5 hypertension symptoms you should know

Hypertension or high BP is largely symptomless. But if you have any these signs you most likely have high BP.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics for the year 2012, India had lower rates of high blood pressure than its neighbouring countries. But it is still a huge health concern here because about 20-30 percent of Indians are suffering from high BP. And most of them may not even be aware about it.

High blood pressure or hypertension is largely asymptomatic. Except measuring blood pressure there is no other way you can confirm whether or not you're suffering from it. This makes the situation worse because high BP is a risk factor for chronic conditions like heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. And, these conditions in turn progress silently and result in serious, irreversible damage that can even kill a person.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

So how would you suspect that you have high BP? Here are a few signs that are closely associated with hypertension and are seen in quite a few people. If you have any of these signs, it is good signal for you to go to a doctor and get your BP checked.

1. Headache: Whether high blood pressure predisposes an individual to headache is still doubtful. But some studies do support the possibility. One of the studies conducted by Pietrini U and colleagues found that 28% of the study participants having recurrent headaches had high blood pressure. Moreover, the prevalence was more in patients who experienced tension type headache. Among Indians, early morning headache is a more common sign.

2. Breathlessness: High blood pressure or hypertension can cause thickening of the heart muscle. Thickening reduces the space for oxygen-rich blood to flow from the lungs to the heart ventricles from where it gets pumped to the entire body. This can cause the blood to flow back into the lungs resulting in breathing difficulties.

3. Nosebleed: The blood vessels in your nose are very tiny and susceptible to damage. Therefore, increasing blood pressure can easily damage them causing nosebleed. However, nosebleeds can occur due to a lot of other factors like excessive dryness, fluctuating temperature, allergies and sinusitis. So don't panic if you have had a single episode of nosebleed. People who experience frequent nosebleeds, more than once in a week, should consult a health professional to identify the cause.

4. Blurred vision: A person with sudden vision problems is likely to suffer from hypertension because high BP can also affect the blood vessels in the eyes. Sometimes, a person may also develop blood spots in the eye due to sub-conjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding due to broken blood vessels in the conjunctiva of the eye).

5. Elevated heart rate: If you feel your heart is beating too fast (after performing simple daily tasks like climbing the stairs or walking) you might have high BP. High blood pressure is an independent risk factor for heart disease and has a huge impact on functioning of the heart, including heart rate and heart beat. Increased heart rate is associated with increased peripheral blood pressure (measured in the upper arm).

Apart from the above, some people may also experience loss of consciousness, anxiety, dizziness, body stiffness and loss of interest in daily activities. But none of the mentioned symptoms individually confirm that a person is suffering from high blood pressure. You need to visit a health professional to confirm if you have high HP.

References:

• Pietrini U, De Luca M, De Santis G. Hypertension in headache patients? A clinical study.
• Symptoms of high blood pressure. American Heart Association (http://www.heart.org/)

• Scott Reule, MD and Paul E. Drawz. Heart Rate and Blood Pressure: Any Possible Implications for Management of Hypertension?

You may also like to read:

• Herbal remedies for hypertension (Gallery)
• Gallery: Why is hypertension dangerous
• 10 ways hypertension or High BP affects your body
• Medications for high blood pressure all your queries answered
• World Hypertension Day 2013: How your heartbeats affect your BP
• World Health Day 2013: 10 diet tips for hypertension
• How beetroot can help reduce high BP or hypertension
• Beat high blood pressure with dal or lentils

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