As per the WHO data, 46% of the adults are not aware of having this condition
High blood pressure of hypertension is responsible for the majority of premature deaths worldwide. As per the estimates of the World Health Organisation (WHO), 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years worldwide have hypertension and 46% of the adults are not aware of having this condition.
Raised blood pressure is a major reason for cardiovascular diseases. It is the condition when the force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of the body’s arteries is too high.
As per the WHO, the occurrence of hypertension condition is more prevalent in lower income and middle income countries.
One of the most effective ways to stop the hypertension condition from worsening is to recognise the symptoms early and start medical treatment.
Hypertension is not always lethal. It can be managed and brought under control. The WHO record says, less than half of adults (42%) with hypertension are diagnosed and treated and approximately 1 in 5 adults (21%) with hypertension have it under control.
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Unexplained severe headache
While headache is associated with a number of major and minor health issues, in case of high blood pressure, the headache gets extremely painful.
A hypertension headache feels like a pulsing sensation over the entire head. This headache occurs in the early morning mostly.
Health experts have said that very high blood pressure leads to a condition called malignant hypertension. During this condition the pressure inside the cranium builds up to serious levels causing extremely painful headaches. This headache is difficult to bring down and is different from the other types of headaches experienced during fever or migraine.
Chest pain
Chest pain associated with high blood pressure is also called angina.
Angina is not like the chest pains which occur due to certain pathogenic infections. Health experts define angina as squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness or pain in the chest.
Also known as angina pectoris, angina is caused when there is a reduced blood flow to the heart.
Blurry vision
High blood pressure affects vision power. Due to elevated blood pressure, the blood vessels in the eyes can be damaged leading to hypertensive retinopathy.
Even when you are not aware of having high blood pressure, if you notice changes in your vision make sure to get it treated.
Fatigue
Fatigue is linked to almost every ailment that occurs in the human body. But if you are otherwise a healthy person and still are listless, it means your body needs medical attention.
People often ignore the signs of fatigue and keep dragging themselves to complete their daily chores. In this way, you are putting your body through more risks that are associated with the undetected health condition.
Tiredness has a close connection with high blood pressure. If you are experiencing extreme tiredness irrespective of the nature of the work and the environment, it is advisable to get your blood pressure tested.
What are the other symptoms of blood pressure?
The other symptoms of the blood pressure are:
- Nosebleeds
- Irregular heart rhythms
- Buzzing in the ears
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Muscle tremors
What if high blood pressure is left unchecked?
High blood pressure is a silent killer. If left unchecked it can wreak havoc on the body and the major symptoms will then show when the condition has worsened.
The most debilitating effects of unchecked high blood pressure are heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked and heart muscle cells die from lack of oxygen and heart failure which occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to other vital body organs. Due to high blood pressure, arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain can also burst causing a stroke.