High blood pressure, more commonly known as hypertension, is one of the leading conditions affecting millions of citizens in the world today. Often called the “silent killer,” hypertension can cause significant damage to the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels without obvious symptoms. However, when symptoms do occur, they should never be ignored. Recognizing the signs of high blood pressure can help prevent severe complications like heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
In this blog we take you through what high blood pressure is, how to identify its symptoms, and the best available treatments.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps it throughout the body. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers:
- Systolic Pressure (top number): Measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.
- Diastolic Pressure (bottom number): Measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart is at rest between beats.
A normal blood pressure reading is about 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure readings consistently exceed 130/80 mmHg. Left untreated, high blood pressure can cause long-term damage to the heart and other organs.
How Do You Know If You Have High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is often referred to as a silent condition because it may not even present visible symptoms. Most people will experience no symptoms at all until their blood pressure has shot up to a pretty scary high level. Regular monitoring of the blood pressure is thus essential in early detection. But if you have noticed any of the following signs then you should see a doctor.
10 Silent Symptoms of High Blood Pressure That Should Not Be Ignored
1. Headaches Mostly
Repeated headaches, especially during the morning, can serve as a sign of high blood pressure. Such headaches can be caused by the pressure exerted on the blood vessels in the brain due to increased levels of blood pressure.
2. Shortness of Breath
When the blood pressure is too high, then it becomes difficult for the heart to pump blood around the body, thus culminating in shortness of breath. It may occur even at a time when one is subjected to light physical activity or even when resting.
3. Chest Pain
Chest pain or discomfort, another serious symptom suggests that some problems in the heart are related to high blood pressure. However, if a person is suffering from chest pain, along with dizziness or nausea, he or she must call for immediate emergency medical services because it may be a heart attack.
4. Dizziness or Lightheartedness
High blood pressure can also cause dizziness because of poor flow to the brain. When you have lightheadedness, especially when you stand up, it might mean your hypertension is messing up your circulation.
5. Blurred Vision
High blood pressure can lead to damage of the blood vessels in the eyes, causing blurred or double vision. Sudden vision changes are also a symptom of damage to the retina and should be consulted by the doctor immediately.
6. Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds may be caused by several sources, and sometimes a nosebleed is not necessarily connected with high blood pressure. Nevertheless, recurrent or unprovoked nosebleeds are a symptom of high blood pressure. The pressure of the blood in the blood vessels of the nose makes them break.
7. Fatigue
There can also be constant fatigue, drained, or tiredness that cannot be improved by rest. It may bring exhaustion and general fatigue since the heart often becomes overworked when pressure is high.
8. Blood in Urine
This is because high blood pressure leads to serious damage in the kidneys, for example, leaking of blood into the urine due to overstrained kidneys by the high pressure in the blood.
9. Racing Heartbeat or Palpitations
It can cause a rapidly racing or pounding heartbeat or a perception that the heart is skipping beats. A fast and irregular rate results from the heart having to pump much harder to try to get blood circulating around the body, hence palpitations or an irregular rhythm.
10. Insomnia
People who have high blood pressure complain about sleep disturbances often, including trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. The most common disturbance is sleep apnea-a condition in which breathing stops and starts during sleep.
Effective Treatments for High Blood Pressure
If you’ve had any of the above symptoms, it is important to have your blood pressure taken and treated accordingly. What’s best is that high blood pressure could be treated with lifestyle changes and medication.
1. Lifestyle Changes
Some lifestyle changes can greatly decrease high blood pressure. These include lifestyle modifications.
- A DASH-type diet can also have the effect of lowering blood pressure. Emphasize an increase in intake foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats, and lower sodium.
- Regular physical activity helps improve heart functioning and circulation, thus lowering blood pressure. At least 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity activities daily can help.
- Reducing excess weight is another means of reducing blood pressure since having extra body fat is a strain on the heart.
- This is a fundamental cause of high blood pressure. It is recommended to adopt means such as deep breathing, yoga, or meditation to decrease stress in the body
2. Drugs
Apart from lifestyle changes, doctors usually prescribe a combination of drugs. The most commonly available drugs that are used for blood pressure contain the following:
- Diuretics
- ACE Inhibitors
- Beta-blockers
- Calcium Channel Blockers
3. Monitoring Blood Pressure Frequently
If your blood pressure is high, then your condition will only be tracked by monitoring it frequently. You can do this at home using a home blood pressure monitor or through your doctor to check if your blood pressure is within the control limits.
Final words
High blood pressure is a silent symptom less disease most of the time, but when symptoms do appear, it should not be ignored. Frequent headaches, shortness of breath, chest pain, and other such symptoms may indicate hazardous hypertension that has to be immediately attended to by a healthcare provider. The early identification of symptoms, proper treatment, and certain lifestyle changes can all effectively manage high blood pressure and mitigate the risks associated with severe health complications.
If you experience the symptoms mentioned, don’t wait and schedule a check-up with your doctor to maintain blood pressure under control. Diagnosis at the earliest can help maintain good heart health along with overall health.
