High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Signs

This is often referred to as the “silent killer” because there are normally no high blood pressure symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they are usually are usually vague or ambiguous.

Most people don’t realize that they have high blood pressure until it is picked up by their doctor at a routine check-up. Unfortunately, after a number of years, symptoms of high blood pressure can be a sign that organ damage has occurred.

That being said, the following symptoms may be attribute to someone with pre-hypertension or hypertension . These symptoms could also be attributed to a myriad of other medical conditions:

       Nausea

       Epistaxis (Nosebleeds)

       Headaches

       Visual Disturbances

       Lethargy

If left untreated, chronic or persistent hypertension may cause serious organ damage. Again, these symptoms may be caused by a myriad of other medical conditions:

*   Heart failure

*   Kidney failure

*   Blindness

*   Stroke

Your yearly check-up with you doctor should include a blood pressure check. A one-off high reading doesn’t mean you are hypertensive. If it is high, you doctor will have you return to have another reading. Only after a number of readings will a determination will be made. It is always best to have you checks taken at the same time each day. As everyone’s blood pressure varies throughout the day, your doctor may have you wear a portable machine for twenty four hours. These machines automatically records your blood pressure at regular intervals.

If you have any of the mild symptoms above, it probably isn’t necessary to see medical advice immediately. If you are at all concerned though, the best course of action is to see your GP straight away.

Obviously, if you have any of the more serious symptoms,that may have led to organ damage, immediate medical advice form your doctor or emergency department is indicated.

Once it has been established that you have hypertension then your doctor may discuss lifestyle changes or if you have gone past the prehypertensive stage, then medication may be warranted. By changing a few of your lifestyle choices, your hypertension will reduce in most cases. These lifestyle changes may include losing weight, stop smoking, exercising more and eating a healthy diet.

If you have just one symptom of high blood pressure or more likely none at all, you should have it checked on a regular basis.