myHeartyHeart.com >> About My Heart - Articles >> Symptoms to Look for in High and Low Blood Pressure
Symptoms to Look for in High and Low Blood Pressure
For most routine doctors appointments, a patient‘s blood pressure is checked. Blood pressure can be defined as the push of blood flow against the walls of the arteries. When the doctor or nurse takes a blood pressure reading, it is broken down into two numbers.
The top number is the systolic pressure, which is how many times the heart beats. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure, which is when the heart relaxes between beats. A normal blood pressure reading is recognized as 120 over 80.
Blood pressure readings are an important part of any routine doctor appointment, as blood pressure can tell doctors about things going on in the body that the patient may not feel. In fact, having high blood pressure is often referred to as a silent killer, since many people don’t realize they have the medical condition.
When looking at blood pressure readings, doctors check for high blood pressure and low blood pressure. High blood pressure is where a person’s blood pressure becomes elevated and stays that way for a chronic period. Although high blood pressure symptoms can be difficult to notice, there are several symptoms to watch for.
High blood pressure symptoms commonly include nose bleeding, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. In severe cases, people may experience high blood pressure symptoms that include vomiting, chest pain, drowsiness, restlessness, problems with vision, confusion, and breathing problems.
It is important to seek medical attention immediately if a person feels that he or she may have high blood pressure symptoms. High blood pressure can lead to heart or kidney disease, eye damage, stroke, and hardening of the arteries.
Low blood pressure is where the blood is not circulating properly. The pressure is so low that symptoms can be experienced. If the low blood pressure symptoms persist, there is not enough blood pressure to be effectively delivered to the organs. For this reason, the organs may not work properly and can even become permanently damaged.
Detecting low blood pressure is different than high blood pressure in that doctors follow the symptoms closely. A blood pressure reading can indicate high blood pressure, even if there are no symptoms present. With low blood pressure however, the symptoms must be present along with a low blood pressure reading.
Common low blood pressure symptoms include dizziness and fainting. Other symptoms include difficulty concentrating, confusion, changes in breathing, nausea, and pale, clammy skin.
Both high and low blood pressure are the result of different things going on within the body. It is not completely understood what causes high blood pressure, but heredity factors, diets that contain high levels of salt intake, and high levels of stress can all play a part in high blood pressure symptoms.
Low blood pressure on the other hand, is caused by conditions that reduce the flow of blood, such as dehydration, pregnancy, severe bleeding, heart disease, and certain medications.