High blood pressure, also known as hypertension. It is true that individuals with high blood pressure may not always experience noticeable symptoms. High blood pressure is a condition characterized by elevated blood pressure levels, surpassing the normal range. A blood pressure reading below 120/80 mmHg is considered normal, while a reading above 140/90 mmHg indicates high blood pressure.
The exact causes of high blood pressure are not yet fully understood. However, certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease or heart disease, can be indicators or potential risk factors for developing high blood pressure.
It's important to note that high blood pressure is a serious health concern and should be monitored and managed appropriately. Regular blood pressure check-ups, a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management, and potential medical interventions are all crucial in managing high blood pressure and reducing associated health risks.
If you suspect you may have high blood pressure or have concerns about your blood pressure readings, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and guidance.
Certainly, let's explore the dangers associated with having high blood pressure:
High Blood Pressure Risk Factor
There are many risk factors related to high blood pressure, the risk factors are divided into 2, which are the risk factor that you couldn’t change and the risk factor that you can change.
The risk factor that you couldn’t change:
Age: Older adults will be more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Gender: Women over 65 years old will be more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Race: African-Americans will be more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Family History: People who have family members that have high blood pressure will be more likely to develop high blood pressure.
The risk factor that you could change:
Being overweight
Not having enough physical activity
Drinking alcohol
Eating the unhealthy diet
Consuming excess salt.
High Blood Pressure Symptoms
After you already know the definition of high blood pressure and the risk factors of high blood pressure, now it’s time for you to see the various symptoms of high blood pressure. Here are the symptoms of high blood pressure.
1. Severe Headache
The first symptom of high blood pressure that could occur as an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is a severe headache. So, a headache is a condition that causes pain in the head. Sometimes, it could cause a tight band around the forehead, neck, or even in the back of the eyes.
Although most people think that severe headache is a common condition and don’t need any medical treatment, this symptom is also could be a sign of more serious medical conditions, including high blood pressure.
So, whenever you have a persistent headache and this headache always occurs on a regular basis, alongside the other symptoms that will be mentioned in this article, you need to see medical treatment as soon as possible. The doctor then will prescribe you painkillers and over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or aspirin to relieve the pain of headaches.
2. Severe Anxiety
The second symptom that also could be a sign that you’re having high blood pressure is an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is very hard to describe, but in case you have high blood pressure, the type of anxiety is commonly classified as hypochondriasis. So, whenever you have anxiety just because you feel that there is something wrong with your health, you shouldn’t hesitate to share it with health experts.
It is very important to know that anxiety is an illness and thus, it can be cured with some psychological therapy or psychological advice. So, you need to seek therapy sessions if you want to alleviate the feeling of anxiety in you. Also, curing the main problem of anxiety, in this case, high blood pressure could be done too to alleviate the anxiety feeling.
3. Nosebleed
The third symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is the nosebleed. A nosebleed is a condition whenever you’re experiencing that there is some blood comes out from the nose. There are many causes that can lead you to a nosebleed.
While the rare and infrequent nosebleed is not a danger at all, whenever you’re having a persistent nosebleed on a regular basis, this could be a strong sign that you’re having more serious medical conditions, including high blood pressure.
So, whenever you’re having a nosebleed, especially the persistent one, alongside the other symptoms of high blood pressure that will be mentioned in this section, you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible to get further treatment. But, you could also treat the nosebleed symptom at home by following these tips:
While sitting up, try to squeeze the soft part of your nose.
Do not lie down whenever you want to stop the nosebleed.
Use nasal decongestion to close off the small blood vessels.
4. Dizziness
The fourth symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is dizziness. So, dizziness is the condition that occurs whenever you feel lightheaded, woozy, or unbalanced. Sometimes, on several occasions, dizziness could also lead you to faint too. While you shouldn’t worry about the occasional dizziness, whenever you’re having persistent dizziness, you should call the doctor immediately as soon as possible.
You need to seek medical treatment whenever you’re experiencing persistent dizziness alongside the other symptoms mentioned in this article. The treatment of dizziness is depending on the underlying cause. So, whenever you’re having dizziness because of high blood pressure, the doctor would likely various medications like beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, and fluid pills.
5. Blurred Vision
The next symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is blurred vision. So, blurred vision is the condition whenever you feel that someone put a filter over your eyes and you couldn’t see clearly enough in everything. This blurred vision could occur because of various medical conditions, such as high sugar levels, stroke, and also, high blood pressure. So, you need to be aware whenever you’re having blurred vision.
You should need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible since this blurred vision could be a sign of various medical conditions. The doctor then would do the treatment depending on the underlying cause related to this blurred vision. Same as dizziness, if the blurred vision is caused by high blood pressure, the doctor would be likely to give you the medications such as alpha-blockers, beta-blockers, or fluid pills.
6. Hypertensive Retinopathy
The next symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is hypertensive retinopathy. So, hypertensive retinopathy is a condition where there are some damages to the retina’s blood vessels, which then could limit the retina’s function, put pressure on the optical nerve, and then cause vision problems. The damage in the retina’s blood vessels is commonly caused by high blood pressure.
So, whenever you’re experiencing eye swelling, and then blurred vision with severe headache, bursting of blood vessels, and other symptoms that will be mentioned in this article, you need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. The common treatments related to hypertensive retinopathy are:
Lifestyle change: including having regular physical activity, reducing salt intake, limiting the amount of caffeine and alcohol, as well as quitting smoking.
Taking medications such as beta-blockers, diuretics, or ACE inhibitors.
7. Aneurysm
The next symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is the aneurysm. So, the aneurysm is a disease that occurs when the artery’s wall weakens and then causes a large bulge that can cause internal bleeding. The exact cause of the aneurysm is still unclear, though. But, many health experts say that high blood pressure plays a big part so this condition could occur in the body.
So, whenever you’re having high blood pressure, the pressure or force of the blood as it travels through your blood vessels would be increased too and thus, it could enlarge or weaken the blood vessels. So, whenever you’re having the symptoms that will be mentioned in this article, you might have an aneurysm caused by high blood pressure.
The treatment of an aneurysm commonly depends on the location of the weak area of a vessel in the body. The weak vessel in the chest and abdomen require surgery called an endovascular stent graft. The medications to treat high blood pressure could be inducted too.
8. Chronic Kidney Disease
The next symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is chronic kidney disease. So, chronic kidney disease is the progressive and irreversible destruction of the kidney. Whenever you’re having chronic kidney disease, the kidney wouldn’t be able to perform the following functions:
Maintain the balance between the electrolytes and minerals within your body.
Excreting water-soluble wastes out of your body.
Plays an essential part in the production of red blood cells.
Maintain the level of the acid and base within your blood.
As a matter of fact, the leading cause why the chronic kidney disease could occur is because high blood pressure. The dangerous thing is, that this disease actually doesn’t have any symptoms until the part of the kidney starts to destroy.
So, whenever you’re suspected of having high blood pressure and experiencing most of the symptoms that are already mentioned in this article, you need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible to lower the pressure in the blood.
9. Swelling
The next symptom that you’re having high blood pressure in the body is swelling in certain organs in the body. So swelling is the condition when the organs, skin, or other parts of the body enlarge. Whenever you have high blood pressure, you will be likely to suffer from internal swelling, which is caused by inflammation in the organs, fluid retention, or flatulence.
So, whenever you’re experiencing the symptoms such as unexplained weight gain and then you feel pain in the internal organ, along with most of the symptoms that will be mentioned in this article, you need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. The treatments that you will get are:
Taking over-the-counter medications to relieve the inflammation that caused swelling. A strong antihistamine would likely to prescribed by the doctor.
The doctor will give you the medications to treat the main cause of the swelling. In case of swelling because of high blood pressure, the doctor would prescribe you the medications such as beta-blockers or alpha-blockers.
Lifestyle changes, such as reducing the intake of salt, and keeping the arms and legs above chest level when lying down.
10. Heart Attack
The next symptom that you will get whenever you’re having high blood pressure is a heart attack. Basically, a heart attack is a symptom that would appear if you left the high blood pressure untreated for a long time, so you could call this disease a complication of high blood pressure. A heart attack is a condition when the rich oxygen-blood supply that normally could be sent into the heart is cut off and the heart muscle begins to die.
