Salt can adversely affect your blood pressure

When you eat too much salt, your body will retain water to dilute the amount of salt you absorb from the outside. However, this extra water increases blood volume, which means the heart has to work harder as it pushes more fluid through the blood vessels. So how does eating too much salt affect your blood pressure?

When it comes to blood pressure in the body, many people often don't think of the kidneys. However, when this bean-shaped organ is damaged or imbalanced, and eating too much salt is one of the causes, both blood pressure in particular and the cardiovascular system in general will suffer. suffer very severe consequences.
The kidneys of a normal, healthy adult filter more than 120 liters of blood per day. The kidneys pull toxins and liquid wastes from cells throughout the body, then carry them to the bladder. Eating too much salt can affect the filtering process of the kidneys leading to the accumulation of toxins and waste products in the blood vessels and increase blood pressure.

As mentioned above, over time eating salty foods increases blood pressure, hardens and narrows the cross-section of blood vessels. Causes reduced blood flow and oxygen to vital organs. So the heart tries harder to pump blood around the body, which increases the blood pressure readings even more. Cardiologist Luke Laffin said: 'Elevated blood pressure, especially over long periods of time, puts serious strain on the heart. This can cause the left chamber of the heart to expand too much and weaken the heart muscle (heart failure). Uncontrolled hypertension can also adversely affect artery walls, initiating fat accumulation, leading to heart disease and potentially a heart attack or stroke. Dr. Laffin added: 'The best way to prevent a heart attack is to stop the arteries from being damaged.

Without scientific evidence, many people can already see a link between high blood pressure and kidney diseases. High blood pressure puts extra pressure on the filtering units of the kidneys, with serious consequences. This impairs the kidneys' ability to regulate fluid, increasing blood pressure. George Thomas, hypertensive specialist, director of the Center for Blood Pressure Disorders in the American College of Nephrology and Hypertension. "High blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes are the most common causes of kidney disease." Unfortunately, the vast majority of people with kidney disease don't realize they have it. Signs and symptoms can be due to other conditions and usually appear when the kidneys have already begun to fail. Therefore, regular monitoring to detect abnormal changes in the kidneys is essential. Here are the symptoms to watch for:
Unusual fatigue. Difficulty sleeping, not sleeping deeply The skin is itchy. Urinating less than usual Blood or foam in the urine. Painful swelling in some places such as ankles, feet or around the eyes. Loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting. Muscle cramps. Taste change. If you find yourself or a loved one experiencing any of these symptoms, especially for those at high risk for kidney disease such as: over 60 years old, have high blood pressure, have diabetes If you have diabetes or have a family history of kidney failure, you need to immediately go to medical facilities to be checked as well as get advice from doctors, especially about daily salt intake.

Salt affects people in very different ways. “Some people can consume sodium without affecting their blood pressure,” says Dr. Thomas, director of the Center for Blood Pressure Disorders in the American College of Nephrology and Hypertension. But for people who are "salt sensitive," even a very small amount of sodium can severely affect the kidneys' filtering ability, thereby increasing blood pressure." Salt sensitivity is most common in middle-aged or elderly, overweight, obese, and African Americans. Salt sensitivities also tend to become more common as we age.

One of the first things doctors will advise their hypertensive patients is to change their lifestyle by:
Eat a diet low in sodium (the American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mg sodium/day for most adults), especially if they are at risk. Limit alcohol. Exercise regularly . Maintain a healthy weight. Dr. Laffin notes, even with salt restriction and lifestyle changes, blood pressure can still rise. In such cases, in addition to lifestyle changes, sometimes the person also needs medication to keep blood pressure readings at a stable level. Examples of medications include:
Diuretics, or water-based medications, that increase urination to help get rid of excess fluid. An ACE inhibitor (ACE) or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), which helps dilate blood vessels. Besides encouraging patients to control hypertension and diabetes, doctors may order some yearly kidney function tests. It is necessary to regularly discuss with the doctor to ensure that the amount of salt eaten does not increase blood pressure and affect the heart and kidneys to maintain health as well as prolong the life of each person.

Even if a person does not develop high blood pressure from eating too much salt, they can still damage blood vessels, heart, kidneys and brain, a new study has warned. The researchers reviewed the existing evidence and found that high salt intake has harmful effects on certain organs and cells, even in people who are "salt resistant," meaning that salt intake did not seem to affect their blood pressure. High salt consumption can lead to decreased function of the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels. Endothelial cells are involved in a number of processes, including blood clotting and immune function.
High salt concentrations can also increase the stiffness of artery walls, say researchers. "A high-sodium diet can also lead to left ventricular hypertrophy, or enlargement of the muscle tissue that makes up the heart's main pumping chamber," he explained in a news release, said study co-author David Edwards.
Eating a lot of salt can also harm kidney function and can also affect the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers the body's responses, according to research published May 17. 3 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, study co-author William Farquhar, professor and chair of the department of kinetics and applied physiology at the university, said, "Chronic high-sodium diets can causes sympathetic neurons in the brain to become more sensitive, causing a stronger response to a variety of stimuli, including skeletal muscle contraction.
Currently, hypertension is becoming more and more common and tends to be younger. In particular, salt intake and high blood pressure are closely related. Therefore, patients who already have high blood pressure should limit the use of salt in the diet, besides, it is necessary to avoid canned and pre-fermented foods such as cucumbers and pickled cucumbers. Besides, it is necessary to limit stimulants such as alcohol, beer, coffee and maintain a healthy diet as well as exercise in a reasonable way.
In addition to changing the diet, patients should actively check their blood pressure at home as well as talk to their doctor about their health status when there are problems.
Currently, performing periodic health checks - Vinmec International General Hospital is the key to helping you control your blood pressure in the best way. Through the examination, the doctor will have indications on the use of drugs or advice on suitable treatment methods for each customer. All examination procedures are always performed by a team of qualified doctors with many years of experience in the profession. Therefore, you can completely trust and choose the hospital as a reputable address for your visits.

Reference source: webmd.com - health.clevelandclinic.org