| Symptoms of high blood pressure may not be | | | | pressure, most especially in people over fifty years |
| noticeable even after it has caused extensive organ | | | | old and is one of the main reasons why high blood |
| damage. Even very high blood pressures, fatal and | | | | pressure calls for appropriate treatment. Nose |
| already causing serious kidney damage, sometimes | | | | bleeding and subconjunctival hemorrhages occur more |
| continue for several months before any symptoms | | | | frequently in people with high blood pressure, |
| may occur. The only way to know if you have high | | | | although both symptoms are very common and need |
| blood pressure is to have it measured with a | | | | not cause alarm immediately. Subconjunctival |
| sphygmomanometer.Headaches and breathlessness | | | | hemorrhages sound very deadly, but "hemorrhage" is |
| (dyspnea) on slight exertion occur more frequently in | | | | simply the technical term for bleeding of any extent. |
| people who have sustained blood pressures of | | | | Subconjunctival hemorrhages are simply a small |
| around 180/120 mmHg or higher than in people with | | | | amount of bleeding in the white are of the eye. They |
| 'normal' blood pressure. Both of these symptoms are | | | | can appear after coughing, sneezing or straining |
| common anyway, but they occur more often in | | | | during defecation and show up as a bright red area |
| people with high blood pressure. Almost everyone | | | | on the white of the eye, which then disappears over |
| gets headaches at some time or another - they can | | | | several weeks or so. They are harmless and have |
| be due to anxiety, tension or minor infections. Such | | | | nothing to do with retinal hemorrhages.Palpitations, |
| 'ordinary' headaches are equally common in people | | | | tension headaches and hyperventilation are |
| with high blood pressure, but a cautious physician will | | | | symptoms of anxiety and so are common in people |
| always check your blood pressure first before | | | | who are anxious or frightened. If they already have |
| dismissing associated headaches as insignificant, as | | | | these symptoms and are then unfortunately found |
| they do occupationally signal sudden loss of control. | | | | to have high blood pressure, then the diagnosis may |
| Some of these headaches can be a warning of early | | | | confirm their fears and reinforce the symptoms. |
| damage to the vascular system in the brain or the | | | | Others may get palpitations for the first time after |
| retina, which will require urgent blood pressure control | | | | they have been told that they have high blood |
| to prevent fatal complications. Breathlessness in | | | | pressure. They are not caused by high blood |
| people with high blood pressure is usually a result of | | | | pressure itself, but by fear of it and what the |
| being obese. On the other hand, if blood pressure has | | | | diagnosis means. The symptoms usually disappear, |
| risen out of control, or has strangely fallen without | | | | although not always immediately, with adequate |
| any change in medication, then breathlessness may | | | | explanation of what a diagnosis of high blood |
| be the symptom of early heart failure.The risk of | | | | pressure really means.Symptoms of high blood |
| bleeding from arteries into the brain (thereby causing | | | | pressure are usually varied. Before jumping into any |
| stroke) or into the retina (causing visual loss if the | | | | conclusion, consult your physician first to save you |
| bleeding is extensive) is magnified by high blood | | | | from unnecessary worries of high blood pressure. |