What are the symptoms of high blood pressure? Many times high blood pressure has no visible symptoms. People can have high blood pressure for years and never know they have it. This is one reason why it is important to get regular checkups from your doctor or other health care provider. High blood pressure is nicknamed ‘the silent killer’ for a very good reason! Left untreated, high blood pressure can damage your organs such as your heart, kidneys, and your liver. It’s possible that the first inkling you might have that something is wrong will be damage to or failure of one of these organs. Don’t let this happen to you.
What are high blood pressure symptoms or clues to look for?
Headaches
Neck aches
Black out episodes
Dizziness
Blurry vision
Frequent nosebleeds
Some other symptoms associated with high blood pressure are:
Muscle cramps
Frequent urination
Excessive sweating
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
These symptoms are usually caused by other conditions, which can lead to high blood pressure. Blood pressure can rise very quickly in some rare cases, so be sure to be on the lookout and call your doctor right away if you suspect anything is wrong.
High blood pressure can run in families. If anyone else in your family has high blood pressure, you should have yours monitored often to make sure it’s within normal range. Other factors that put you at risk for high blood pressure include: bad dietary habits, high cholesterol, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking and being overweight.
Lifestyle changes may be necessary to help you lower high blood pressure and keep it under control. Some simple ways you can combat your high blood pressure include: a low sodium diet, quitting or at least cutting down on smoking, making sure not to drink large amounts of caffeine or alcohol, eating more whole grain foods, exercising regularly, and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.
Your doctor may prescribe daily medication for you to take to help keep your high blood pressure symptoms in check. You will need to be faithful in taking it every day. Don’t skip it because you feel okay. The doctor may want to try different medications if the first one he prescribes doesn’t work well for you. Don’t be alarmed, this happens to a lot of people. I tried three medications before I found one that worked well for me.
Remember, high blood pressure can be controlled very easily. You can do your part by watching your diet, monitoring your blood pressure, taking any prescribed medications, and getting the right exercise. Don’t let the ‘silent killer’ get the jump on you!
