failure.
If left unchecked, high blood pressure not only damages the blood vessels leading to the kidneys, but also damages the glomerular filter. As a result, the kidneys cannot perform their filtering function properly, leading to kidney disease or even kidney failure. For patients with severe kidney failure, the solution is dialysis or a kidney transplant.
In fact, high blood pressure can affect all parts of the body's circulatory system, and the kidneys are just one of them. So the best way to prevent high blood pressure is to control it. If you already have it, you can avoid heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and other problems.
High blood pressure can be effectively controlled with medications and lifestyle changes. With medications, your doctor may recommend one or more medications at the same time, and you should take them as prescribed.
There are many different types of medications used to treat high blood pressure, including ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, alpha blockers, and others. The type of medication recommended depends on factors such as the severity of the condition and your age. The medications come in tablet form and need to be taken every day.
Regarding lifestyle factors, patients must reduce salt, alcohol, caffeine intake, quit smoking, lose weight, exercise regularly and have a diet rich in vegetables and fruits.
High blood pressure and diabetes are two of the most common causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Symptoms of kidney disease include fatigue, itchy and dry skin, urinating too much or too little, loss of appetite, cramps, chest pain, headaches, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and unexplained weight loss, according to Medical News Today.
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