Hypertension Signs

Hypertension is a term used to describe extremely high blood pressure. Blood pressure is usually measured as millimeters of mercury and is written as two numbers. These numbers are the systolic pressure, or the pressure when your heart is beating, and the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when you heart is at rest. A normal blood pressure is 120/80 (or 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic). When the blood pressure is over 140 for the systolic and over 90 on the diastolic, you can be said to have hypertension.

Brain Symptoms

• There are several symptoms related to the brain. These can come from the brain not getting enough blood because of high blood pressure. Symptoms can include headaches, convulsions, difficulties walking and seeing, giddiness, and overall depression. These symptoms may not manifest themselves at all or they may end up being a symptom of another problem. If you experience any of these, you should see your doctor immediately.

Physical Symptoms

• Often a person with high blood pressure has difficulty doing any physical exertion. A person who is suffering this condition may feel extremely tired just by doing some small movement such as walking or going up stairs. When this occurs, the patient may be doing irreversible damage to his or her heart. As the heart weakens, it becomes more at risk for a serious heart attack. A good sign to look for is how winded you feel after doing the slightest bit of exercise. Note if you are breathing heavier than usual or if you are sweating more than you should be for the amount of exercise. If it seems like you are far more tired than you ought to be, you may be at the beginning stages of hypertension.

Other Symptoms

• There are several other symptoms which can occur in a patient with hypertension. One of these is an increased production in urine or a pain which accompanies expulsion. This can mean that the hypertension has begun to cause kidney damage, which can ultimately destroy the kidneys if steps aren’t taken to lower the blood pressure. If there is more frequent urination, there will be fewer electrolytes in the body, and it will become dehydrated, giving the skin a dull and lifeless look. Hypertension also can affect the eyes. A person who has this condition can begin to get lesions behind the eyes which can result in blindness in more advanced cases.