High Blood Pressure Case Study

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is high enough that it can eventually cause health problems. When the heart beats, is crates pressure that pushes blood through the arteries. Blood pressure is the result of this “push”, or force. There are two forces; one occurs when the blood pumps out of the heart and into the arteries and the second occurs as the heart rests between beats. These two forces each represent the numbers in a blood pressure reading. (heart.org, 2014) Hypertension occurs when an individual’s blood pressure exceeds 140/90 over a period of time. (FarlexPartnerMedicalDictionaryforHealthConsumers, 2007) The top number signifies the pressure in the arteries, …show more content…
This can create problems in several ways. Vascular weakness is caused by overstretching of the blood vessels making them prone to rupture which can lead to strokes and aneurysms. (heart.org,2014) Second, this overstretching can cause tears in the blood vessels that leave scar tissue. This scar tissue can catch cholesterol or other blood cells that travel through the bloodstream, causing an increased risk for plaque build-up. Plaque build-up can, in turn, cause high cholesterol. When this happens the pressure is increased which will force the heart to work harder in order to deliver blood to the rest of the body. If pieces of the plaque were to break off and travel to other parts of the body this can cause a stroke or even a heart attack. Another way hypertension can affect the body system is by causing tissue and organ damaged from narrowed or blocked arteries. If hypertension is left untreated, over time damaged or scarred arteries can result in damage to the heart. Hypertension can permanently damage the heart, brain, eyes and kidneys before a person even knows they have it. High blood pressure can lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney