Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. There are two types of blood pressure such as systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The maximum pressure exerted on the arteries when the heart beats and pumps the blood is known as systolic blood pressure. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the blood vessels in between the beats, when the heart is at rest.

120/80 mm Hg is the normal blood pressure. When blood pressure consistently measures 140/90 mm Hg or higher, then it is referred to as high blood pressure or hypertension. Approximately 50 million Americans are diagnosed with high blood pressure every year. Stressful lifestyle is the most common cause of high blood pressure. Read on to know the causes and symptoms of high blood pressure.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

There are two forms of high blood pressure such as primary hypertension and secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension accounts for about 95% cases of hypertension. The exact cause of primary hypertension is not known. In about 5-10% cases, high blood pressure when caused by some other diseases is known as secondary hypertension. This condition results from kidney diseases, diabetes, tumors of adrenal gland, constriction of aorta and thyroid dysfunction. Some of the risk factors for high blood pressure are aging, smoking, alcohol addiction, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, stress, excess intake of sodium in diet and use of birth control pills. Some women may develop hypertension during pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

In case of primary hypertension, most people don’t experience any noticeable symptoms of high blood pressure. Even if there are some symptoms, they are generally mild and nonspecific. That’s why hypertension is known as the 'silent killer’. When blood pressure rises suddenly, it can cause hypertensive crisis. This condition can progress to certain potentially fatal complications such as stroke or heart attack.

Individuals with high blood pressure may have symptoms such as headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, restlessness and blurred vision. Headache due to hypertension is experienced frequently and the pain is not relieved even after taking medication. Due to high blood pressure, there is an increase in head blood flow, which can strain blood vessels in the brain. Headache caused by hypertension is not cured with simple pain relievers. The patient experiences pulsating headache behind the eyes, usually early in the morning.

Increased blood circulation through the body at a higher rate causes the heart to pump out more amount of blood than normal. This can cause heart palpitations. An increase in blood flow in the head can lead to vision changes such as blurred vision, white spots or blindness.

About 1% people with high blood pressure are diagnosed with severe hypertension, also known as malignant hypertension. In malignant hypertension, diastolic blood pressure measures higher than 140 mmHg. It can cause symptoms such as nausea, headache and light-headedness. Malignant hypertension is considered a medical emergency and needs immediate medical treatment in order to prevent brain damage (stroke).

High blood pressure may remain unrecognized for years. Untreated high blood pressure can cause progressive damage to various organs such as heart, eyes or kidneys. This can lead to angina (chest pain), abnormal heartbeat, heart failure or heart attack, stroke, renal failure, retinopathy (eye damage) and peripheral arterial disease. Aneurysm (abnormal bulge in the arterial walls) is formed in the arteries in the legs, brain and intestine and the main artery that carries blood from heart to other body parts.

The only way to avoid these serious complications is to prevent or control high blood pressure by following a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercising should be balanced with a healthy diet of fresh vegetables, fruits, wholegrain and low-fat dairy products. You should lose excess body weight and maintain healthy weight. You also need to control unhealthy habits such as smoking and alcoholism. This will definitely help to lower high blood pressure and prevent its life-threatening complications.