How to Determine If You Have Hypertension

April 23, 2017, 7:20 am 7.1k Views

Around 70 million of the United States adult population have high blood pressure (BP). However, only half of these people are in control of the disorder as stated from a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to cardiologist Dr. Andrew Freeman of the National Jewish Health in Denver, “High blood pressure is a disease of the Western world, and if we can do our best to work on diet and exercise and stress relief, we could take a huge amount of this burden down.”

10 Quick Signs To Tell You If You Have High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure risk is relatively quite common even if you do not have a family history of the health condition since it can be lifestyle-related too. Problems of high BP and low BP are something that should not be taken for granted and should be given immediate and prompt treatment to control the disorder and not lead to severe complications. Here are ten quick signs to tell you that if have high blood pressure or not.

1. A Severe Headache

A headache is a common sign when something is wrong with your body, such as simple colds and flu. However, it can also be the one and only warning sign for a high blood pressure or hypertension. If there are constant and frequent headaches bugging you and making you feel ill most of the time, especially during normal conditions, it is best that you should visit your doctor and get your blood pressure level check.

2. Fatigue Or Lingering Tiredness

Since high BP increases the amount of work that your heart needs, it makes your heart grow bigger to handle the work and will demand more oxygen-rich blood. As a result, you feel weak, there will be lingering tiredness or fatigue, and you will not be able to perform physical activities or exercise. It may lead to heart failure if left untreated.

3. Decreased Alertness Or Confusion

These may be a symptom of a serious illness, especially for older adults and the elderly. Though the level of consciousness may decrease as part of the ageing process, and it would be normal for an elderly not to remember where he placed his car keys, you should still visit your doctor to check the underlying cause of your confusion problem since it may be related to high blood pressure and prompt treatment should be given.

4. Vision Problems

Untreated high blood pressure may cause heart and kidney problems, as well as eye sight issues. Hypertension can cause damage to your retina’s blood vessels. Since the retina is an important area at the back of your eye where the images you see around focus, it will make your vision blurry and lead to hypertensive retinopathy. It is important that you have your hypertension treated to prevent the damage from getting more serious.

5. Chest Pain

Chest pain is caused when the muscles of your heart do not get enough oxygen-rich blood that they require. Normally, your chest will feel like a squeezing pressure. Chest pain may also mean other health conditions such as problems in the heart, lungs, or nerves. That is why this sign should be taken seriously and needs the proper guidance of a skilled medical professional to determine what the underlying cause is all about to help you get the treatment you need.

6. Difficulty In Breathing

There is a thing referred to as pulmonary hypertension, which is described as “high blood pressure in the heart-to-lung system that delivers fresh oxygenated) blood to the heart while returning used (oxygen-depleted) blood back to the lungs.” An Early symptom of this condition includes difficulty and shortness of breath especially felt during routine activities. The shortness of breath may also be attributed to developing heart problems due to untreated hypertension since your heart could not pump the blood well.

7. Irregular Heartbeat

High blood pressure will increase your risk of heart attack, coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke and other serious problems. In cases of heart issues, irregular heartbeats known as arrhythmia may be felt. A hypertensive heart disease is known as the leading cause of death of people with high blood Thus, the severity of the problem is genuinely true and must be treated with care and promptness.

8. Blood In The Urine

High blood pressure affects your kidneys too and may increase the risk of you developing a kidney disease. During a clinic visit, your doctor may require you to undergo a urine test to check for the presence of blood or protein in the urine. Once the presence of any of these two is noted, it means that kidney disease has already developed and should be treated.

9. Pounding Neck Or Ears

This pounding on your neck and ears is often referred to as tinnitus. It is the annoying sensation where you can hear a sound that is not physically present. Hypertension and other factors that may increase your blood pressure like alcohol, caffeine, and stress may make tinnitus more evident and noticeable.

10. Nosebleed

A sudden and rapid increase in your blood pressure may cause a hypertensive crisis, an emergency medical situation that can lead to a nosebleed. Though hypertension is the quite common cause of patients with acute bleeding, the rate of undiagnosed hypertension found on follow-ups is not higher than what is expected from the rate of the general population. The presence of high arterial blood pressure when there was an actual episode of nasal bleeding cannot establish a causative relationship with a nose However, it can lead to an initial diagnosis of an already known arterial hypertension.

