High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure refers to the force that the blood in your vessels exerts on the walls of your arteries. For your blood pressure measurement, you’re probably familiar with the two numbers: the top number, or systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number, diastolic blood pressure.

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The systolic blood pressure refers to the pressure in your vessels when the heart is contracting or squeezing. The diastolic blood pressure refers to the pressure in your vessels when the heart is relaxed. A normal or healthy blood pressure is when that top number is less than 120, and the bottom number, the diastolic, is less than 80.You have elevated blood pressure if the systolic is between 120 and 129, while the diastolic is still less than 80. You have stage 1 hypertension if that top number is between 130 and 139 and/or the diastolic number is between 80 and 89. You have stage 2 hypertension if the systolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 140, and if that diastolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 90, then you have a whole hypertensive crisis.

In order to be screened and monitored for hypertension, you should see your physician.

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10 symptoms of high blood pressure

Make sure you watch and pay attention to the last symptom because it may be the most important symptom.

1. Headache

When you have hypertension, headache or even pounding in the ears can be a symptom. when you have hypertension especially if it’s very high, you can have elevated pressure within your brain, pushing against the arteries within your brain. This can cause a headache or even a sensation of pounding in the ears.

2. Blurry vision

Blurry vision or a change in vision can also be a symptom of hypertension in your eyes. You have retinas in the back of your eyes, and they have many tiny blood vessels. When you have very elevated blood pressure, especially chronically, these vessels can be damaged or compromised. This can lead to something called hypertensive retinopathy. These tiny blood vessels in the backs of your eyes can even bleed, leading to blurry vision. Increased pressure in your eyes related to hypertension can also cause blurry vision. If the blood flow to the retina is compromised or stops, it can lead to a loss of vision.

Question:

How many of you have been diagnosed with hypertension, and in hindsight, you had symptoms but did not even realize that those were symptoms of high blood pressure? Please comment down below.

3. Fatigue

Fatigue, excess tiredness, or even confusion can be symptoms of hypertension. When you have hypertension, it can compromise your heart or the way your heart pumps blood and oxygen to your body. This can certainly cause fatigue.

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You can also have a compromise in your lungs or the way you oxygenate, which again can cause fatigue. Additionally, neurological symptoms related to high blood pressure can contribute to fatigue. So, fatigue is another potential symptom of hypertension.

4. chest pain

Chest pain can certainly be a symptom of hypertension, as hypertension is a leading cause of heart attacks or heart failure. When you have very elevated blood pressure, it can compromise the blood flow to your coronary arteries (your heart arteries), leading to a heart attack or myocardial infarction. If this happens, chest pain can be a symptom of hypertension that you should not ignore.

5. Weakness

Weakness can certainly be a symptom of hypertension, especially if it is focal weakness. Focal weakness could be an indication that you’ve had a stroke or a cerebral vascular accident. Hypertension is a leading cause of strokes, so if you experience facial drooping, arm weakness, or leg weakness, it could mean that your high blood pressure has led to a stroke or neurological compromise. Weakness can be a symptom of hypertension.

6. Nausea

You can experience nausea and/or vomiting as a symptom of hypertension. There can be several reasons for this. For example, increased intracranial pressure caused by hypertension can lead to nausea. If hypertension causes some of the vessels in your brain to rupture, it can result in a hemorrhagic stroke, which can increase pressure within your brain and trigger nausea or vomiting.

Also, if your hypertension has caused you to have a heart attack, one of the atypical symptoms of heart disease can be nausea and vomiting.

7. Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath can be a symptom of high blood pressure for several reasons. You can experience shortness of breath due to a heart attack caused by high blood pressure, or it can be due to pulmonary edema, which is excess fluid in the lungs related to elevated blood pressure. Furthermore, shortness of breath can occur if hypertension has led to heart failure, resulting in inadequate blood pumping and a backup of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). So, shortness of breath can indeed be a symptom of high blood pressure that you should never ignore.

8. Back pain

This might sound unusual, but yes, back pain can be a symptom of hypertension that you should not ignore. High blood pressure can lead to a very serious condition called aortic dissection, where the aorta is compromised in a way that leads to bleeding into the wall of the aorta. This condition can be fatal, and very elevated blood pressures can trigger aortic dissection. One of the main symptoms of aortic dissection is back pain. So, yes, back pain can be a symptom of high blood pressure.

9. Nosebleeds

A nosebleed can be a symptom of high blood pressure. Your nasal airways contain many tiny blood vessels, and elevated blood pressure can damage these vessels. When the pressure is high and there’s significant force against these arteries, it can lead to a nosebleed. So, a nosebleed is a potential symptom of hypertension that you should never ignore.

Finally, symptom number 10 is probably the most important symptom of hypertension that you should realize:

10. Nothing

Most people actually have no symptoms whatsoever of hypertension. This is why they call hypertension the “silent killer.” You can have extremely high blood pressure, even blood pressure in the two hundreds over one hundred, and if your body has compensated, if you have become used to living with dangerously high blood pressures, then you can walk around with absolutely no symptoms whatsoever.

The frightening thing about this is that a lot of people feel that because they don’t have symptoms when their blood pressure is very high, they think that perhaps high blood pressure is what is normal for them. Well, I’m here to tell you this could not be farther from the truth. Even when your body has compensated, and you are having no symptoms with your high blood pressure, elevated blood pressure (hypertension) can still cause damage. It can still cause kidney failure, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, and even death. So, it’s crucial to have your blood pressure checked regularly by a healthcare professional, especially if you have risk factors for hypertension.

So, hypertension is not normal for anyone, so a very important symptom is symptom number 10 of hypertension. Be sure to follow up with your physician to learn your risk factors for hypertension and to be monitored.

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