Most Americans consume much more sodium than they should. Health experts recommend that people consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, slightly less than one teaspoon. From putting a few shakes of salt on fries, to eating canned goods and salty snack foods, it can be easy for anyone to go way over the recommended daily limit of sodium.
Sodium can have a significant impact on your blood pressure, which is the force of blood against the walls of your veins and arteries. More than 103 million Americans have high blood pressure, but many of them aren’t even aware of it, because they don’t experience symptoms. High blood pressure is often called “the silent killer,” because there aren’t usually any signs that there’s a problem, but the condition can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
At Creekside Family Practice in Cypress, Texas, board certified family physician Hammad Qureshi, MD, and our team provide patients with top-notch care using the latest treatment options. We provide a full spectrum of services to support you in your health journey, from primary care to weight loss treatments to management of chronic conditions. We have all the information, assistance, and support you need to manage your blood pressure.
What is blood pressure?
Your heart pumps blood all around your body, bringing nutrients and oxygen to all of your cells. Your blood travels through two types of blood vessels: arteries and veins. Your arteries carry your blood to the different parts of your body, and your veins carry the blood back to your heart.
Blood pressure is the measurement of pressure that your blood exerts on the walls of your veins and arteries. There are two measurements for blood pressure: systolic and diastolic. Systolic pressure measures the force while your heart is pumping. Diastolic pressure measures the force when your heart is resting between beats. Blood pressure is considered to be normal when the numbers are less than 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic), usually written as 120/80.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
Many people with high blood pressure ― also called hypertension ― do not experience any symptoms, and so they may not know that anything is wrong. However, some of the possible symptoms of high blood pressure include:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Nosebleeds
- Chest pain
- Blood in the urine
- Shortness of breath
It can take years of having high blood pressure before the condition worsens to the point where you would be more likely to experience noticeable symptoms.
How does sodium affect blood pressure?
Your kidneys perform the important function of regulating the levels of sodium in your body. If you have too much, they filter out some of the sodium, passing it into your urine for removal from your body. However, if your salt intake is too high, your kidneys may not be able to filter out all of it, in which case the salt that is not filtered out will end up in your blood.
Salt is hygroscopic, which means that it attracts water. If you have a lot of salt in your blood, that salt will draw water into your blood, which will increase the volume of blood in your bloodstream. This increased quantity of blood moving through your blood vessels can cause an increase in blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a serious condition that needs to be managed carefully. If it’s not managed carefully, it could lead to life threatening conditions, such as strokes and heart attacks.
If you have high blood pressure and need help managing it, or if you want to see if you have high blood pressure, book an appointment online or over the phone with Creekside Family Practice today.
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But when these bean-shaped organs sustain damage or are thrown off balance — perhaps by heavy salt intake — both your blood pressure and your heart may feel the repercussions.
Your kidneys filter more than 120 quarts of blood each day. They pull toxins and unwanted fluid from cells throughout the body, then send them to the bladder.
Eating too much salt can make it harder for your kidneys to remove fluid, which then builds up in your system and increases your blood pressure.
The cycle of damage: How your heart is affected
Over time, excessive salt intake can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension), which stiffens and narrows the blood vessels. Blood and oxygen flow to key organs decreases. So the heart tries harder to pump blood throughout the body, which further increases blood pressure.
“Elevated blood pressure, particularly over a long period of time, puts an incredible strain on the heart,” says cardiologist Luke Laffin, MD. It can enlarge the heart’s left pumping chamber and weaken the heart muscle (heart failure).
Unchecked hypertension can also damage the artery walls, which begin to collect fat, leading to heart disease and potentially heart attack or stroke.
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“The best way to prevent a heart attack is to stop the arteries from becoming damaged,” Dr. Laffin says.
What hypertension does to your kidneys
You can see this chicken-or-egg effect with high blood pressure and kidney disease as well. Hypertension puts extra pressure on the kidneys’ filtering units, which can lead to scarring. This impairs the kidneys’ ability to regulate fluid, which increases blood pressure.
“If this cycle is not stopped, it can lead to kidney disease and kidney failure,” says hypertension specialist George Thomas, MD, who is Director of the Center for Blood Pressure Disorders in the Department 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. The signs and symptoms may be attributed to other conditions and usually appear when the kidneys have already begun to fail. Here are symptoms to watch for:
- Unusual fatigue.
- Sleep troubles.
- Itchy skin.
- Decreased urination.
- Blood or foam in the urine.
- Swelling in the ankles, feet or around the eyes.
- Lack of appetite, nausea or vomiting.
- Muscle cramps.
- Confusion.
- Taste abnormality.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms — particularly if you are at risk of kidney disease because you’re over age 60, have high blood pressure, have diabetes or have a family history of kidney failure — talk to your doctor about your kidney health and salt intake.
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The question of salt sensitivity
Salt affects people differently. “Some people can consume sodium with no effect on their blood pressure,” says Dr. Thomas. “But for others who are ‘salt sensitive,’ even a slight increase in sodium intake wreaks havoc on the kidneys’ ability to regulate fluid, and increases blood pressure.”
Salt sensitivity is most prevalent among people who are middle-aged or elderly, have overweight or obesity and are Black. It also tends to become more prevalent as we age.
Lifestyle changes can help
One of the first things your doctor will recommend is modifying your lifestyle by:
- Eating a low-sodium diet (the American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mg/day for most adults), especially if you’re at risk.
- Limiting alcohol.
- Exercising regularly.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
Even with salt restriction and lifestyle changes, blood pressure may remain elevated, Dr. Laffin notes. Medications, in addition to lifestyle changes, are oftentimes also needed to lower your blood pressure. Examples of medications include:
- Diuretics, or water pills, which increase urination to help discharge excess fluid.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), which help to relax blood vessels.
Besides encouraging you to keep hypertension and diabetes under control, your doctor may test you annually for kidney disease.
Working with your doctor to ensure that salt intake is not raising your blood pressure and impacting your heart and kidneys can have a dramatic impact on your health and longevity.