I13.90: Hypertensive heart and renal disease, unspecified Without mention of hypertensive urgency

You have high blood pressure. The high blood pressure has caused changes in your heart and kidneys.

The heart pumps blood through the arteries to every part of the body. The pressure in the arteries must be enough for all the organs to get enough blood. On the other hand, if the blood pressure is too high, the heart, kidneys or other organs may get damaged. Under stress, our blood pressure naturally rises. During the night, our blood pressure usually falls.

The metric for blood pressure always consists of two figures. The first figure is the maximum pressure in the arteries. It occurs when the heart pumps blood out. The second value is the minimum pressure in the arteries. It occurs when the heart is filling up with blood again. A normal blood pressure can be around 120 over 80. Depending on age or pre-existing conditions, a normal blood pressure can also be slightly higher or lower.

High blood pressure is when the blood pressure in the arteries is too high for a long period of time. There is not always a clear-cut reason for the high blood pressure. It is then assumed that multiple factors interacting have caused the high blood pressure. These include, for example, overweight, stress, age and smoking.

Initially, high blood pressure often causes no, or few, appreciable symptoms. If the blood pressure is high over a long period, over time blood vessels and organs can become damaged. Over time, your heart and kidneys have changed because of your high blood pressure. High blood pressure can thicken the heart muscle, for example, or damage the small blood vessels in the heart. The small blood vessels in the kidneys can also get damaged.