Every visit to the doctor starts with a check of your vital signs: pulse, temperature, and blood pressure. Blood pressure is important to monitor because it is related to the force and rate of the heartbeat, as well as the diameter of the arterial walls. A person usually aims to have a lower blood pressure and avoid having blood pressure that is too high. Having high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke which could then cause more serious complications. Recognizing the symptoms and risk factors will alert you that you may have high blood pressure. You can go to a doctor and get treatment for your high blood pressure when any of these symptoms occur. You can also start preventative measures if you are prone to any of the risk factors. Being educated about the symptoms and risk factors will help you avoid any of the complications of high blood pressure.
An important thing to note about high blood pressure is that many people do not even know that they have it. It is estimated that about 1/2 of people who have high blood pressure do not even know it. Going to the doctor for regular checkups is usually the only way that people know that their blood pressure is high. There are some symptoms that a person can look out for if they already know that their blood pressure is high. A person should see their doctor right away if they experience these symptoms. These symptoms include: fatigue, confusion, chest pain, severe headache, vision problems, chest pain, blood in the urine, difficulty breathing, and a pounding in the chest, neck, or ears. These symptoms can be extremely dangerous. They could mean that a person is having a hypertensive crisis. This could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Since many people do not know that they have high blood pressure, it is important to look out for the risk factors that could cause high blood pressure. If you are prone to one of these risk factors, you can get regular checkups with your doctor to monitor your blood pressure. Some of the risk factors are unavoidable. One of the most common risk factors that could lead to high blood pressure is family history. High blood pressure tends to run in families, so it is important to monitor your blood pressure if you have a family history. Another risk factor that is unavoidable is age. High blood pressure is likely to develop in men when they reach age 45, and in women after age 65. One last risk factor that people are not able to avoid is race. High blood pressure is more common among blacks. High blood pressure may develop earlier in blacks compared to that of other races.
There are also some preventable risk factors that can cause high blood pressure. People who are overweight or obese have a higher chance of developing high blood pressure. The more a person weighs, the more blood they need to supply oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. When the volume of the blood circulated through the blood vessels increases, the pressure on the artery walls also increases.Tobacco use also increases the blood pressure temporarily with each use. The chemicals in tobacco can also damage the lining of your artery walls, causing the arteries to narrow. This increases blood pressure as well. People who are not physically active also have higher heart rates. The higher a heart rate is, the harder your heart has to work and there is also a stronger force on the arteries, which increases blood pressure.
High blood pressure can cause serious problems. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, eye problems, kidney failure and heart disease. Knowing the symptoms and risk factors that point to high blood pressure can help you monitor your blood pressure and get treatment before serious problems begin to arise.