Can Hypertension Shrink Kidneys

Kidney shrinkage means kidneys are relatively or obviously smaller than the normal size. Shrinking kidneys can result from various factors. Long-term hypertension can cause damage to kidney filters. Well then, can hypertension, or high blood pressure, shrink kidneys?

If the answer is yes, it means patients’ kidney function has been attacked by high blood pressure. How does this happen?

Hypertension can cause big pressure against blood vascular walls, while our kidney filters consist of numerous blood vessels. With hypertension, protein may leak from the blood into urine, resulting in foamy urine. Proteinuria, in turn, causes further damage to kidney filters. As time goes on, less and less blood can flow into kidneys. Finally, nephrosclerosis appears.

When there is less blood flow through kidneys, kidney inherent cells can’t get enough blood and oxygen. As fresh functioning tissues are impaired or necrotic, the size of kidneys will decline gradually. That is to say, kidneys are shrunk.

From the above analysis, we can know if controlled effectively, high blood pressure indeed can shrink kidneys. Now, we can know it is important to manage high blood pressure timely so as to protect kidneys from shrinking. How to manage high blood pressure for kidney patients?

1. ACEi and ARBs: If kidneys are not or just involved in hypertension, doctors prefer to prescribe these two medications for managing high blood pressure. However, once patients are diagnosed with renal insufficiency, they should avoid these medications. In this case, ACEi and ARBs may cause hypoperfusion that may lead to acute heart failure or necrosis of kidney functioning cells quickly.

2. Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy: This therapy also has the effects of lowering high blood pressure, through expanding blood vessels and eliminating extra fluid and wastes. Besides, it can also help protect kidney functioning tissues from damaging. Then, your kidneys can stop shrinking successfully.

In different stages of kidney disease, patients should take different medications or methods to control their condition. Figure out which treatment is suitable for you after consulting online doctor.

Tag: hypertensive nephropathy diagnosis

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