What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure ?

January 29, 2010 in Blood Pressure

Hypertension is named as the ‘Silent Killer’. You may not experience any symptoms for many years until any damage has started to occur. Long term and neglected hypertension can cause damage to heart, eye, arteries, kidney and even brain. Early detection is hence very helpful. Heightened public awareness is required. Little adjustments in daily routine, diet and physical work closely in association with some prescribed medication can work wonders.

The consistently elevated pressure of the blood exceeding 140/90 mmHg is referred to either as Essential (Primary) Hypertension or Secondary Hypertension. 95% of people suffering from Hypertension are prone to Primary Hypertension while the remaining 5% suffer from Secondary Hypertension. No specific cause is identified yet for essential hypertension. But some kind of abnormality in the body like kidney, aortic artery or adrenal gland cause the Secondary Hypertension. Family history has been found to be one of the most prevalent cause of hypertension and are most commonly occurred among the African American population. Excessive alcohol and coffee intake, high salt intake, lack of regular exercise, smoking and obesity are also among the prime factors causing hypertension.

Many classes of Anti-hypertensive medications are available. Example – ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, ARB drugs, Calcium channel blockers, Diuretics, alpha-blockers and peripheral vasodilators. The goal of treatment is to lower the blood pressure down to 140/85. But this should be even more lowered in diabetics, African Americans and those with some kind of chronic kidney diseases.

The following damages are most likely to occur in people suffering from Hypertension:

When more blood is pumped by the heart into the arteries, blood pressure rises. In case the arterioles are narrow and stiff, more restriction is felt to the flow of blood, thereby causing high blood pressure. To decrease the blood pressure, the arterioles expand to allow more flow of blood and lessen the restriction. The heart also pumps lesser amount of blood into the arteries.
When more urine is produced by the kidney, there is a decrease in the amount of blood that fills into the veins and the arteries. As a result of which the pressure of the blood decreases.

Common Symptoms of High Blood Pressure:

But in most cases, the diagnosis is done after significant damage has been occurred to the organs. So regular health check up must be made mandatory is people above the age of 50 years. Even if you are very healthy, yearly check ups are necessary. Once detection is confirmed, proper medication is very necessary.

End-organ Damage In Patient With High Blood Pressure:

When damage is occurred to those organs which are fed by our circulatory system, due to chronic hypertension, it is called end-organ damage.

Eye: Changes in the retina is very common to occur at the back of the eyes. Damage will be revealed after eye examination in patients suffering from severe hypertension. The small arteries gets narrowed or the small leakages of blood (or hemorrhages) in the retina and the eye nerve may get swollen are most common to occur.

Arteries: The arteries become extremely stiff in people with high blood pressure. This cause extreme resistance in the arteries. Thus the heart muscles work harder to pump the blood through the arteries. So very high level of strain is seen on the heart. This has seen to cause several heart abnormalities. Heart enlargement can be evaluated by X-ray of the chest, Electrocardiogram and Echocardiography (most accurate). In maximum cases, most abnormalities of the heart gets well after lowering of the blood pressure.

Kidney: Kidney abnormalities require a Blood and urine test. Elevated level of serum creatinine, presence of protein in the urine (proteinuria) are common high blood pressure symptoms causing damage to the kidney.

Strokes: Neurological or brain damage are common to occur due to strokes caused due to uncontrolled hypertension. When a blood clot (thrombosis) or leakage of blood (hemorrhage) occurs in the blood vessels which supply blood to the brain, Stroke occurs.

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