Common Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension, or chronically elevated blood pressure, has been called the silent killer. Many people have undetected high blood pressure and can go for years with no symptoms. Signs generally show up when the blood pressure is already dangerously high. High blood pressure can cause many problems including heart damage. Untreated high blood pressure is dangerous to health and well-being.

Adults

• There are very few symptoms that signal a high blood pressure problem. It is important for adults to have their blood pressure checked periodically. The symptoms to watch for are headaches, including migraines, as well as nose bleeds, difficulty breathing and pounding or racing heart beat. The heart may skip when a person is sitting or lying quietly. Patients should discuss these problems with their doctors during their annual physicals. Also, a person with a family history of hypertension should have blood pressure checks on a regular basis.

Children

• There is no specific healthy blood pressure reading for children as there is for adults. Children can have fluctuations and changes in blood pressure as they grow. Pressure is compared to children with the same sex, age and height. Children can have high blood pressure due to health problems such as kidney disease or obesity. Symptoms to alert parents include chest pains, nosebleeds or headaches. If a child has blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, sleeping or learning, a parent should address this with the pediatrician.

Severe Complications

• Severe undiagnosed high blood pressure symptoms include a weakened or enlarged heart, aneurysm, burst blood vessels in the eyes, blood in the urine and kidney failure. A severe blood pressure condition can cause strokes, heart attacks and death. Race is a factor, with adult African Americans presenting problems at earlier ages, resulting in severe complications such as stroke and heart attacks.

Symptoms Shared with Other Conditions

• If you have been experiencing memory problems, the inability to think clearly, frightening periods of confusion, difficulty learning a new task or the inability to understand or perform specific actions, see a doctor for a blood pressure check-up. These may be signs of high blood pressure.

Treatment and Prevention

• When high blood pressure has been diagnosed, you may be able to control it with lifestyle changes. You will be urged to stop smoking and change your diet. Your physician may prescribe diuretics and other medications. You may be sent for tests to see if there is any heart damage due to long-term undetected high blood pressure. Maintaining a healthy weight is important in controlling blood pressure. You are at risk if you are overweight or if you are a smoker. Risks increase if you have a family history of hypertension and kidney disease, or if you have fluid retention problems.