How to Spot the Physical Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

When trying to determine whether someone is exhibiting any physical symptoms of high blood pressure, the first thing to keep in mind is that they are usually very mild. In fact, in many people, they are not present at all. For this reason, hypertension is often referred to as a silent killer, in that it damages the body while frequently giving little outward indication until the damage is done. Still, some people do exhibit physical symptoms of high blood pressure, and these warning signs should not go overlooked, particularly if the person has other risk factors for hypertension.

Instructions

• 1

  Find out whether the person suffers from bouts of dizziness. Dizziness occurs whenever there is a change in the chemistry of the brain, and is a strong indicator that something is wrong, whether it turns out to be one of the physical symptoms of high blood pressure, a blood sugar imbalance, or something else.

• 2

  Determine how often the person in question suffers from headaches. Even though not everyone who suffers from hypertension suffers from headaches, a history of frequent headaches or migraines is definitely a warning sign.

• 3

  Have the person attempt some prolonged physical activity, such as walking or running. One of the most common physical symptoms of high blood pressure is a markedly reduced tolerance for physical activity. It may not seem like a particularly telling indicator, but it is also one of the ways that a person is tested for a variety of heart-related medical conditions.

• 4

  Check for any signs of nausea that do not include actual vomiting. This is not as common a symptom as the others listed here, but tends to occur alongside the others when hypertension is present.

• 5

  Look for any signs of prolonged fatigue. This goes hand in hand with the other physical symptoms of high blood pressure, particularly the reduced tolerance for exercise. In this case, you will need to look for an extended period of fatigue that is not alleviated by increased rest. Like most of the other signs listed, this could indicate a wide variety of medical conditions, many of them heart related.