The list of signs listed above may not always be present. Some people with high blood pressure have no symptoms at all even if they have extremely elevated blood pressure levels already. Since stress is one of the main factors which can cause a difference between high BP and low BP, it is often advised to stay away from stressful issues and anxieties. Lowering your stress levels will also decrease your blood pressure risk big time. Also, having a healthier lifestyle is a good way to prevent, manage and control hypertension.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms. If left untreated, it can cause health conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

Blood pressure (BP) is usually defined as the pressure used by the heart to pump the blood as it circulates in the body. Blood pressure is measured using the systolic (pressure in blood vessels when the heart beats) and diastolic (measured between heart rests) readings. Known as the silent killer, blood pressure can lead to heart strokes and other health problems if not taken care. An optimal blood pressure reading should be 120/80 mmHg.

Dr. Ajay Agarwal, director, department of internal medicine, Fortis Hospital, Noida tells the symptoms of high and low blood pressure and also suggests what patients should do in each case.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure often has no symptoms. Over time, if left untreated, it can cause health conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Hypertensive urgency is a condition when the BP is more than 190/100 – this needs immediate attention and reduction by 25 per cent in the next six hours.

On the other hand, hypertensive emergency is a condition where BP is around 200/110 or more with end organ damage that is presenting as stroke, heart attack (MI), kidney failure – and in this scenario immediate admission and IV antihypertensives are used.

If left untreated, high blood pressure can cause health conditions such as heart disease and stroke. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

Risk of High Blood Pressure

*Age: It’s tends to rise with age.
*Race or ethnicity: Currently, estimates put the incidence of hypertension to 20 to 40 per cent in urban areas, and 12 to 17 per cent in rural areas of India.
*Weight: Prehypertension or high blood pressure are commonly found in people who are overweight and obese.
*Gender: High blood pressure is commonly found in men before the age of 55, and is commonly found in women after the age of 55.
*Family History: It’s raises the risk of developing the risk of prehypertension or high blood pressure.

It is extremely important is to get regular health check up done to avoid late detection of hypertension, as early detection and commencement of treatment prevents complications.

Prevention of High Blood Pressure

Foods with high salt content should be avoided. (Photo: Thinkstock Images)

*Diet: A diet which is low in sodium, high in fruits and fiber should be taken. It is also important to limit the amount of salt you eat. Do not add salt to your food and avoid foods high in salt.

*Smoking and alcohol: Cigarette smoking is damaging to the heart and blood vessels. Alcohol can also raise blood pressure. It is also best to avoid or limit drinking.

*Exercise and meditation: Exercise and medication can help lower your blood pressure and reduce your weight. It will only help, however, if you exercise on a regular basis.

*Sleep: Eight hours of good sleep is a must for every adult.

Low Blood Pressure

When your blood pressure is low, you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, fainting (syncope), blurred vision, nausea, fatigue and lack of concentration. This condition mostly arises after episodes of volume losses that is acute diarrhea, vomiting, hormonal problems, allergic reactions or severe infections causing shock.

If low blood pressure continues for a long time, it can lead to serious problem like:

*Shock
*Stroke
*Heart Attack
*Kidney or even multi organ failure

Blood pressure patients should avoid drinking alcohol. (Photo by iStock / Getty Images)

Prevention of Low Blood Pressure

*Have fluids rich in electrolytes (ORS) at times of diarrhea, or to prevent heat stroke.
*Don’t drink alcohol
*Avoid weight lifting
*Don’t stand still in a place for long period of time
*Cross your legs while sitting
*Drink water
*Take some rest
*Eat something time to time

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What’s the best way to diagnose HBP?

The best way to diagnose high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is to have your blood pressure measured.

How a blood pressure test works

• A blood pressure reading is taken with a pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer).
• During the test, the cuff is placed around the upper arm before being manually or electronically inflated.
• Once inflated, the cuff compresses the brachial artery, momentarily stopping blood flow.
• Next, air in the cuff is slowly released while the person performing the measurement listens with a stethoscope or monitors an electronic readout.

Watch an interactive animation of a manual blood pressure test, including the sounds that a medical professional hears as the blood moves through the brachial artery in your arm.

Your blood pressure reading is recorded as two numbers:

• Systolic blood pressure (the top number) — indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls during heartbeats.
• Diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) — indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats.

