While hypertension is largely an asymptomatic "silent killer", understanding potential symptoms and commonly associated co-morbidities is key for identifying patients at heightened cardiovascular disease risk who require screening and treatment.
Possible Symptoms
While many hypertensive patients exhibit no outward symptoms early on, some may experience:
- Frequent headaches
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Nosebleeds
- Chest pain
- Irregular heartbeat
Medical providers should remain vigilant for these nonspecific manifestations and prompt at-risk patients to undergo blood pressure testing when concerning signs occur.
Associated Conditions
Underlying risk factors and co-occurring conditions that should raise hypertension suspicion and warrant screening include:
- Obesity
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Kidney dysfunction
- Stress
- Older age
- Family history
The interrelationship between hypertension and conditions like obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol is complex. Each negatively impacts the other in a reinforcing loop increasing risk.
Staying Alert
While hypertension clues are often subtle, physiologists, dieticians, nurses, primary care physicians and other frontline health workers play a crucial role remaining alert and probing at-risk patients about any symptoms or comorbidities. Early recognition and treatment helps mitigate complications of uncontrolled blood pressure over time including stroke, vision loss, kidney failure and heart attack.