High blood pressure or hypertension, is a condition in which the force on the walls of the blood vessels is raised. Medical conditions that cause high blood pressure include atherosclerosis, kidney disease, endocrine disorders, and adrenal tumors. It is common among men of any age or race and more than 65 million people suffer from this disorder, according to the Cleveland Clinic. High blood pressure is called a "silent killer" because it usually does not specific symptoms and individuals may not be aware that they have high blood pressures until they experience complications such as headaches, vision loss, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and mental disturbance.
Headache Pain
Headache pain is an early sign of high blood pressure and may occur as a dull to severe pain. High blood pressure weakens, damages and hardens the walls of the blood vessels causing fatty plaque deposits that narrow the arteries. This decreases the supply of blood, nutrients and oxygen to the brain. MayoClinic.com explains that this process is called atherosclerosis.
Strokes
Men with uncontrolled high blood pressure may present with dizzy spells, weakness in one or more body parts, difficulty in speaking or a severe and sudden headache. These are signs of a stroke that can be caused by high blood pressure. A severely decreased blood supply due to blockages in the arteries causes an ischemic stroke. Hypertension can also weak and dilate the blood vessel wall to form an aneurysm that may rupture and cause a hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke. Strokes are the most common health problem causing disability in America, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Fatigue
Although fatigue is a non-specific sign of high blood pressure, it indicates a demand for oxygen and nutrients in the body as noted by the Cleveland Clinic. Hypertension can reduce blood flow so that these requirements are not met causing decreased energy production in the cells.
Heart Disease
As described by the Cleveland Clinic, high blood pressure can cause a heart attack by damaging and narrowing the blood vessels of the heart. The heart muscles need oxygen to pump blood throughout the body and the diseased arteries are not able to supply the required energy to that portion of the heart, leading to a heart attack. Symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing and tingling or numbness in the arms, neck or jaw.
Kidney Failure
Hypertension hardens and narrows the blood vessels of the kidneys by atherosclerosis. This causes decreased excretion of waste products and leaking of protein from the body resulting in swelling of the body, as explained by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
