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Acute Hypertension Symptoms

Hypertension, or "high blood pressure," is a serious condition affecting millions of people in the United States alone. Left untreated, acute hypertension can be debilitating and even deadly. It's important to know some acute hypertension symptoms to maintain your overall health and wellbeing. As with any medical condition, if you suspect that you may be suffering from acute hypertension, seek professional medical advice as soon as possible to prevent complications.

  1. Identification

    • Hypertension occurs when the blood being forced through your arteries, veins, and organs is higher than the normal range. A myriad conditions can cause this, including obesity, high sodium intake or even genetic disposition. Blood pressure is measured with a sphygmomanometer, commonly called a "blood pressure cuff," that measures blood pressure by the amount of mercury displaced in a sealed tube (mmHG). Two numbers are associated with a blood pressure reading: systolic and diastolic. Systolic is the pressure exerted when your heart contracts and is usually considered "high" if it is above 140 and diastolic is the pressure when your heart is between beats and is considered "high" if it is above 90.

    Mild symptoms

    • Acute hypertension is a sudden, dramatic rise in blood pressure. Despite the dramatic name, some symptoms are relatively mild and are sometimes ignored by the patient, leading to complications later on. Some "mild" symptoms include dizziness, headaches, inability to maintain an erection, and feelings of fatigue or tiredness.

    Severe symptoms

    • Occasionally, acute hypertension can lead to some noticeable symptoms, which immediately warn patients that their body is in trouble. Signs include spontaneous bloody noses, tinnitis (ringing in the ears), blurry or hazy vision, heart palpitations (odd heart beat, chest pain, abdominal pain and difficulty breathing when lying flat.

    Treatment

    • Acute hypertension is a serious medical condition usually treated in emergency rooms through the use of blood pressure medications or blood thinners as well as constant monitoring of blood pressure and other vital signs. After the blood pressure has been stabilized and the patient is no longer in danger, the physician may discuss methods of controlling blood pressure.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Prevention of recurrences of acute hypertension include lifestyle alterations as well as possible medications. For example, if a person is overweight a physician may suggest a weight loss program, alteration of diet and regular monitoring of blood pressure. Similarly, people who consume a lot of salty food, work in a high-stress occupation, smoke or have a genetic predisposition toward high blood pressure may also benefit from lifestyle alterations.
      On the other hand, if the person is reasonably fit and has no other lifestyle factors that could have precipitated the acute onset of hypertension, or if lifestyle changes are ineffective in lowering blood pressure, blood pressure control medications may be prescribed by their doctor.

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