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Hypertension is known to be a silent killer, as it rarely shows any major symptoms. However, there are a few things that may indicate extremely high blood pressure or severe hypertension. Dr Harish KV, MD, General Medicine, Apollo Clinic, Bangalore shares 6 potential indicators of hypertension that shall not be ignored.
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Severe headache: Malignant hypertension (extremely high blood pressure) creates a pressure in the cranium, the part of the skull that encloses the brain. As the blood pressure drastically increases to critical levels, the pain is built up in the cranium, causing migraine or severe head ache. The malignant hypertension is majorly associated with chest pains, blurred vision and nausea.
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Blurred vision: High blood pressure can cause parts of the brain to swell, which can cause blurred vision as that part of the brain has direct nervous connection to the eyes. The nervous connection is particular sensitive to the increased hypertension, thereby negatively affecting the vision. If the swellings in the brain are more diffuse, it may cause the optic nerve to swell, causing vision impairment.
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Breathlessness: An increase in pressure on the chambers in the heart causes the chamber walls to thicken, making them stronger to resist increased blood pressure. When the heart chambers thicken, there is less space for the blood, which pumps out in the rest of the body. This can result a clustering of the blood in the lungs, causing breathlessness.
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Fatigue and sleepiness: Due to high blood pressure, the inner organs are weakened or damaged. Moreover, the heart chambers thicken, which causes less blood to be pumped out. As a result, blood is not efficiently circulated and the insufficiency of blood supply results in fatigue and sleepiness.
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Nausea: As the blood pressure increases, the heart pumps out less blood, hence, less oxygenated blood might be transported to the organs. This causes an increased pressure on the heart, supplying less blood to the limbs and the brain. And the lack of oxygenated blood to the brain causes uneasiness and nausea.
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Nose bleeds: Did you know that increased hypertension can cause nosebleeds? If the nose occasionally starts to bleed and the bleeding worsens, it may be a sign of hypertension. Also known as epistaxis, if your nose starts to bleed, consult a doctor immediately to prevent casualty.