AHA recommendation

• If your blood pressure is normal (less than 120/80 mm Hg), your blood pressure should be screened during regular healthcare visits yearly for anyone 20 years of age or older.

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure

• Your doctor may recommend monitoring your blood pressure numbers at home in addition to your regular healthcare visits.
• Your doctor will also likely recommend a treatment plan that includes lifestyle changes and, if needed, prescription medication.

Learn more

• Get the high blood pressure fact sheet. [English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)]
• Check out all the high blood pressure tools and resources.

Craig O. Weber, MD, is a board-certified occupational specialist who has practiced for over 36 years.

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High blood pressure (hypertension) is a unique condition, because, unlike most health concerns, it usually has no identifying signs or symptoms. For this reason, high blood pressure is commonly referred to as the “silent killer” as it can lead to serious illness—and even death—if left untreated.

Here are four simple facts everyone should know.

Hypertension May Have No Noticeable Signs

While having a cold can make your nose stuffy and anemia may make you weak, high blood pressure can exist for years without any noticeable symptoms. It is often only when outward symptoms appear that a person has any inkling of a problem, by which time a serious complication may have already developed, including:

• Heart attack or stroke,   which occurs when high blood pressure causes the hardening and thickening of the arteries
• Aneurysm,   which occurs when increased blood pressure causes your blood vessels to weaken, bulge, and rupture
• Heart failure,   which can occur when the persistent pressure causes your heart muscle to thicken, making it harder and harder to pump blood until it finally stops

High Blood Pressure Is Often Found Incidentally

Most people first discover they have high blood pressure during a routine visit to their doctor. At other times, it is diagnosed when a person comes in with symptoms of heart problem (chest pains, irregular heartbeat, breathlessness) which is either directly or indirectly associated with hypertension.

Another common time for diagnosis is during a woman’s first perinatal visit to an obstetrician. Since most new mothers tend to be young, regular visits to the doctor aren’t usually a priority, leading to an uncharacteristically high number of diagnoses in this group.

High Blood Pressure Can Manifest as Other Conditions

High blood pressure can cause problems outside of the circulatory system. In the end, any damage done to blood vessels can affect organs throughout the body. Among the possible manifestations:  

• Kidney failure can occur as a result of the narrowing and weakening of blood vessels in the kidneys. When this happens, it makes it harder for the kidney to function properly, leading to shut down.
• Eye damage can occur when blood vessels in the eyes burst or bleed, leading to changes in vision or even blindness.
• Mental function can also change as a result of high blood pressure. Some people have memory loss, an inability to focus, or difficulty finding words.

Everyone Should Have Their Blood Pressure Checked

Because high blood pressure can exist silently for many years, it is important that everyone have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) currently endorses routine blood pressure screening for all adults over the age of 18.  

If you’ve never had your blood pressure checked, make an appointment to see your doctor or visit a local walk-in clinic or pharmacy (some of which offer free blood pressure screening).

High blood pressure is a common condition, in which the force exerted by the blood on the blood vessels carrying them increases than the normal values. High blood pressure can be an asymptomatic condition and you may be unaware of its presence. But being aware can increase your chances of preventing further health problems. Then you might wonder, how to know if your blood pressure is high? Understanding high blood pressure, its risk factors and the possible signs and symptoms can help you protect your health.

High blood pressure develops over many years and can cause damage to other structures as well. Persistent high blood pressure is related to increased risk of heart diseases and stroke. High blood pressure is medically known as hypertension and is often associated with other conditions like narrowing of arteries, obesity and diabetes.

How to Know if Your Blood Pressure is High?

How to Interpret Blood Pressure Results?

Blood pressure for men and women is measured as two numbers and is written as 120/80 mm of Hg.

The two numbers denoted in blood pressure readings, are:

• Systolic pressure – This number is the higher number and is written at the top of blood pressure reading. The systolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries, when the heart muscle contracts (beats) and empties itself into the main arteries.
• Diastolic pressure – This is a lower number and is written at the bottom of blood pressure reading. The diastolic pressure is the pressure in between two heartbeats, when the heart muscle is resting and is being filled with blood.

Ideal blood pressure is usually 120/80 mm of Hg and is not much different for men and women. However, blood pressure in women may be slightly lower than in men of the same age. Women may have low blood pressure during their monthly cycles and may experience fatigue and dizziness. Women may experience a slight rise in blood pressure during pregnancy. Men and women both are at an increased risk of high blood pressure with increasing age.

