Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

Hypertension is the official name for high blood pressure and is one of the most common chronic conditions Americans face. Almost half of all American adults have high blood pressure. While manageable, the condition can, if left untreated, lead to a wide array of health issues. Within the 48.1% of adults with hypertension, only a quarter of that number would qualify as having the condition under control. More importantly, high blood pressure is often symptomless and isn’t discovered until routine physicals or a trip to the hospital. Sometimes referred to as the silent killer, a few warning symptoms can help people flag the condition and seek medical care.

Headaches in the morning

Although most people don’t have direct high blood pressure symptoms, some individuals might experience persistent headaches. However, what makes this discomfort unique is that the feeling tends to occur only in the morning, just after waking, and is typically localized to the back of the head.

Experiencing blurry vision

Blurry vision isn’t always a direct sign that a person is experiencing hypertension, but the sight issue can be a link. Specifically, the blood vessels in the eyes and along the retina experience damage because of the uncontrolled blood pressure. As a result, people might experience double vision, blurriness, and even vision loss if left untreated. Yet, undergoing regular eye exams can help detect problems and is often an early warning sign of high blood pressure.

Having frequent nosebleeds

Occasional nosebleeds can occur for a variety of reasons, such as dry air, excessive nose rubbing or picking, or an injury. However, frequent nosebleeds aren’t normal. In the context of hypertension, recurrent nosebleeds might be a sign that a person’s blood pressure is out of control.

A constant pounding sensation

Feeling a heartbeat or pounding sensation in other parts of the body isn’t necessarily a sign that a person has high blood pressure. Constantly experiencing this sensation is uncommon. The most common areas where people feel that pounding sensation include the ears, neck or chest. The phenomenon may indicate that arterial blood pressure is elevated.

Hearing ringing in the ears

Formally known as tinnitus, hearing ringing in the ears can sometimes be associated with hypertension. To be clear, tinnitus can occur for other reasons such as being exposed to loud noises for sustained periods. However, a recent study found that almost half of the people in the research group who had hypertension also had ringing in the ears.

Get serious about hypertension

Many of the early warning signs associated with high blood pressure don’t seem like high alert issues when viewed individually. In many cases, people may experience more than one symptom, which shouldn’t be ignored. Left untreated, hypertension is an incredibly degenerative chronic disease that can impact every major organ system in the body. The condition can be well managed through regular medical checkups, diet, exercise, and, if needed, medications.