Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. To know whether one has high blood pressure or not it has to be measured. If high blood pressure is found in one once it does not mean that he has chronic high blood pressure or hypertension.
The blood pressure has to be measured several times to confirm the person had high blood pressure. When the blood pressure is written the higher value, which is written first, represents the pressure of blood in millimeters of Hg when the heart contracts. It is called the systolic pressure. It is the pressure when the heart pumps blood into the vessels. The lower value which is written second is known as the diastolic pressure. It is the pressure of the circulating blood when the heart reaches the normal size. That means the pressure when the heart rests.
The normal systolic pressure is 120 mm of Hg and the normal diastolic pressure is 80 mm of Hg. If the systolic pressure goes beyond 139 and the diastolic beyond 89 consistently after several tests on different days then the person is considered to be having high blood pressure and requires treatment.
The person who has high blood pressure does not know for years that he has the disorder. The symptoms are mild and for the same reason they are ignored. That is why the high blood pressure is known as the ’silent killer’. Nausea, headache, blurred vision and dizziness are some early symptoms that occur. If ignored, more serious symptoms like damage to organs will take place. Heart attack, stroke and damage to kidney are such symptoms. This is the point when many people go for medical help. By that time it will be very late and some serious damage has already taken place. Untreated high blood pressure for a long time can also cause damage to the eye and aorta, the main blood vessel which carries blood from the heart.
There are some other symptoms which may be considered minor. So they are ignored. Some of such symptoms are mild chest pain, confusion, shortness of breath, fatigue and double vision. It is better to visit the doctor for even a mild symptom and confirmed that you are free of high blood pressure. Most of the early symptoms are so mild and the patient tends to believe that they are the symptoms of minor ailments like common cold. If found having the condition you will have to visit the doctor several times to confirm it and to determine the treatment. If detected in early stages and obtain proper treatment serious damages to the organs can be avoided. Treatment can be limited to having exercise, change in eating practices by avoiding fatty foods and change of life style.
The chances of having this problem are not limited to old people alone. Many very young children are having high blood pressure. Some are born with the problem due to defects in the organs. Regular blood pressure check for everyone is advisable.