What are the Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure?

• High blood pressure can be experienced by people with certain risk factors. Know them to understand if you are at risk and to know if your blood pressure is high.
  As age advances, the risks of high blood pressure increases.
• A family history of blood pressure can increase your risk too.
• If you weight more than what is ideal, it increases the volume of blood circulated, thus increasing the pressure on the arteries.
• If you are used to a sedentary lifestyle and have not being active, your chances of having high blood pressure can increase.
• Dietary factors like excess salt, too much consumption of oily and fried food can put you at an increased risk of high blood pressure and other problems like high cholesterol.
• Taking low amounts of potassium can also disturb the balance and cause excess accumulation of sodium in the blood.
• Inadequate vitamin D levels can interfere with an enzyme production in the kidneys, which plays an important role in regulating blood pressure.
• Consumption of alcohol, smoking and use of tobacco, in general increases the risk of several medical ailments including high blood pressure.
• Lifestyle habits play an important role and stress can add to your risk of having high blood pressure.

How Does High Blood Pressure Affect You?

Know the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, to understand how to know if your blood pressure is high. High blood pressure can affect every person in a slightly different manner and being a silent killer, is difficult to spot it.

Sometimes, people having high blood pressure may experience symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nose bleeds, blurring of vision or difficulty in normal vision, overall discomfort, nausea and sometimes vomiting.

While these symptoms are also commonly noticed in other conditions, it is worth checking your blood pressure if you experience these symptoms to know if your blood pressure is high. Also, these symptoms may not be necessarily experienced in the initial period and is mostly noticed after much damage is caused.

Hence, it is better to seek medical advice, if you experience these symptoms. Regular monitoring can help you to know if your blood pressure is high.

What are the Possible Complications of High Blood Pressure?

Knowing about the potential complications of high blood pressure can help you to know if you have high blood pressure.

Heart Diseases – Heart failure when the heart is unable to pump enough blood, it can lead to swelling in legs, feet and cause breathing difficulty. Heart attack can be a result of sudden blocking of blood circulation to the heart muscle, presented with chest pain, difficulty in breathing, sweating and nausea.

Stroke – When blood supplying the brain gets blocked, cutting off the oxygen supply, it can result in a medical emergency. It is presented with sudden onset of weakness or numbness in arms, jaws and difficulty in speech.

Circulatory Problems – An abnormal bulge in the arterial wall is called aneurysm, which blocks blood flow and causes obstruction. Peripheral artery disease, which is building up of plaque on the inner lining of arteries of legs affecting blood flow; symptoms include heaviness and pain in legs, swelling, cramping and numbness in buttocks and legs after walking for long.

Others – High blood pressure for a long time can cause damage to the kidneys, eyes and other organs, hence timely treatment and prevention is necessary.

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 3, 2020.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

What is idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)?

IIH is a condition that causes the pressure inside your skull to be higher than normal for no known reason. IIH can seem like a brain tumor, but no tumor is found. IIH is most common in obese women who are of childbearing age.

What causes IIH?

The cause may not be known. It may be caused by an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in your skull. CSF is a clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord and protects them from injury. IIH may happen when your body makes too much CSF or does not absorb it correctly.

What increases my risk for IIH?

• Being female
• Obesity
• Too much vitamin A or tyramine
• Certain medicines, such as steroids, tetracycline, or birth control pills
• Medical conditions, such as hypertension or sleep apnea

What are the signs and symptoms of IIH?

• Headache behind both eyes that is worse in the morning and with eye movement or straining
• Nausea, vomiting, or dizziness
• Pulsing or ringing in your ears
• Temporary blind spots in one or both eyes
• Blurred or double vision or loss of vision
• Trouble seeing with your peripheral vision (tunnel vision)

How is IIH diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your health history and your symptoms. You may need any of the following tests:

• An eye exam is used to check for vision problems that may be a sign of IIH. Your healthcare provider will check your vision and examine your eyes. He or she may dilate the pupil and use a microscope with a strong light to look into your eyes. He or she may use a dye and take pictures of the inside of your eyes. The dye helps the blood vessels in your eyes show up better.
• A neurological exam is used to check how your pupils react to light. Healthcare providers may check your memory, your hand grasp, and your balance.
• CT or MRI pictures of your head may show fluid buildup and other problems. You may be given contrast liquid before the pictures are taken to help healthcare providers see the pictures better. Tell the healthcare provider if you have ever had an allergic reaction to contrast liquid. Do not enter the MRI room with anything metal. Metal can cause serious injury. Tell the healthcare provider if you have any metal in or on your body.
• Lumbar puncture is a procedure to check the pressure inside your skull. A needle is inserted in your back and into the spinal canal. CSF may be collected and sent to a lab for tests. Healthcare providers may also drain CSF to relieve pressure and ease your headache.