So, whenever you’re experiencing a heart attack, the doctor then would perform either the actual surgery or non-surgical treatment to relieve the pain of a heart attack. Some treatments related to heart attacks are:
Taking the medications such as aspirin, anticoagulant, painkillers, nitroglycerin, and blood pressure medication.
Bypass surgery or heart valve surgery.
Having the pacemaker is inserting the device to help the heart maintain its normal rhythm.
Having the heart transplant.
11. Heart Failure
The next symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is heart failure. Same as heart attack, this disease is also classified as a complication of high blood pressure. So, heart failure is a condition that is commonly described as the heart’s inability to pump a sufficient amount of blood. As you all know, without an adequate amount of blood supply, the other parts of the body will be disrupted.
So, whenever you’re experiencing the symptoms like excessive fatigue, sudden weight gain, loss of appetite, persistent coughing, heart palpitation, abdominal swelling, shortness of breath, and leg or ankle swelling, you might have heart failure. The treatments related to heart failure are taking medications to relieve the symptoms of heart failure and also taking surgery, such as coronary bypass surgery.
12. Massive Stroke
The next symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is a massive stroke. This disease is also a complication that could occur whenever you left high blood pressure untreated. So, stroke is a condition whenever the blood flow to the parts of the brain is interrupted. The high blood pressure of course will narrow the blood vessels which then will obstruct the blood flow to the brain.
So, whenever you’re having the symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, severe headache, confusion, and seizures, along with most of the symptoms that are already mentioned in this article, you need to seek medical treatments since those are the vital sign that you’re having the stroke. The doctor then will perform the treatments to dissolve the blood clots that cause the obstruction of the blood flow.
13. Atherosclerosis
The next symptom that could be a sign that you’re having high blood pressure is atherosclerosis. So, atherosclerosis is a narrowing of the arteries that is caused by the build-up of plaques. Whenever you’re having atherosclerosis, the build-up of the plaques will restrict the blood flow in the arteries, which then, of course, prevents your organs from getting the oxygenated blood to have the proper function. The symptoms of atherosclerosis couldn’t be detected until the blockage occurs.
To protect yourself from atherosclerosis, you need to protect yourself from high blood pressure. So, it is recommended that you seek medical treatments as soon as you feel many of the symptoms that are already mentioned above. The common treatments related to atherosclerosis include medications and surgery.
14. Glomerulonephritis
The next symptom that also could be a sign that you’re having high blood pressure is glomerulonephritis. So, glomerulonephritis is the condition that occurs whenever there is inflammation of the glomeruli, which are the structures in the kidneys that are made up of tiny blood vessels.
This glomerulonephritis could be acute or chronic. In case you have glomerulonephritis because of high blood pressure, you will be most likely to develop acute or chronic glomerulonephritis.
Whenever you’re experiencing the symptoms of the high blood pressure already mentioned above, it is a wise move to seek medical treatment as soon as possible so that you wouldn’t suffer from glomerulonephritis. But once you already have glomerulonephritis, the common treatments related to this disease are:
Taking the blood pressure medications, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors like captopril, lisinopril, and perindopril.
Plasmapheresis is the process to reduce immune-triggered inflammation.
Reducing the amount of salt, protein, and potassium in the diet.
Having dialysis whenever you also develop kidney failure.
The Symptoms of High Blood Pressure in Pregnant Women
After you already know the common symptoms that will occur in both men and women. In the article below you will find the symptoms of high blood pressure that could occur in pregnant women.
Preeclampsia
The next symptom that also could be an indication that you’re having high blood pressure is preeclampsia. So, preeclampsia is the condition that occurs when you’re pregnant and you have high blood pressure and you have excessive protein in the urine. This preeclampsia commonly occurs during the 20 weeks of pregnancy. Whenever you have a history of high blood pressure, you could possibly develop this disease whenever you’re pregnant.
