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