High Blood Pressure Symptoms

An explanation of the possible high blood pressure symptoms

You might have some difficulty identifying high blood pressure symptoms. The vast majority of hypertensive individuals live without any distinctive high blood pressure symptoms until a medical emergency occurs, like a heart attack or stroke. Since hypertension has so few identifiable symptoms, it has been nicknamed the ‘silent killer’.

This isn’t to say that there are no high blood pressure symptoms whatsoever. The problem is that these symptoms are not unique to this condition, and could be mistaken for countless other diseases. These high blood pressure symptoms include headaches, sleepiness, chest pain, confusion and fatigue. It’s evidently difficult to tell whether you have high blood pressure or not based entirely on how you feel, since it could be mistaken for so many other conditions. The Heart and Stroke Foundation states that the only sure-fire way to know if you have hypertension is to measure it with a blood pressure monitor.

The high blood pressure symptoms mentioned earlier can be alleviated through changes in lifestyle and medication. Though it might not be initially apparent that one’s headache, pain or exhaustion was a result of hypertension, once the cause is found out it is best to treat it as soon as possible.

You can treat these high blood pressure symptoms in a variety of ways. Cut back on alcohol and make sure you have no more than two drinks a day. Eat less salt and improve your diet by eating more vegetables and less meat. If your doctor has prescribed you medication, don’t forget to take it as directed. Work on maintaining a healthy weight, and make sure to exercise regularly.

Remember, high blood pressure is a silent killer. You don’t want the first distinctive sign of hypertension to be a heart attack. Monitor your blood pressure and talk to your doctor; those headaches and chest pains might actually be high blood pressure symptoms.