High blood pressure symptoms are rarely encountered. Hypertension is so silent that many patients suffer major health issue before realizing the problem. Primary hypertension is the commonest type of high blood pressure. It develops gradually and is not caused by any other health condition. Secondary hypertension, on the other hand, is caused as a symptom of other diseases like hyperthyroidism and diabetes.
High blood pressure symptoms in men are more pronounced because of their likelihood to suffer from hypertension. High blood pressure symptoms in women are similar to those of men, except during pregnancy. Here is a list of high blood pressure symptoms in men and women with uncomplicated high blood pressure.
Headache
A bad throbbing pain in your head, that won’t respond well to any medication, might be a symptom of hypertension. If you are healthy and haven’t had many headache episodes, you might want to contact your doctor and get your blood pressure checked.
Blurred Vision
In the case of malignant hypertension, you may experience foggy vision. This is due to a sudden shoot in blood pressure and may have cardiac complications involved.
Dizziness
Elevated blood pressure manifests as dizziness along with a severe headache. This may cause confusion and loss of balance.
Chest Pain
Higher cardiac labor in high BP can result in clenching chest pain or symptoms similar to a heart attack. This symptom is seen in dangerously high blood pressure. Health care provider should be contacted without delay to prevent a stroke or heart attack.
Nose Bleeds
During hypertensive crisis, blood may come from the nose. This is termed as epistaxis or nosebleed. This symptom indicates dangerous blood pressure which can be deadly if you don’t receive emergency medical care.
Some other rarely expressed symptoms are numbness, reduced urination, nausea and vomiting, seizures and weakness.
High blood pressure symptoms in women during pregnancy cause pre-eclampsia. It is also known as pregnancy-induced hypertension. The symptoms are sudden swelling of body parts due to fluid retention, upper quadrant stomach pain, vomiting, and headaches. Without treatment, the condition can lead to blood clotting problems, premature birth, and maternal mortality.
Keeping a Check on Hypertension
Hypertension can wreck your internal organs and cause a plethora of health problems. Some are:
Aneurysm or balloon-like bulge on the arterial
Kidney disease.
Heart attack.
Cardiac failure.
Dementia
Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis (Plague deposit on artery walls).
Some simple precautionary steps and remedial lifestyle changes can prevent and manage hypertension.
Regular blood pressure screening.
Engaging in regular physical exercise of some form.
Reducing extra body weight by exercising and diet control.
Quitting alcohol and smoking.
Better stress management to avoid high BP trigger.
Following a hypertension diet known as DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).
Quick Bytes:
What is the treatment for hypertension?
Lifestyle modification and taking prescribed high blood pressure drugs like diuretics, beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors can help you to keep your blood pressure under control.
What is DASH diet?
This hypertension diet includes divided daily servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains without much use of sodium.
What are the drugs that can elevate blood pressure?
Corticosteroids, birth control pills, amphetamines, and cyclosporine are some drugs that can raise your blood pressure.
What is the daily sodium intake limit?
A limit of 1500 mg sodium per day can help to prevent high BP.
What is hypotension?
When the heart doesn’t pump enough blood, the blood pressure goes down and results in hypotension.