Hypertension, known as the "silent killer," rarely presents overt symptoms unless blood pressure levels have become dangerously high. Data from a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) published in 2003 reveal that only 69 percent of those with hypertension were aware of it. The only way to know for certain whether you have hypertension is by having your blood pressure checked regularly by a physician. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, contact your doctor.
Nonspecific Symptoms
People with severe hypertension may experience a host of symptoms that are troubling but that can be symptoms of many potential conditions, not just hypertension. For that reason, they may not make the connection between the symptom and high blood pressure. These symptoms include headache, fatigue, anxiety, confusion or forgetfulness, excessive perspiration, or dizziness.
Critical Symptoms
Hypertension increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke which are the leading cause of death among Americans. In severe cases when hypertension has reached extremely high levels, heart attack, stroke, renal failure, or sudden death can occur. There are critical symptoms to watch out for in an attempt to prevent one of these serious events from happening. You should seek immediate assistance from a healthcare professional if you are experiencing muscle tremors or a sudden fall, trouble speaking or understanding speech, blurred or loss of vision, severe nosebleeds, coughing up blood, chest pains, numbness or tingling in hands and feet, weakness or numbness of the face or one side of the body, or a severe headache that comes on acutely with no known cause.
Those who are already diagnosed with hypertension and who start to experience new symptoms after switching to a new blood pressure medication should also consult their physician right away.
Symptoms of Secondary Hypertension
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, there may be some overt symptoms that suggest your hypertension is secondary to another disorder. Having a systolic blood pressure over 180 mm of mercury or a diastolic blood pressure of over 110 mm of mercury, having high blood pressure in the absence of any family history of the condition, suddenly developing hypertension before age 20 or after age 50, or having hypertension that is resistant to common high blood pressure medications may all be signs of secondary hypertension. Disorders that affect the kidneys, endocrine system, heart or arteries may underlie the hypertension, so your doctor may need to conduct a more detailed evaluation should you experience any of these symptoms.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Secondary Hypertension
- "JAMA;" Trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the United States, 1988--2000; Hajjar I, Kotchen TA.; 2003
- University of Michigan Health System: Hypertension