It is really important to notice that preeclampsia doesn’t have any apparent symptoms, but, whenever you’re experiencing something like persistent headache, sudden weight gain, blurred vision, and abnormal swelling in your hands and feet during the pregnancy, you need to seek the medical attention as soon as possible. Mild preeclampsia could be treated by the following things:
Bed rest.
Reducing salt intake.
Drinking more water.
Taking the medications to lower the blood pressure.
Premature Infant
The following symptom that also could occur in pregnant women as an indication of having high blood pressure is a premature infant or commonly called premature birth. So, premature birth is the condition that occurs whenever you’re having labour before 37 weeks of gestation because usually, pregnant women will have labour in 37 to 42 weeks. In many cases, the main cause of premature infants couldn’t be detected, but the mother who has high blood pressure will be more likely to have premature infants.
Premature infants indeed would put the baby at a higher risk of developing much medical damage, such as brain damage, blindness, hearing loss, cerebral palsy, and also, developmental delays. Whenever you’re having premature infants, the team of healthcare will help you and your newborn baby immediately right after labour. But, you could take care of your baby on your own whenever the healthcare and the doctor already check and have faith the baby can eat by mouth, breathe without support, and maintain the body temperature and weight.
Cesarean Delivery
The third symptom that could occur in pregnant women as a sign that they have high blood pressure is cesarean delivery whenever they have labour. So, cesarean delivery is the labour process whenever the baby is surgically removed from the womb. In a vaginal birth. the baby travels through the birth canal during labour and delivery. So, there are a lot of reasons why the doctor will perform cesarean delivery on pregnant women, which are:
The labour has stalled.
The mother has the infections, such as genital herpes or HIV.
The mother’s birth canal is obstructed.
The mother has previous uterine surgery.
The baby is at high risk of health.
How to Treat and Prevent High Blood Pressure
So, after you already know all of the possible symptoms of high blood pressure, you also need to know how to treat and prevent high blood pressure so that you will be protected from this life-threatening condition. So, in the article below, we provide you with the various ways how to treat and how to stay away from high blood pressure. Here are the things that you should do related to high blood pressure.
Eating Healthy Foods
The first thing that you should do to treat and prevent high blood pressure is to eat healthy foods. As a matter of fact, eating healthy foods would be very beneficial to lowering blood pressure. You need to eat food that has low amounts of potassium and salt, you shouldn’t also consume foods that contain protein excessively.
The foods that you need to consume to lower your blood pressure are Whole grains, broccoli, carrots, apples, bananas, oranges, legumes, and fish which are rich in omega-3 fatty oils.
The foods that you need to avoid if you want to lower your blood pressure are foods and drinks that have a high amount of sugar, alcohol drink, red meat, and coconut oil.
Having the Exercise
The next thing that you should do in order to lower your blood pressure is to have regular physical activity every day. Physical activities such as walking for about 30 minutes, jogging, sports activities, cleaning the house, and walking down the stairs would be very beneficial to get the blood pumping. Also, with regular physical activity, you would have the proper body weight and you can control the proper body weight. The proper body weight would also reduce blood pressure levels and will protect you from high blood pressure.
Taking Medications
The next thing that you should do to lower your blood pressure and could protect yourself from the dangerous complications of having high blood pressure is to take various medications. The medications that would be beneficial to treat high blood pressure are:
Fluid pills will expel the excessive sodium in the body.
Beta-blockers, which will slow down the heartbeat.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, will help to relax and narrow blood vessels.
Alpha-blockers will cause the blood to flow freely by keeping the nerves from tightening the blood vessels.
Calcium channel blockers will relax the blood cells.
Now you already know everything that you should know related to high blood pressure, from the causes, symptoms, and the ways to treat and prevent it. Although this condition could lead you to various serious medical problems, one thing that you should remember is that this condition is totally preventable. You need to have healthy habits if you want to stay away from this condition. So, stay healthy.
While it may be easier to adopt unhealthy habits that contribute to high blood pressure, it's important to emphasize that high blood pressure itself is a serious medical condition that requires attention and management. Taking proactive steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as making dietary changes, exercising regularly, managing stress, avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption, and maintaining a healthy weight, can help prevent or control high blood pressure.
Remember to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice and guidance on managing high blood pressure and maintaining overall cardiovascular health.