How to diagnose high blood pressure? (Disease Query)

Wondering if you have developed high blood pressure? Check out if there are any indicative symptoms you can look out for

Hi, I am 52 year old male. I have a family history of high BP. Is there any way I can confirm if I have also developed hypertension?

Having a family history of high BP is a risk factor for developing hypertension, so you definitely have a greater chance of developing it. Unfortunately, hypertension is a silent killer and mostly does not have any symptoms. However, a few people may develop symptoms like headaches, breathlessness and increased heart beat. Frequent nose bleeds due to increased pressure in tiny capillaries and vision problems may also occur. If you have any of these symptoms you could be suffering from high BP, but none of these symptoms are confirmatory. To confirm whether you have high BP you have to get it checked by a physician. The traditional method of diagnosing hypertension uses the instrument called sphygmomanometer, but you can also check your BP at home using a portable blood pressure monitor. It is easily available these days. All you need to do it wrap the cuff around your wrist and push the on/off button to get the reading displayed on the position sensor screen.

Image source: Getty images

You may also like to read:

• Herbal remedies for hypertension (Gallery)
• Symptoms of high blood pressure
• Medications for high blood pressure all your queries answered

For more articles on hypertension, visit our hypertension section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.