Symptoms of High Blood Pressure: An Introduction
Most people with
high blood pressure (also known as
hypertension) don't experience any symptoms of high
blood pressure. High blood pressure doesn't cause problems over a day or weeks or even months. It usually takes several years for high blood pressure to cause noticeable symptoms; even then, the 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.
Common Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
In some cases, a person can have symptoms of high blood pressure. These symptoms include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Nausea.
However, many people don't seek medical care until they have more severe symptoms from the organ damage that long-term (chronic) high blood pressure can cause.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure: Malignant Hypertension
About 1 percent of people with hypertension do not seek medical care until their symptoms of high blood pressure are severe.
Severe high blood pressure 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 high blood pressure symptoms may experience:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Lightheadedness.
When high blood pressure becomes this severe, a person requires immediate hospitalization and lowering of blood pressure to prevent brain bleeding or
stroke.
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