What High Blood Pressure Symptoms to Watch Out For

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often regarded as the “silent killer.” Having high blood pressure can lead to many complications, and even death. The problem with it is that it that the problem is often unnoticed, and people do not find out that they already have high BP until they get it checked. The only way to accurately diagnose if you have hypertension is to regularly monitor your BP.

Whether you have been diagnosed with hypertension or not, there are high blood pressure symptoms you need to watch out for. These symptoms include headache, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. People also commonly experience pain in the back of the neck. If chest pain and shortness of breath also occur, then it would be a good idea to seek medical help.

Most people often ignore high blood pressure symptoms and attribute to other causes. People can have it for years without knowing that they have it. You might think that being asymptomatic is a good thing; however, keep in mind that if hypertension is left untreated, it could lead to life-threatening complications. High blood pressure can cause progressive damage to the blood vessels, the heart and to other vital organs. Do not wait until you experience symptoms that are already indicative of organ damage before you go see a physician. So make sure that you watch out for the common and early high blood pressure symptoms, mentioned above, and if you have them, get your BP checked immediately. Better yet, don’t wait for any symptoms to appear, just have your BP regularly monitored. It could save your life. The earlier you get treated, the greater are your chances of not developing any complications.

Hypertension can be easily controlled, especially if treatment is started early. And it’s quite preventable as well. Diet and lifestyle modifications may be necessary either as a preventive or curative option. Whether you have high blood pressure or not, remember to maintain a healthy weight range. Eat healthy and remember to tone down your intake of fatty and salty food as these could elevate your BP. And don’t forget to exercise as well. If you don’t have the time to exercise, then other forms of physical activity will do – cleaning the house, walking, using the stairs, etc. The American Heart Association recommends that people do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Another important factor for preventing and controlling high BP is stress management. There are a lot of techniques that can help lower down stress levels – meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, a warm bath, a day at the spa, etc. Try them all, and see which methods work for you. Diet, physical activity and stress management are not just effective in preventing hypertension; it is also quite effective in lowering down high blood pressure.

Aside from lifestyle modification, high blood pressure can also be treated with medications. There are quite a lot of antihypertensive medications out there, and they have different mechanisms of action. So, don’t self medicate and always consult your doctor before you take any of them. If you are already taking maintenance medications for your BP, do not stop taking them and do not change them without your doctor’s advice.