How does hypertension affect the kidneys?
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering excess fluid and waste from your blood. In order to do their job effectively, they depend on healthy blood vessels. When hypertension, or high blood pressure, damages your blood vessels, the nephrons that filter waste don’t get the nutrients or oxygen they need to function properly.
Consequently, your kidneys can become permanently damaged. Left untreated, high blood pressure can eventually lead to kidney failure. In fact, hypertension is the second leading cause of chronic kidney disease.
Additionally, healthy kidneys produce a hormone necessary for controlling blood pressure. If your kidneys are failing, they can’t produce this hormone, resulting in a continuous cycle of medical distress.
What treatments are available for hypertension?
Your physician at Kidney360 can help determine the best course of treatment based on the severity of your blood pressure levels.
Initially, you may need to make lifestyle changes to control your blood pressure. These changes include:
- Quitting smoking
- Limiting alcohol intake
- Staying physically active
- Eating whole, healthy foods
- Managing your stress levels
If these changes alone don’t help control your hypertension, your physician may recommend medications and routine blood pressure monitoring, which can be performed remotely at Kidney360.
What are the symptoms of kidney disease?
If you’re dealing with high blood pressure, you may already be at increased risk for kidney damage. In the early stages of kidney damage, you may not have any symptoms at all.
As the damage progresses, you may experience swelling in your ankles, legs, and feet because your body can’t get rid of excess fluid.
As your kidneys decline further, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Loss of appetite
- Chronic drowsiness
- Nausea
- Sleep problems
- Dry skin
- Weight loss
- Muscle cramps
- Decreased urination
If you develop signs of kidney disease, your physician may perform blood or urine tests to confirm or rule out problems with your kidney function. They may also suggest a kidney function test to determine the level of kidney damage you have.
You may need additional treatment if you have kidney disease as a result of high blood pressure. Treatment for kidney disease might include daily medications, and if your kidneys fail, you could need daily dialysis and eventually a kidney transplant.
To learn more about controlling your hypertension and protecting your kidneys, book a consultation by calling Kidney360 or using the online booking tool today.
