Signs & Symptoms of High Blood Pressure to Watch Out for

Do you know high blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as a ‘silent killer’?

The reason is, hypertension can develop inside a person’s body without they even knowing about it! In many cases, people discover that they have had hypertension for a long time when they are affected by a complication caused by the condition.

Because of which, it becomes important to know about hypertension and keep an eye for signs & symptoms of high blood pressure.

Definition

Before you know about the signs, it would help you to know what exactly hypertension is.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the condition when your blood pressure levels rise beyond the normal level and consistently maintain at that point. To put things in perspective, here’s an example- while a normal person has blood pressure levels at 120/80 mm Hg, a person with hypertension has blood pressure levels higher than that consistently. There are various types and stages of hypertension, in which, the patients have different blood pressure levels.

So, what are the risks of having high blood pressure? High blood pressure is known to cause severe health problems, some even life-threatening, if not controlled. The complications include blockages in arteries, heart attack, heart failure, brain haemorrhage, blindness, kidney diseases, kidney failure, ADHD, dementia and sexual dysfunction. The severity of these health complications highlights the importance of knowing about high blood pressure symptoms and taking efforts to maintain normal blood pressure levels.

Signs & Symptoms

Since the condition can develop inside your body without showing any sign for years, there can be no symptom of high blood pressure that can be directly related to the condition. However, there are some health problems that have been linked to hypertension when they occur frequently. They include-

• Shortness of breath
• Bleeding nose
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Flushing (face, cheeks or ears becoming red due to various physiological conditions)
• Chest pain
• Blood in urine

Remember, though these problems are linked to high blood pressure, they are not direct signs of hypertension. Which is why, the best way to know about hypertension is getting your blood pressure levels checked regularly.

When To Consult A Doctor?

As a precautionary measure, you can take blood pressure readings every two years after you turn 18 years old. However, if you have a family history of high blood pressure, you should get your blood pressure levels checked every year. Because heredity is one of the major causes of hypertension among patients.

Also, if you are more than 40 years old, and don’t have hypertension yet, you should get your blood pressure levels checked yearly. Because the risk of getting hypertension can increase as you grow older.

You can also plan to get a complete health check-up every year. It will help you stay informed about your blood pressure levels as well as your overall body health.

Hypertension should be taken seriously as it is a critical disease, yet invisible! While it will help you to check your blood pressure regularly and spot high blood pressure symptoms, the best option is to lead a healthy lifestyle so that you maintain normal blood pressure levels always.