During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure have been highly affected. However, do you know what the link between the Coronavirus and high blood pressure is? In this blog, you will get to see how you might be at risk of complications when you contract COVID-19 with high blood pressure.
Risks Associated with High Blood Pressure
According to statics, during the COVID-19 pandemic, people with high blood pressure are at a high risk of developing complications if they get infected with Coronavirus. Another research shows that people with high blood pressure are at increased risk of fatalities. The risk of fatality for COVID-19 patients with high blood pressure is twice as high as the general population.
What Is the Link Between the Coronavirus and High Blood Pressure?
People with high blood pressure have a week immune system. Therefore, people with hypertension are at an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. Chronic health conditions and ageing weakens your immune system, thus the inability of the body to fight the virus.
Apart from hypertension, you might be at risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms because of the drugs you use to control high blood pressure. ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can increase the risk of complications if you get infected with the Coronavirus.
ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers increase the risk of complications after contracting the Coronavirus since they raise the levels of ACE2 enzyme in your body. To infect your body, the Coronavirus attaches itself to the ACE2 enzyme. Therefore, you will be at a higher risk of contracting the virus.
If you stop using the above drugs, you might be at risk of a heart attack. Therefore, you should consider COVID-19 prevention measures and seek urgent care in a 24-hour emergency room near you.
Complications
Pneumonia is the most common complication associated with Coronavirus. However, the virus can also affect your cardiovascular system.
Since high blood pressure can damage your arteries and limit blood flow to your heart, the heart will have to work harder to pump blood. Therefore, the heart can weaken and fail to pump enough oxygenated blood to your body.
Also, Coronavirus can damage your heart directly by causing myocarditis. If high blood pressure has already damaged your heart, you might be at an increased risk of complications since there will not be enough oxygen in your blood.
When Should Visit an Emergency Room Near Me?
If you experience any symptoms of Coronavirus, you should visit an emergency room near you even if you have never been diagnosed with high blood pressure. By seeking emergency care, you can prevent the risk of developing complications associated with Coronavirus.
If you have high blood pressure, the doctor at the emergency room will create a treatment plan immediately to suppress the signs of high blood pressure as well as those of COVID-19.
Preventing COVID-19 Infection
Whether you have high blood pressure or not, you should take the precautional measures against COVID-19. People with underlying conditions such as high blood pressure at a higher risk of developing complications. Therefore, if you have hypertension, you should be more careful during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To prevent the COVID-19 infection, our doctors at the Harker Heights emergency room recommend the following:
- Ensure you have enough drugs to treat blood pressure as well as any other underlying health condition
- Stay or work from home to avoid contact with people
- Wear a cloth mask as the CDC recommends when you are in public places as well as stay at least six feet away from a person that looks sick.
- Wash your hands with clean running water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Clean and disinfect surfaces in your house that are frequently touched
Finding a Walk-in Clinic Near Me
Do you need an emergency clinic near you? At Express ER, we have a team of experienced and passionate doctor who will offer urgent care services, preventing any further complications.
At our ER in Harker Heights, we believe preventions is better than cure. However, you might still contract the Coronavirus. Therefore, if you have signs of COVID-19 and high blood pressure, you can contact our doctors for emergency care.
