High Blood Pressure Symptoms

Because high blood pressure (hypertension) typically doesn't have any symptoms, many people first learn their blood pressure is high when it gets measured during a regular physical exam or a routine procedure.

The following high blood pressure symptoms may develop after years of uncontrolled high blood pressure:

Chest pain
Dizziness
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Shortness of breath
Vision changes

These symptoms are indicative of malignant hypertension, a rare emergency condition. It's important for adults to have their blood pressure tested regularly and notify a healthcare provider if they experience these symptoms.

Types of high blood pressure

High blood pressure is sometimes categorized according to its causes and characteristics:

Essential or primary hypertension

Essential hypertension has no known cause. It is the most common type of high blood pressure (90%-95%). Ongoing research is being conducted to search for possible causes of essential hypertension.

Secondary hypertension

Secondary hypertension is due to another medical condition, such as a kidney disorder, endocrine disorder (adrenal gland, pancreas, pituitary gland), or congenital heart defect. A person's blood pressure usually returns to normal when the medical condition is corrected.

Isolated systolic hypertension

Isolated systolic hypertension occurs when the systolic blood pressure (top number) is greater than 140 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure (lower number) is less than 90 mm Hg. This type of high blood pressure occurs more often in older people. For people older than 50, a high systolic blood pressure is a greater risk factor of heart disease and stroke than a high diastolic blood pressure.

Pregnancy–induced hypertension

Pregnancy-induced hypertension is the development of high blood pressure after 20 weeks gestation. Approximately 8% of pregnant women develop high blood pressure. If left untreated, the condition may lead to preeclampsia (water retention and protein in the urine) and to the more serious eclampsia (convulsions and coma). In most cases the woman's blood pressure returns to normal after delivery.

Malignant hypertension

Malignant hypertension (accelerated hypertension) is an emergency condition that occurs in 1% of people with high blood pressure. It is caused by extremely high blood pressure that can rapidly damage many of the body's organs, including the eyes, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and brain.

White coat hypertension

"White coat" hypertension is the temporary rise in blood pressure that occurs while visiting a doctor's office. This condition develops in some people who get nervous when they visit the doctor. Doctors usually advise them to monitor and record their blood pressure at home, and bring a record of their blood pressure readings to their next doctor visit.

Complications

Over time, uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage vital organs and tissues throughout the body, including the arteries, heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institute of Health (NIH), the higher a person's blood pressure, the greater the chance of that person developing heart failure, aneurysms (small bulges in blood vessels), kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and vision changes that can result in blindness.

Arteries

High blood pressure can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening and thickening of the inner artery walls). When this occurs, blood flow becomes obstructed throughout the body, depriving the body's organs and tissues of sufficient oxygen and nutrients.
A blood vessel weakened by years of uncontrolled high blood pressure may develop an aneurism (a localized blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel wall). Aneurysms occur most often at the base of the brain or in the aorta (the main artery in the body). If left untreated, aneurysms may rupture and bleed, which is a medical emergency.
Peripheral vascular disease is the narrowing of the blood vessels in the extremities (especially the legs). If left untreated, peripheral vascular disease can lead to nerve and tissue damage.

Heart

Coronary artery disease may occur when the lining of the coronary arteries in the heart become damaged due to high blood pressure. Damaged coronary arteries can no longer supply the heart muscle with sufficient blood and oxygen, which causes chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath.
A heart attack occurs when a blood clot completely blocks a narrowed coronary artery, depriving the heart muscle of oxygen. Part of the heart muscle then dies or becomes permanently damaged.
Congestive heart failure (heart failure) may develop when the heart muscle becomes weakened by years of uncontrolled high blood pressure and is unable to pump sufficient blood to the rest of the body.

Kidneys

The kidneys filter and remove wastes from the body. Kidney disease may occur when uncontrolled high blood pressure damages the blood vessels in the kidneys, causing the kidneys to have difficulty filtering waste products from the blood.

Brain

A stroke occurs when the blood vessels in the brain rupture and bleed or get blocked by a blood clot. High blood pressure is the primary cause of stroke, which is the sudden death of brain cells due to the interruption of oxygen-rich blood to the brain.

Eyes

Hypertensive retinopathy is the damage to the retina (the light-sensitive membrane lining the back of the eyeball) due to uncontrolled high blood pressure. When the blood vessels in the retina become weakened and rupture or bleed, a person's vision becomes impaired. If left untreated, the condition can lead to blindness.

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