Are You Suffering From High Blood Pressure?

Although it is widely known that signs of high blood pressure include frequent headaches and dizziness, hypertension, the medical term of this disease, has no signs or symptoms. People suffering form high blood pressure may experience headaches, but there is no association with the condition by itself.

Monitor your blood pressure on a regular basis is the only way to determine if your blood pressure is going too high and do something about it with the guidance of your doctor. Doctors will usually prescribe medication and a guide to make changes in your habits and lifestyle.

Either a doctor or a nurse measures high blood pressure when they get a reading in numbers with blood pressure devices, not by signs they can see of high blood pressure. Today, it is easier to purchase a home blood pressure measurement device, or monitor, to test yourself, but remember that this device does not substitute professional medical advice.

You need to understand how those monitors work to operate the device properly. They do not detect signs of high blood pressure either, but return a reading of numbers, which are briefly explained in the literature printed on the box or included as a booklet.

The pharmacist, or even your doctor or nurse, can help you to understand how to operate your home device and teach you to how to read the numbers and use the information correctly. They can also recommend what blood pressure monitor is best.

The Doctor will also tell you that the goal is keeping your blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg, or 130/80 mmHg if you are actually suffering from diabetes or have a chronic kidney disease. Doctors cannot provide you with signs of high blood pressure to watch for, but can determine a particular blood pressure goal.

In general terms, doctors also advise you to change your lifestyle to healthier habits. Limit your alcohol intake, quit smoking, lose excess of weight, stay physically active, either exercising or walking 30 minutes every day, as well as reduce your salt intake and eat foods such as vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products.

Staying at a healthy weight also reduces the presumable signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, including headaches, dizziness, sleep disturbance, emotional upsets, and dry mouth, among others that many people experience, but clinically are not associated to high blood pressure.

However, headaches in patients with high blood pressures do occur when this condition has become chronic and hypertension returns readings with very high pressures, in which case treating blood pressure will relieve the symptoms.