What Are the Symptoms of Hypertension?
Most people with
high blood pressure (also known as
hypertension) don't experience any symptoms of hypertension. This is because hypertension doesn't cause problems over a day or weeks or even months. It usually takes several years for hypertension to cause noticeable symptoms, and even when it does cause problems, the symptoms are often mild and nonspecific (meaning they could be caused by several different health problems). As a result, hypertension is often referred to as "the silent killer." People with hypertension typically don't even realize they have it until they have
blood pressure readings that are too high.
Common Hypertension Symptoms
In some cases, a person can display symptoms of hypertension. Common symptoms of hypertension include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision.
Unfortunately, many people don't seek medical care until they are dealing with severe symptoms resulting from the organ damage that chronic hypertension can cause.
Symptoms of Malignant Hypertension
About 1 percent of people with high
blood pressure do not seek medical care until their symptoms of hypertension are severe. This is referred to as malignant hypertension. In malignant hypertension, the
diastolic blood pressure (the lower number of a
blood pressure reading) often exceeds 140 mmHg. People with symptoms of malignant hypertension may experience:
- Headache
- Lightheadedness
- Nausea.
Emergency hospitalization and treatment for hypertension is required to prevent
stroke or brain bleeding when symptoms of hypertension become this severe.
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