Five Important Symptoms Of Hypertension To Watch Out For

Causes and treatment of hypertension

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms of it. That’s why the condition has been tagged a “silent killer.” It goes unnoticed for years as the symptoms are not prominent and they are only detected once it reaches a dangerous level and starts damaging other organs.

Hypertension or high blood pressure isn’t the problem of only adults. Anyone above the age of 20 can develop this health concern which requires constant monitoring of the blood pressure level to live a happy, long life.

It can also lead to life-threatening complications like heart attack and stroke. Extreme high blood pressure is an emergency and requires immediate attention. Here are some signs of extremely high blood pressure when you need immediate medical attention.

In this article, we would be looking at five important symptoms of hypertension to watch out for.

If your blood pressure is extremely high, there may be certain symptoms to look out for, including:

Severe headaches

Very high blood pressure can trigger an event known as malignant hypertension. Malignant hypertension is also referred to as a hypertensive crisis.

During a hypertensive crisis, pressure in the cranium builds as a result of your blood pressure suddenly spiking up to critical levels. The resulting headache feels unlike any other kind of migraine or head pain. Traditional headache treatments such as aspirin are ineffective in relieving pain.

If you do have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and are on medication to treat it, it’s important to be mindful of which treatment you choose.

Always check the label of your medications and make sure that you won’t be doing more harm than good with the way you choose to treat your headache.

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Nosebleed

Immediate causes of nosebleeds include trauma to the nose from an injury, deformities inside the nose, inflammation in the nose, or, in rare cases, intranasal tumors. Any of these conditions can cause the surface blood vessels in the nose to bleed.

Fatigue or confusion

High blood pressure typically causes no physical symptoms. The only reliable way to know you have high blood pressure is to have it measured by a healthcare provider. Some health-tracking devices can also signal if your blood pressure is high.

Some people with high blood pressure complain of fatigue. This may be due to the condition itself. If left untreated, the pressure against blood vessel walls can cause unseen damage. This damage can lead to severe health issues, including stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease.

Chest pain

Because there are often no symptoms with high blood pressure, people can have the problem without knowing it. Symptoms most often do not occur until after many years of poor blood pressure control, when damage to the heart has occurred.

Eventually, the muscle may become so thick that it does not get enough oxygen. This can cause angina (chest pain). Without appropriate blood pressure control, the heart can weaken over time and heart failure may develop.

High blood pressure also leads to the thickening of the blood vessel walls. When combined with cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels, the risk of heart attack and stroke increases.

Shortness of breath

People suffering from pulmonary hypertension usually feel out of breath easily and have difficulties in performing everyday activities. But sudden suffocation can also be a sign of stroke and heart attack.  Prolonged high blood pressure can lead to fatigue and shortness of breath.

Blood spots in eyes

A red spot in the eyes also known as a haemorrhage is caused as a result of increased blood pressure. Too much pressure on the walls of the arteries may stretch the tissues, which becomes damaged after a point. It even damages the arteries and optical nerves of your eyes if left untreated for a long time. Sometimes blood spots in the eyes are also caused without any identifiable cause. In any case, it is vital to visit a doctor.

Dizziness

Sudden dizziness and loss of balance or coordination are warning signs of a stroke. It is a common sign in the case of prolonged high blood pressure. Apart from this, sudden dizziness experienced sometimes when suffering from hypertension may be due to loss of oxygen supply to the brain. Dizziness can also be caused due to the medication for high blood pressure.

Anxiety

Having high blood pressure can also trigger feelings of anxiety. Severe anxiety leads to symptoms like breathlessness, sweating, trembling, and heavy breathing. All these issues need immediate medical attention. Even anxiety can spike your blood pressure level which may have a severe impact on your mental and physical health.

Vomiting

High blood pressure, also called hypertensive crisis, may lead to symptoms like vomiting. This symptom of hypertension also requires immediate medical attention. Other symptoms of extremely high blood pressure may include confusion, nose bleed, and blurred vision.

If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately. You could be having a hypertensive crisis that could lead to a heart attack or stroke. You may also have another serious health condition.

If your blood pressure is extremely high and you have the symptoms mentioned above, rest for 5 minutes and check again. If your blood pressure is still unusually high, then it’s a medical emergency.

It’s important to remember that high blood pressure is a silent killer. This implies that everyone should get it checked regularly.

It is recommended that adults should have their blood pressure checked each year at routine health visits. Your doctor might recommend that you monitor it more often at home.

Untreated hypertension can lead to serious diseases, including stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, and eye problems.

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Tope Akinyemi

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We are convinced that Health is Wealth and that you deserve to be healthy enough to live your best life daily. 

According to findings published in the Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development by Idowu Onisanwa in 2014, it was discovered that a high level of economic growth can be achieved by improving the health status of the populace, especially if the current status is at a low ebb. 

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