Don't Let High Blood Pressure Kill Your Kidneys
This article was originally published and produced by KCBD.com
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - We hear a lot about high blood pressure or hypertension and we know that's not good for the heart.
But did you know that high blood pressure can also quietly shut down your kidneys?
Dr. Meryem Tuncel is a nephrologist and hypertension specialist at the Texas Tech
Health Sciences Center. She says, “Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a very important
risk factor for developing kidney failure in the future. When you look at end stage
kidney disease, the number one cause is diabetes and the number two cause is hypertension.
So it is very common.”
She says that kidney disease is difficult to spot early since the symptoms appear
late in the disease process. At that point, someone may come into the emergency room
unaware that their kidney disease has advanced so much that they are facing dialysis
or transplant.
Dr. Tuncel says these are clues that the kidneys are struggling. "Swelling of the
legs, itching, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, metallic taste in their mouth.
They can have a fluid collection in the lungs and be quite short of breath. They may
have chest pain and also they may seize from advanced kidney disease.”
Her advice - know your blood pressure.
She says, “Everybody should check their blood pressure from time to time. There are
machines available in drug stores and they can buy home monitors.”
For more media resources and assets, visit https://www.ttuhsc.edu/communications-marketing/media/.
Related Stories
TTUHSC Names New Regional Dean for the School of Nursing
Louise Rice, DNP, RN, has been named regional dean of the TTUHSC School of Nursing on the Amarillo campus.
A Call for Change: Addressing the Invisible Workload of School-Based SLPs
Tobias Kroll, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, discusses the workloads and expectations of school-based SLPs.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Rural Adolescents
Leigh Ann Reel, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A, discussed the causes and prevention strategies for noise-induced hearing loss, particularly for adolescents in rural areas.
Recent Stories
TTUHSC MAT Students Receive Coveted NFL Internships
Jill Manners, ScD, LAT, ATC, PT, NREMT, COMT, FNAP, is giving us a closer look into the NFL internship opportunities that some of the MAT students are experiencing over the summer.
Collaborative Team Earns Five-Year Renewal Grant from NINDS to Continue Stroke Research
Due to this high level of productivity and potential to create new medications for stroke injury, NINDS recently awarded a new $3 million competitive renewal that extends the grant for an additional five years.
Keep Pushing: PA Alumni Gives Back
Jemimah Omavuezi, DMS, MPAS, PA-C, used her own story as inspiration to create the Omavuezi Scholarship for others.