More than five million people suffer from undiagnosed high blood pressure in England alone, according to Blood Pressure UK. Fortunately, a doctor has outlined seven “important” signs of the condition that is often dubbed as the silent killer.
Dr Khalid Zalmay, family doctor from London, took to his YouTube channel to list “hidden” symptoms of high blood pressure you “need to look out for”.
1. Headaches
The doctor explained that this painful sign can occur if the pressure inside the small vessels in your brain or your skull is too high. Worryingly, very high blood pressure reading can send you into a something called hypertensive crisis.
Dr Khalid said: “I’ve seen a few patients in this situation where they complain of thumping or throbbing headaches.They often also describe feeling generally unwell in themselves.”
What’s worse, this is considered to be a medical emergency and you need to go to the hospital. However, the doctor also noted that there are numerous other causes behind headaches.
Therefore, it’s “always important” to see a healthcare professional if you get them.
2. Nose or eye bleeds
While some people might struggle with nose bleeds, others can get something called a subconjunctival haemorrhage, which is a blood vessel bursting in your eye.
The doctor explained that most of the time, these will settle down on their own but they should be checked if they occur repeatedly.
He added: “When you’ve got hypertension, the pressure inside the blood vessels is much higher. [And] the blood vessels in your nose and in your eyes are very, very delicate.”
Therefore, he recommended getting your blood pressure checked if you get recurring nose or eye bleeds.
3. Visual problems
Over time, high blood pressure can damage your eyes and lead to blurred vision, distorted vision, scarring that impairs your vision, temporary visual disturbances or even a complete loss of vision.
These visual changes tend to occur in people who have had untreated high blood pressure for “a number of years” without knowing it. “This is why it’s super important if you notice visual problems to see an optician immediately,” the doctor said.
The good news is that controlling your blood pressure could help save your sight.
4.Shortness of breath
Dr Khalid explained that one of the causes behind shortness of breath is heart failure and one of the leading causes of heart failure is high blood pressure.
He said: “High blood pressure adds to your heart’s workload. Narrowed and less elastic blood vessels make it more difficult for blood to travel efficiently through the body. This in turn causes your heart to work harder and under more strain.”
Over time, your heart thickens and becomes larger and less efficient, leading to this condition.
5. Throbbing in ears
Throbbing in ears or pulsating in your neck could be other red flag signs pointing to hypertension.
6. Dizziness
Feeling dizzy or having a “fuzzy head” could also ring alarm bells, the doctor noted that this can also affect people with an established blood pressure diagnosis that are on medication.
Furthermore, balance problems and dizziness can also very rarely be signs of a stroke, so it’s important not to ignore these signs, the doctor added.
7. Chest pains
Over time, high blood pressure can lay the dangerous groundwork for heart attacks. And chest pains are one of the main symptoms of this medical emergency.
Dr Khalid said: “When this happens, people often get chest pain, shortness of breath, pain radiating to their neck, jaw, arm, or nausea and vomiting. If you or someone you know experiences these, call an ambulance immediately.”
8. Fatigue, tiredness and weakness
The doctor concluded that these three signs could also point to high blood pressure.
