1. Identify the Symptoms
Hypertensive heart disease can be identified by a number of different symptoms. The most prominent symptoms include shortness of breath during light to moderate activity and even waking with shortness of breath. Some sufferers of hypertensive heart disease or even heart failure will also have to sleep at night with their head raised in order to help ward off shortness of breath. Other identifiable symptoms include erratic pulse, a strong feeling of the heartbeat and of palpitations, general fatigue even after waking in the morning, lethargy and faintness. Unexplained swelling in the extremities, particularly in the feet, can also be an indication of the possible presence of hypertensive heart disease, as could a cough that produces mucous mixed with blood.
2. Detect Hypertensive Heart Disease with a Doctor's Exams
There are medical tests that can detect hypertensive heart disease or any other heart related ailment. The most common tests performed by doctors to detect heart failure or heart related conditions include the EKG (electrocardiogram), echocardiogram, chest x-ray and coronary angiogram. The EKG is able to monitor your heartbeat and detect abnormalities. If, for example, you have an irregular heartbeat, the EKG will be able spot the problem. Echocardiograms employ sound to create a map of your heart and the pattern of your heartbeats. A chest x-ray is capable of showing the heart itself, which is very useful in determining if it's become enlarged. Coronary angiograms involve a colored dye that is injected into your bloodstream and then tracked using an x-ray. This makes it possible to detect any regions in which your blood flow is abnormally low or dangerously cut off.
3. Additional Factors
Hypertension and other heart related ailments can sometimes be the result of genetics. This is an important factor that doctors consider when diagnosing both the current threat and any potential future threat of developing the condition. Combined with data obtained from testing, as well as reporting of symptoms, a doctor can determine if you are facing hypertensive heart disease. In many cases a doctor can determine if your genetic heritage, combined with your current lifestyle, will increase the risk of developing heart disease in the future as well.
