Monday, May 31, 2010

Hypertension Warning Signs - Preventing the "Silent Killer"

Hypertension and high blood pressure have basically the same meaning. When the heart has to work too hard to pump blood to the bodily extremities, there is added pressure against the walls in the blood vessels. This is a dangerous condition. Prolonged periods of this added stress on the arteries and veins can cause serious harm to the bodily organs. Sometimes hypertension will result in kidney failure, aneurysm, heart failure, heart attack, or stroke. It is very important to learn about the hypertension warning signs, so that problems can be prevented or discovered.

The "silent killer" is the nickname given to hypertension. That is because it isn't obvious in the stages when blood pressure begins to rise. But when the stealthy condition is unnoticed and untreated, problems begin surfacing that aren't so easy to ignore. With more awareness of the early signs of hypertension, many of the symptoms associated with the progressed disease, including early death, can be avoided.

Research has identified risk factors associated with hypertensive disease. Some of them are smoking, obesity, high-salt diet, stressful lifestyle, and family history of hypertension. Certain ethnic factors predispose some groups to having hypertension. One of the ethnic groups identified is Native American.

More serious complications begin as the disease progresses. When blood flow increases to the vessels of the eye, there may be problems with blurred vision. Some hypertensive individuals see white spots and have other visual changes. Circulatory problems should be evaluated if no normal eye problems are identified by an eye specialist.

When visual perception is impaired, the brain does not receive and process environmental information correctly. When that happens, the body experiences dizziness or light-headed feelings.

During periods of dizziness, there is often accompanying nausea and vomiting. Even when no obvious symptoms of hypertension are present, people may feel ongoing nausea and may eventually vomit.

A more serious indicator of high blood pressure is the onset of nosebleeds. Usually, nosebleeds begin as hypertension progresses. From individual to individual, nosebleeds vary in frequency and intensity. Headaches may be present for some hypertensive people, and are also variable in their strength and their frequency. Pain that doesn't diminish with mild pharmacological intervention may point to a dangerous condition of pressure in the brain's blood vessels.

A heart that has to steadily overwork to pump blood will eventually show signs of stress. At first, there will be only subtle changes, which may even go unnoticed as the body adjusts to increased blood flow. In order to prevent more serious consequences of the condition, it is helpful to maintain a schedule of regular medical care and monitoring of any risk factors or early warnings. It is important to differentiate between early-stage and late-stage warning signs.

Some hypertension warning signs need emergency medical treatment, while others can safely be monitored over time. Serious issues for immediate evaluation include dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, nosebleed, headache, and palpitations.

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