If your doctor diagnoses you as having hypertension, your ?rst reaction may be surprise, because you feel ?ne. That is not unusual. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, and many people go for years with- out knowing they have it. Your heart, brain, and kidneys can handle increased pressure for a long time, and you can live for many years with- out any symptoms or discomfort. But getting treatment to lower your blood pressure is extremely important, because hypertension is a major risk factor for serious disease.
High blood pressure can affect your body in six main ways:
• Atherosclerosis Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause the walls of the arteries to thicken and become less ?exible. Fatty deposits are more likely to form on the rigid walls, and the chan- nel in the artery narrows.
• Stroke If a blood clot forms and lodges in a stiffened artery trav- eling toward your brain, it can cause a stroke. If the clot is in an artery that supplies blood to your heart, it can cause a heart attack. High blood pressure may also cause a stroke if a weakened blood vessel ruptures.
• Aortic aneurysm High blood pressure contributes to the widening of a weakened aorta, and an aortic aneurysm can be fatal if untreated.
• Enlarged heart High blood pressure forces your heart to work harder. Over time, the muscle thickens and stiffens, or the heart muscle may enlarge and weaken. As it weakens, it pumps less ef?- ciently, and you will feel weak and tired more often. Fluid may back up and congest the lung tissue.
• Kidney damage The kidneys ?lter waste products from the blood. If the vessels of the kidneys are thickened and damaged,

your kidneys will begin to fail, causing waste to build up in the bloodstream. Treatment for kid- ney failure requires dialysis, a mechanical means of ?ltering the blood.
• Eye damage If you have diabetes, high blood pressure can cause the capillaries in your eyes to bleed. This condition, called retinopathy, can eventually lead to blindness.

These potential complications of blood pressure are genuinely alarming, but remember, blood pressure can be significantly lowered with treatment. The great decreases in death from heart disease and stroke in this country in recent years are partly the result of success- ful treatment of high blood pressure, speci?cally:
• The incidence of stroke can be reduced by 35 to
50 percent.
• The incidence of heart attack can be decreased by
20 to 25 percent.
• The incidence of heart failure can be decreased by more than 50 percent.

The Silent Disease

Some people think that high blood pressure causes symptoms such as nervousness, sweating, or difficulty sleeping. None of these is a symptom of hypertension, and these are not necessarily related. Many people who look and feel perfectly fit have high blood pressure, while some peo- ple who are overweight, smoke, or show other risk factors for heart disease have normal blood pressure. That’s why the only way to know for sure if you have high blood pressure is to be tested.
A person with severe, un- treated high blood pressure may have headaches, dizziness, or nosebleeds, but probably not until the condition has reached an advanced, life-threatening stage. Again, even many people with uncontrolled high blood pressure still do not have any of these symptoms. Getting tested and getting treatment are the only answers.