High blood pressure is not something to be ignored. It can be a sign of a serious underlying illness or disease that can range from acute anxiety to heart disease and often goes unnoticed. The key with high blood pressure or hypertension is to be aware of its presenting symptoms so that you can seek swift medical advice from your GP. Below is a list of five of the most common signs that you might be suffering from high blood pressure.
1. Fatigue
If you find that you are abnormally tired, so much so that you find everything a taxing chore you might have hypertension. Often people with high blood pressure are unaware that their blood pressure is causing their heart to work doubly hard to get blood around the body. In effect their body is being placed under enormous stress just to function properly which results in chronic tiredness and fatigue that does not improve with rest.
2. Headache
Those with high blood pressure usually suffer from severe headaches and some might develop painful migraines that can be debilitating. What is causing these headaches is their high blood pressure placing enormous stress on the intricate blood vessels to the brain and indeed the facial muscles. Over time this strain exhibits itself in the form of headaches, facial spasms and general head pain. If you suffer from intermittent headaches, you might actually be suffering from hypertension.
3. Vision Problems
Similar to headaches, high blood pressure places unsustainable stress to the blood vessels in and around the eye. When this happens, the person suffering from hypertension can begin to see a general deterioration in their vision. They might start to see migraine auras, or strange lights and shadows that can distract and cause alarm. Similarly they might start to suffer from a feeling of pressure within their eyes that does not go away. This is cause for concern, as high blood pressure can cause significant damage to the eye if left untreated.
4. Chest Pain
While there are many causes of chest pain, such as costochondritis, it is rightly seen as a red flag for cardiovascular problems such as heart disease. People with high blood pressure who complain of chest pains should seek medical help swiftly, as their hypertension could be placing great stress on their heart which can increase their risk of a heart attack. If you feel a crushing pain in your chest that radiates to your back, neck, arms or jaw, particularly if you are displaying symptoms such as vomiting, sweats, confusion or intense anxiety, do not panic but you might be suffering from a heart attack and should call an ambulance or go to your nearest a and e department.
5. Difficulty Breathing
Similar to chest pain, a person with high blood pressure might also complain of a difficulty in breathing. They might complain that they can never quite catch their breath. Again this could be due to their high blood pressure which has stressed their blood vessels causing them to be thick and clumsy in supplying blood to the lungs. As a result the lungs have an inefficient blood supply and have to do more with less blood causing the difficulty in breathing.
High blood pressure is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because its presenting symptoms are either ignored or go unnoticed until it causes more serious complications like heart failure or a stroke. If you are suffering from one or more of the symptoms listed above it might be worth seeking a medical professional to assess whether you have hypertension and prescribe you relevant medication to get it under control. Other ways you can help stave off high blood pressure is to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
1. Fatigue
If you find that you are abnormally tired, so much so that you find everything a taxing chore you might have hypertension. Often people with high blood pressure are unaware that their blood pressure is causing their heart to work doubly hard to get blood around the body. In effect their body is being placed under enormous stress just to function properly which results in chronic tiredness and fatigue that does not improve with rest.
2. Headache
Those with high blood pressure usually suffer from severe headaches and some might develop painful migraines that can be debilitating. What is causing these headaches is their high blood pressure placing enormous stress on the intricate blood vessels to the brain and indeed the facial muscles. Over time this strain exhibits itself in the form of headaches, facial spasms and general head pain. If you suffer from intermittent headaches, you might actually be suffering from hypertension.
3. Vision Problems
Similar to headaches, high blood pressure places unsustainable stress to the blood vessels in and around the eye. When this happens, the person suffering from hypertension can begin to see a general deterioration in their vision. They might start to see migraine auras, or strange lights and shadows that can distract and cause alarm. Similarly they might start to suffer from a feeling of pressure within their eyes that does not go away. This is cause for concern, as high blood pressure can cause significant damage to the eye if left untreated.
4. Chest Pain
While there are many causes of chest pain, such as costochondritis, it is rightly seen as a red flag for cardiovascular problems such as heart disease. People with high blood pressure who complain of chest pains should seek medical help swiftly, as their hypertension could be placing great stress on their heart which can increase their risk of a heart attack. If you feel a crushing pain in your chest that radiates to your back, neck, arms or jaw, particularly if you are displaying symptoms such as vomiting, sweats, confusion or intense anxiety, do not panic but you might be suffering from a heart attack and should call an ambulance or go to your nearest a and e department.
5. Difficulty Breathing
Similar to chest pain, a person with high blood pressure might also complain of a difficulty in breathing. They might complain that they can never quite catch their breath. Again this could be due to their high blood pressure which has stressed their blood vessels causing them to be thick and clumsy in supplying blood to the lungs. As a result the lungs have an inefficient blood supply and have to do more with less blood causing the difficulty in breathing.
High blood pressure is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because its presenting symptoms are either ignored or go unnoticed until it causes more serious complications like heart failure or a stroke. If you are suffering from one or more of the symptoms listed above it might be worth seeking a medical professional to assess whether you have hypertension and prescribe you relevant medication to get it under control. Other ways you can help stave off high blood pressure is to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
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