How is IIH treated?

IIH may go away on its own. You may need any of the following if your symptoms continue or get worse:

• Medicines may be given to control migraines or decrease the amount of CSF you produce. This will help relieve pressure in your skull. You may need medicines to decrease extra fluid that collects in your body. You may also need pain medicine. Your healthcare provider may prescribe pain medicine or recommend an over-the-counter medicine such as an NSAID or acetaminophen.
• Surgery may be used to make a small opening in the sheath (cover) around the optic nerve. This allows extra CSF to drain and relieve eye pressure. Your healthcare provider may also use surgery to place a shunt (passageway) in your brain or spinal cord to drain extra CSF into another area of the body. This helps relieve pressure in your skull.

What can I do to manage IIH?

• Maintain a healthy weight. Ask your healthcare provider how much you should weigh. Ask your provider to help you create a weight loss plan if you are overweight.
• Eat a variety of healthy foods. You may need to limit the amount of fats and salt you eat. You may also need to limit foods rich in vitamin A and tyramine. Foods rich in vitamin A include beef liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and leafy greens. Food and drinks that are high in tyramine include cheese, pepperoni, salami, beer, and wine. Ask if you need to be on a special diet.
• Drink liquids as directed. Ask your healthcare provider how much liquid to drink each day and which liquids are best for you.

Call 911 for any of the following:

• You suddenly cannot see.
• You have sudden neck pain or cannot move your arms or legs.
• You have sudden trouble breathing.
• You are confused or cannot think clearly.

When should I seek immediate care?

• You have a severe headache.
• You have a seizure.

When should I contact my healthcare provider?

• You have a fever.
• Your headache gets worse or does not go away with treatment.
• Your vision loss does not improve with treatment.
• You have questions or concerns about your condition or care.

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Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

High blood pressure is classified in one of several categories — and those designations can influence treatment.

Doctors classify blood pressure into four categories: normal, prehypertension (mild), stage 1 (moderate) and stage 2 (severe). Treatment depends on which category your pressure consistently falls in when readings are taken. The stages are based on the Joint National Committee 7 report done by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which is a part of the National Institutes of Health.

Are you doing everything you can to manage your heart condition? Find out with our interactive checkup.

How Blood Pressure is Measured

Blood pressure is measured with an instrument called a sphygmomanometer, through which the user listens for the sound of the force of blood in the patient’s arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure). Measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), systolic pressure is the top number in your blood pressure reading. The second, or bottom number, is the pressure in the arteries of the heart at rest — the diastolic pressure. Generally, as an adult, you are considered to have high blood pressure if your systolic pressure reading is greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg or if your diastolic pressure is greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg. But for every 20 mm Hg your systolic pressure raises above 115, and for every 10 mm Hg your diastolic pressure rises over 75, your risk of cardiovascular disease doubles — so lower pressures are generally better.

Want Tips To Manage Your Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?

Stages of Hypertension

Here’s a look at the current stages and their recommended treatments:

• Normal. Systolic less than 120 mm Hg and diastolic less than 80 mm Hg. No treatment is necessary, but you should monitor your blood pressure to be sure that it remains within the normal range.
• Prehypertension: Systolic between 120 and 139 mm Hg or a diastolic between 80 and 89 mm Hg. “Prehypertension designates just what the term sounds like,” says Daniel Jones, MD, dean of the school of medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., and past president of the American Heart Association.. “It’s before someone crosses the threshold for the definition of hypertension but is at risk for developing hypertension. We don’t have evidence that using medications at this range is useful for preventing heart disease and stroke. However, because people in this group have some risk of moving on to developing heart disease, we recommend lifestyle measures to try to prevent the onset of hypertension.” Lifestyle measures include exercise, managing body weight into a normal range, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and choosing low-fat dairy products.
• Stage 1: Systolic between 140 and 159 mm Hg or diastolic 90 and 99 mm Hg. Management includes the same lifestyle measures as with prehypertension and the use of one of a number of drugs that are known to not only reduce blood pressure but also to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Classes of drugs include: thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers. You may have to try different drugs until you find the one that has the best results for you. If you are African-American, you may be at higher than average risk for complications from hypertension. The JNC guidelines recommend that African Americans start with a regimen of two drugs if their top blood pressure reading is 145 mm Hg or higher.
• Stage 2: Systolic 160 mm Hg or higher or diastolic 100 mm Hg or higher. In addition to lifestyle changes, “for many patients, it’s recommended that a two-drug therapy chosen from among the five classes of hypertensive agents be used to get their blood pressure down,” Dr. Jones says. “Again, you may have to experiment some to determine which combination of drugs works best for your body.

If your systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different stages, the stage with the higher number is the one that counts. For example, if you have a systolic pressure of 150 mm Hg but your diastolic pressure is only 85 mm Hg, you will be classified as stage 1 hypertension, not prehypertension. And if you are over age 50, it is the diastolic number that best predicts your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to coronary heart disease, which can mean a heart attack or stroke. You should have your blood pressure checked regularly, and follow your doctor’s advice for keeping it under control.

Written by Emily Lunardo
| –> Blood Pressure | –> Published on July 21, 2017

More than 410,000 Americans died from high blood pressure complications in 2014, attributing to more than 1,100 deaths per day.

High blood pressure can also lead to a condition called hypertension headache. Often occurring in episodes, headaches due to high blood pressure are typically quite severe and occur when blood pressure is 200/100 or higher. Blood pressure reaching these heights can develop into malignant hypertension: a medical emergency.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects about 75 million Americans today—roughly one in three adults. Blood pressure is exerted against the walls of your arteries, which carry blood from your heart to the other parts of the body. Blood pressure is a dynamic measurement, having high and low fluctuations throughout the day. Generally, there is a small range where blood pressure is considered optimal.

Those who have high blood pressure exceeding the normal range are exposed to constant levels of damaging force on their blood vessels. Over time, high blood pressure can put you at risk for heart disease and stroke.

How does high blood pressure cause headaches?

Pain levels depend on how high someone’s blood pressure is. Hypertension headaches may range from mild to severe and are regulated by how much blood is reaching the brain. During times of high blood pressure, blood vessels running through the tissue under the skull constrict or tighten, leading to headache development.

It is also possible for blood pressure medication to cause headaches. Checking blood pressure during headaches can be a good indicator of whether it is caused by abnormal blood pressure levels.

Some medical professionals believe that having a headache due to high blood pressure is a sign of a hypertensive crisis, which is when blood pressure spikes to critical levels.

Identifying hypertension headaches

People with uncontrolled hypertension are usually the ones getting these types of headaches. Hypertension is a silent disease, not having many obvious signs and symptoms. A characteristic feature of a hypertension headache is a feeling of pressure behind the eyes, which may or may not be accompanied by a feeling of dizziness. Affected patients may also feel palpitation or irregular heartbeats. Other symptoms include nervousness, short of breath, and fatigue.

Hypertension headaches are often experienced in the mornings. Pain is usually felt near the posterior region of the head.

Additional signs of hypertension headaches include:

• Facial pain
• Sinus pressure
• Visual distortions including auras, floaters, blurry vision, light sensitivity
• Dizziness, vertigo
• Buzzing in the ear
• Nausea/vomiting
• Irregular heartbeat

It is very important for those with hypertension to constantly monitor themselves for any signs of high blood pressure. Keeping blood pressuring within the optimal range will help sufferers manage symptoms and live a healthy and comfortable life.

Risk factors of a hypertension headache:

• Women tend to be more at risk
• Obesity and other physiologic conditions like pregnancy
• Over the age of 50
• Increased stress levels

How to prevent and treat hypertension headaches

The following are some things you can do to help prevent and treat a headache that is caused by high blood pressure:

Dietary and lifestyle changes

• Decrease your salt intake. Excess levels of salt can increase blood pressure.
• Reduce the consumption of unsaturated fats, especially red meat. These foods contribute to high blood pressure levels.
• Lose weight. Excess weight can increase blood pressure.
• Boost your metabolism. This helps to increase blood circulation and reduce high blood pressure risk.
• Minimize stress. A contributing factor for the development of high blood pressure and increased frequency of hypertension headaches.

