Physical Symptoms of High Blood Pressure: A Summary
Because
high blood pressure (also known as
hypertension) does not often cause problems over days, weeks, months, or even years, most people with the condition don't experience any physical symptoms of high
blood pressure. It usually takes several years for high blood pressure to cause noticeable symptoms; even then, the physical symptoms of high blood pressure are often mild and nonspecific (meaning they could be caused by several different conditions). For this reason, high blood pressure is often referred to as "the silent killer." People with high blood pressure typically don't even realize they have it until they have
blood pressure readings that are too high.
What Are Common Physical Symptoms of High Blood Pressure?
In some cases, a person can have physical symptoms of high blood pressure. Common symptoms of high blood pressure include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision.
However, many people don't seek medical care until they have more severe symptoms from the organ damage long-term high blood pressure can cause.
Physical Symptoms of High Blood Pressure: Malignant Hypertension
About 1 percent of people with hypertension do not seek medical care until their physical symptoms of high blood pressure are extremely severe.
This is referred to as malignant hypertension. In malignant hypertension, the
diastolic blood pressure (the lower number of a
blood pressure reading) often exceeds 140 mmHg. People with malignant physical symptoms of high blood pressure may experience:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Lightheadedness.
When high blood pressure becomes this severe, emergency hospitalization and lowering of blood pressure are required to prevent brain bleeding or
stroke.
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