Manifestations of Hypertension

    In mild to moderate Hypertension 

   There are no symptoms in majority of cases.

High blood pressure is detected during routine check up

• The high blood pressure is detected during routine check up; or during visit to a doctor for related (like diabetes, heart problem) or unrelated illness (like fever).

  Some may have symptoms like

                    Headaches                                         Lack of sleep                          Giddiness, Flushed face

• Lack of sleep, Headaches especially on rising, ringing in the ears, light head ness, easy fatigability, associated with anger, Giddiness, Flushed face on exertion and the feeling that their heart is beating wildly. 

Sustained severe hypertension:

• With sustained hypertension, artery walls become thickened and resistant to blood flow, and, as a result, the blood supply to the heart and brain may be reduced causing angina or heart attack, and stroke. 

• High blood pressure is often accompanied by anxiety attacks, rapid or irregular heart beat, profuse sweating, pallor, nausea, and, in some cases, fluid in the lungs.

• Severe and uncontrolled Hypertension may present as medical emergencies like:

           Angina, Heart attack.                         Stroke.                                 Blindness.   

• Angina. Chest pain occurs due to decreased oxygenation of heart.

• Heart attack. (Myocardial infarction)       

• Heart Failure. Manifested as breathlessness; cough in night and on lying down, swelling feet and around eyes; dizziness.

• Stroke. Unconsciousness and paralysis occurs.( due to hemorrhage / clot /  infarct in brain)

• Transient Ischaemic attack. (TIA), manifested as momentary loss of consciousness, dizziness.      

• Blindness. (retinal hemorrhage).

• Intermittent claudication  pain lower limbs, due to damaged blood vessels resulting in failure to deliver adequate oxygen.