High blood pressure- What are its symptoms?

06.11.2008 by Dr John Anne in Health Care

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High blood pressure (hbp) or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart to all the tissues and organs of the body. High blood pressure does not mean excessive emotional tension, although emotional tension and stress can temporarily increase blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80; blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called “pre-hypertension”, and a blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered high.Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is often called the “silent killer” because symptoms of high blood pressure do not appear for years until a vital organ is threatened. Signs of long-untreated high blood pressure (such as headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, restlessness and blurred vision) can be the result of damage to the brain, eyes, heart and kidneys.

One of the most dangerous aspects of hypertension is that you may not know that you have it. There are generally no symptoms of high blood pressure, so you usually don’t feel it. In fact, nearly one-third of people who have hypertension don’t know it. The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. This is especially important if you have a close relative who has high blood pressure.

Physical symptoms of high blood pressure

Physical symptoms of high blood pressure can often confuse an attending physician as they can vary. Therefore it is very important that a thorough examination is made of anyone complaining of any type of illness and their blood pressure checked at all times. Many instances of high blood pressure have been found by doctors when they have examined patients who have visited them with completely different symptoms .

The Absence of High Blood Pressure Symptoms

The real symptoms of primary hypertension occur when the pressure has been high enough and present long enough to damage target organs mentioned above; brain, kidneys, eyes, heart and blood vessels. Yes, when high blood pressure symptoms occur, it is too late to avoid damage. This damage in turn causes headache, fatigue, visual impairment, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath or urinary symptoms.

Hypertension has aptly been called the “silent killer” because it usually produces no symptoms. Untreated hypertension increases slowly over the years. It is important for anyone with risk factors to have their blood pressure checked regularly and to make appropriate lifestyle changes. Such recommendations are especially important for individuals who have prehypertension or hypertension, a family history of hypertension, are overweight, or are over age 40.

When measuring blood pressure, it is recommended that at least 3 readings separated by 2 minutes be taken. After discarding the first reading, the results of the other readings should be averaged. If a raised blood pressure reading is discovered at a check-up, your doctor will usually ask for you to come back for a follow-up in a month before recommending you take medication to treat it. It is very important to keep these follow-up appointments.