Making changes to how you live can be difficult. But by starting with only minor changes—such as losing a pound a week or just being more aware how much salt is in the food you eat—you will be on the right track to making sure your blood pressure is under control.

However, not all aspects of health are within our control and there may be a time when the care of a trained medical professional will be required. There are great anti-hypertensive medications available that do a great job at keeping blood pressure normal.

Reviewed by Dr. Victor Marchione, MD.
Written by Mohan Garikiparithi
| –> Blood Pressure | –> Published on October 14, 2020

Blood could be pressing hard on your veins and arteries, trying to squeeze through to its destination. Or it could easily be flowing through like a lazy river.

One of those scenarios could spell big trouble for your health. It could boost the risk of heart attack, heart disease, and stroke. The other means your risk for those outcomes is near nil.

Do you have any idea where you stand?

It’s impossible to know your blood pressure without taking regular measurements. Unless it’s an extreme circumstance, you’ll never feel your blood pressure. If you do experience symptoms of high blood pressure, you need to get to a hospital ASAP.

That’s why high blood pressure has earned the moniker “the silent killer.” It could have been steadily elevating for years, unbeknownst to you until your doctor gives you some shocking news.

Although you might not be able to feel high blood pressure, there are some indicators that you can pay attention to. For example, how much activity do you get each day? What do your food choices look like? How is your weight?

Each of those factors can shed some light on where your blood pressure might hover. At least 30 minutes of activity per day? Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and limiting processed food intake? Keeping weight relatively stable and not carrying too much belly fat?

If you’re staying active, have limited belly fat, and eat a healthy diet, it could indicate your blood pressure is in a normal range. If you’re eating a Standard American Diet, are inactive, and have plenty of fat around the belly, it could mean high blood pressure.

But these indicators are not concrete. Active people without much belly fat, for example, can have high blood pressure, particularly if they are over 50.

So, what can you do? Check blood pressure regularly. Getting a daily reading can keep you abreast of changes, where you’re at, and what risk level for a cardiovascular event could be.

Keep up with healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of an unpleasant surprise.

HIGH blood pressure symptoms can include chest pain, severe headaches, and difficulty breathing. While the only sure fire way to get an accurate blood pressure reading is to get it checked, you can get an approximate reading without equipment.

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High blood pressure affects more than 25 per cent of UK adults, according to the NHS.

The condition, also known as hypertension, puts extra strain on blood vessels and vital organs.

It increases your risk of heart attacks, heart disease and strokes.

But, you could get an approximate blood pressure reading at home without any equipment.

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High blood pressure: How to check your hypertension risk without a cuff

High blood pressure symptoms: How to check if you have hypertension WITHOUT equipment

Your blood pressure is recorded with two numbers; systolic and diastolic blood pressures.

Systolic pressure describes how hard blood is being pumped around the body by the heart.

Diastolic pressure is the resistance to the flow of blood in blood vessels.

An ideal blood pressure is between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.

High blood pressure: See a GP for a more accurate reading

High blood pressure risk factors

High blood pressure: Here are the risk factors you should be aware of.

High blood pressure risk factors

High blood pressure: Chest pain could be a sign of seriously high blood pressure

You could get an approximate systolic blood pressure reading without a blood pressure cuff (a sphygmomanometer), according to health website Blood Pressure Nutrition.

But, it’s not possible to get a diastolic blood pressure reading without equipment.

First, find your pulse along your left arm. You’re looking for a radial pulse, which is below the thumb, and a little above your wrist.

If you can feel the pulse without any difficulty, your systolic blood pressure is at least 80mmHg.

High blood pressure: Finding your radial pulse could indicate your blood pressure

High blood pressure: See a GP or pharmacist to get your reading

To get a more accurate reading of your blood pressure, you should get it checked using equipment, the NHS said.

Your GP or pharmacist may be able to help you take your reading.

All adults over 40 years old are suggested to get their blood pressure checked every five years.

You’re more likely to have hypertension if you’re over 65, are overweight, or are of African or Caribbean descent.

High blood pressure is the silent killer. It puts people at risk for heart attacks, strokes, vascular disease, kidney failure. It is basically really bad to have longstanding, undertreated high blood pressure.

