Hypertension (high blood pressure) can lead to kidney damage

Pamela Egan Practical Practitioner

 

By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE

 

 

Hypertension (high blood pressure) can lead to kidney damage

 

High blood pressure (also called “hypertension“) is a condition that can damage your kidneys.

Your kidneys act like a filtering system to get rid of excess water and wastes in the blood.

Blood pressure is the force, or pressure, of the blood on the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, high blood pressure can damage the blood vessels and nephrons (filtering units) in the kidneys. The damaged nephrons can’t do their job of filtering out all of the wastes, sodium and excess fluids from your blood.

The excess fluid and sodium that stays in your bloodstream puts extra pressure on the walls of your blood vessels-raising your blood pressure even more. This extra pressure leads to further kidney damage.

In addition to filtering the waste in your body, the kidneys also play a role in:

  • Releasing the enzyme renin, which controls blood pressure.
  • Changing vitamin D into its active form, which helps with the absorption of calcium from the intestine (for strong bones and teeth).
  • Producing the protein erythropoietin, which stimulates the production of red blood cells. Lack of red blood cells can mean you are anemic and can cause anemia-related fatigue.

Kidneys that aren’t working properly do not produce enough erythropoietin.

Without erythropoietin, your body cannot produce enough red blood cells.

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin which delivers oxygen throughout your body.

When your hemoglobin is low, less oxygen is carried to all the parts of your body. It’s very similar to fuel for a car. A car needs fuel to run, just like your body needs hemoglobin to run properly.

If you have developed kidney problems as a result of high blood pressure, you may be feeling fatigued or really tired. You may find it hard to do some of your normal daily tasks or activities. If this is the case, it’s time to talk to your healthcare provider.

A constant feeling of tiredness can be a sign that you have developed a condition known as anemia. Anemia is a condition in which your body does not have enough red blood cells.

If your kidneys are damaged, they may not be producing the erythropoietin your body needs to stimulate the production of red blood cells.

This means your body is not receiving the oxygen it needs to run efficiently. Without enough oxygen, you may experience symptoms of anemia, such as fatigue.

Anemia can produce a wide range of symptoms. If you are anemic, you may experience some of the following symptoms: Weakness and tiredness, loss in concentration, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, headache, dizziness or fainting, paleness, difficulty sleeping.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of anemia, be sure to tell your doctor or nurse. He or she can perform a blood test, or complete blood count (CBC), to determine whether or not you are anemic.

This article was originally published April 5, 2004 in The St. Tammany News.

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