But it is also harmful to be told you have high blood pressure when you don’t, and to be treated for high blood pressure when that treatment won’t benefit you. So when your doctor diagnoses you with high blood pressure, it is good to make sure you have earned the diagnosis. Let me lay out a few facts about high blood pressure and then suggest several questions to ask your doctor, so you get the treatment that is best for you.

The background: High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a chronic condition, characterized by regularly elevated blood pressure readings. If you have occasional blood pressure readings above normal, that doesn’t mean you necessarily have hypertension. But if your blood pressure runs too high, too often, all that pressure on the walls of your arteries can do serious damage.

Blood pressure is a measure of the force that blood exerts on your arteries as it is propelled through them by your heart. Think of a balloon with a small amount of air in it: there is not much air pressing out on the balloon. Blow it up more, and the balloon becomes more taut. That is what happens to your arteries with each beat of your heart. Your heart ventricles contract, forcing blood into your arteries, stretching them under all that forward-flowing pressure. The heart now relaxes and refills with blood, and the pressure inside your arteries goes down. That is why blood pressure is made up of two numbers: the bigger one that follows after heart contraction, and the smaller one that coincides with heart relaxation.

So what blood pressure readings are too high to have for too long? For the past couple of decades, there was a general consensus that having a blood pressure that frequently ran greater than 140/90 was bad – it qualified as hypertension and required treatment with behavior changes like diet and exercise and, if those failed, with drugs. Slightly lower blood pressures, of around 140/80, were thought to qualify as hypertension, but in relatively healthy people didn’t necessarily warrant drug treatment.

Then in 2017, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (henceforth ACC and AHA, respectively) revised their hypertension guidelines so blood pressures greater than 130/80 would qualify as hypertensive. They based these new recommendations on lots of literature, but were especially influenced by the SPRINT trial, which showed that treating people with blood pressures between 130-140/80-90 reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Seems pretty straightforward. Experts agree that blood pressures greater than 130/80 are risky, and treatment of such people reduce cardiovascular disease.

But it is not so simple.

Most patients enrolled in the SPRINT trial were at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease than the average person, even putting aside their blood pressures. That risk was high because they were overweight, or had a strong family history of heart disease, or hand particularly high cholesterol levels. If they’d had the same blood pressure and fewer of those risk factors, then all those blood pressure medicines would have likely done more harm than good. In other words, it is not just your blood pressure that matters in deciding whether blood pressure medicines are a net benefit or harm for you. It also depends on other aspects of your health and family history.

So, how do you know if you have hypertension and need medication?

1. Get multiple blood pressure readings. Some people experience a rise in blood pressure in the doctor’s office, what we call white coat hypertension. Home monitoring of blood pressure can provide a more accurate idea of that person’s typical blood pressure. iPhones are even able to record blood pressures, in conjunction with other equipment.

2. Ask your doctor to calculate your 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease. For people with blood pressures between 130-140/80-90, most experts believe they have to face a 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease of greater than 10 percent, or have other risk factors like diabetes or kidney disease, to benefit from medication. You can even calculate that risk yourself.

3. If your blood pressure is regularly greater than 140/90, you most likely need treatment regardless of those 10-year risk numbers. That advice has been well established for decades.

4. Ask your doctor if you can delay drug treatment and try behavioral modification. Sometimes the answer will be no, if your answer is too high to hold off on treatment. But that’s ok. If you get your blood pressure under control through weight loss and diet later, you might be able to work with your doctor to wean yourself off medicines, or at least reduce the dose of those medicines.

5. Take your blood pressure medicines even if you don’t feel under pressure. Blood pressure isn’t a feeling of pressure. You can feel “pressured” and have normal blood pressure. And you can feel fine, and your blood pressure might still be sky-high. So don’t decide whether to take your blood pressure pills based on how you feel at any given moment, but based on whether you and your doctor have decided that you need to be on regular blood pressure pills. It’s true that anxiety and other strong emotions can increase your blood pressure. But when you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, with evidence of regularly elevated blood pressure, then that means you need treatment even on days you don’t feel particularly stressed.

Peter Ubel is a physician and behavioral scientist who blogs at his self-titled site, Peter Ubel and can be reached on Twitter @PeterUbel. He is the author of Critical Decisions: How You and Your Doctor Can Make the Right Medical Choices Together. This article originally appeared in Forbes.