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Can You Feel When Your Blood Pressure Is High

High Blood Pressure May Cause Anxiety

What does high blood pressure feel like?

Whether or not high blood pressure directly causes anxiety is less clear. More often than not, anxiety causes high blood pressure first, which causes the person to worry about their blood pressure and ultimately experience more anxiety.

It’s possible that high blood pressure does cause anxiety, but most likely the anxiety is a response to the high blood pressure experience, or to concerns over a person’s health. Most people can’t feel their blood pressure because high blood pressure on its own doesn’t cause any symptoms. But some of the other causes of high blood pressure may cause a person to feel more anxiety.

Who Should Have A Blood Pressure Check

All adults should have their blood pressure checked. Blood pressure becomes more common with age, so if youre over 40 you should have a blood pressure check at least every five years. Its a good idea to have a blood pressure check if you are younger as well, especially if you are carrying extra weight or have other .

What Does High Blood Pressure Feel Like

High blood pressure or hypertension may signal that your heart is working harder than usual and if left untreated, it can take a serious toll on the health of your cardiovascular system. But does it cause signs and symptoms? And what does it feel like?

What does hypertension feel like?

There is usually no sign and symptom of high blood pressure. But if the level goes up significantly, there may be certain signs and symptoms to occur.

Hypertension is also called as a silent killer. Many times it doesnt cause any symptoms until your blood pressure level is extremely high. In fact, many people with hypertension dont realize when they have it.

The most effective way to keep monitoring the fluctuation is by taking regular checkups. Taking a test for hypertension is simple and practical.

You dont need a blood test like in checking the levels of your cholesterol and blood sugar. Even you can take the test on your own at home.

There are now available many home blood pressure monitor kits that you can use practically. And you dont need to get prescription from your doctor to purchase one.

Although there is no specific sign and symptom of hypertension, people may experience one or some of the following symptoms when their blood pressure is extremely high :

  • Confusion.
  • Blood found in the urine.
  • Poundings in the ears, neck, or chest.
  • If you in-doubt to your symptoms, consult more with your GP /doctor for more advice and clearly diagnosis.

    Whats more?

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    Can A Hot Shower Lower Your Blood Pressure

    Lowers blood pressure. Studies have shown that soaking in a hot bath can lower your blood pressure. This is a great system for those with heart conditions and even those who dont. But first, consult your doctor if you do have a heart condition because a hot bath will also raise the rate of your heartbeat.

    How Common Is High Blood Pressure

    What

    High blood pressure is a common condition, it is estimated that 18% of adult men and 13% of adult women have high blood pressure but are not getting treatment for it.

    In 90-95% of cases, there is no single identifiable reason for a rise in blood pressure. But all available evidence shows that lifestyle plays a significant role in regulating your blood pressure.

    Risk factors for high blood pressure include:

    • age
    • poor diet
    • being overweight
    • excessive alcohol consumption.

    Also, for reasons not fully understood, people of Afro-Caribbean and South Asian origin are more likely to develop high blood pressure than other ethnic groups.

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    Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

    Some people buy their own blood pressure monitor to use at home. This means you can measure your blood pressure on an ongoing basis.

    The blood pressure readings you do at home are as good as those done by your doctor.

    If you decide to buy one, it’s important to get the correct cuff size. If the cuff is too big or too small, it can give an inaccurate reading.

    If you take your own blood pressure and get an unusually high reading, take it a second time after at least five minutes. If it’s still high and you’re worried, contact your nurse or GP.

    Target Your High Blood Pressure

    Once you have been diagnosed with hypertension, remember that high blood pressure can be lowered. For most people, blood pressure readings should be lower than 140/90 mmHg when measured in the doctors office. At home, your blood pressure should generally be below 135/85 mmHg. For those people with diabetes or kidney disease, lower blood pressure is even more important and should be below 130/80 mmHg when measured in the doctors office.

    Most people who lead healthy lifestyles do not suffer from high blood pressure. For those with hypertension, following the steps outlined above will lower their blood pressure.

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    It’s Just At The Doctor’s Office

    Myth: Your blood pressure readings at the doctor office continue to be high, but your blood pressure is probably fine at home. You just get nervous going to the doctor.

    Fact: It’s possible to have white-coat hypertension, which is when nervousness temporarily raises blood pressure during a doctor visit. But never ignore multiple readings that suggest high blood pressure. Try logging your blood pressure measurements at home over a period of time, and then share them at your next doctor visit.

    Making an appointment is easy!

    How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed

    How Do You Feel When You Have High Blood Pressure?

    To figure out your blood pressure rate, your health care provider takes blood pressure readings at different times. You need more than 1 reading because blood pressure changes depending on what you are doing and varies during the day. For example, your blood pressure can increase when you are nervous or in a hurry.

    If your blood pressure is high while with your health care provider but normal otherwise, you may just be nervous. This effect is common. Even people already being treated for high blood pressure go through this.

    What matters is what happens to your blood pressure outside your health care providers office. If you have high blood pressure, you should use a home blood pressure monitor. Ask your health care provider how to use the monitor correctly.

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    Anxiety Causes High Blood Pressure

    Blood pressure is not a constant. It changes all throughout the day, going from high to low depending on what you’re doing, what you’ve eaten, how you’re feeling, and so on. At any moment you could go through some type of blood pressure fluctuation that causes a high reading, and that reading says nothing about your overall health or wellness.

    What is high blood pressure?

    Although there are some outside factors that play a role, generally doctors look at blood pressure using the following chart:

    • Low Blood Pressure: < 90/60
    • Normal Blood Pressure: 90/60 to 140/90
    • High Blood Pressure: 140/90 and Up

    The first number refers to the systolic pressure. That is the pressure on your arteries when your heart contracts . The diastolic is the pressure on your arteries when your heart is at rest. Systolic tends to jump up and down throughout the day, while diastolic should stay close to constant .

    Although there are risks involved with low blood pressure, most doctors pay especially close attention to high blood pressure. High blood pressure readings indicate that something could be wrong with your cardiovascular system. Because of the risks associated with high blood pressure, it is important to see a doctor. But if other factors have been ruled out, it is possible that anxiety may be to blame.

    How Blood Pressure Is Measured

    Hypertension can be mild, moderate or severe. Your blood pressure is naturally higher when you are exerting yourself, such as during physical exercise. It is only a concern if your blood pressure is high when you are at rest, because this means your heart is overworked and your arteries have extra stress in their walls.Blood pressure readings are a combination of two measurements. These are:

    • Systolic is the highest pressure against the arteries as the heart pumps. The normal systolic pressure is usually between 110 and 130mmHg.
    • Diastolic is the pressure against the arteries as the heart relaxes and fills with blood. The normal diastolic pressure is usually between 70 and 80mmHg.

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    Diagnosing High Blood Pressure

    Diagnosing hypertension is as simple as taking a blood pressure reading. Most doctors offices check blood pressure as part of a routine visit. If you dont receive a blood pressure reading at your next appointment, request one.

    If your blood pressure is elevated, your doctor may request you have more readings over the course of a few days or weeks. A hypertension diagnosis is rarely given after just one reading.

    Your doctor needs to see evidence of a sustained problem. Thats because your environment can contribute to increased blood pressure, like the stress you may feel by being at the doctors office. Also, blood pressure levels change throughout the day.

    If your blood pressure remains high, your doctor will likely conduct more tests to rule out underlying conditions. These tests can include:

    These tests can help your doctor identify any secondary issues causing your elevated blood pressure. They can also look at the effects high blood pressure may have had on your organs.

    During this time, your doctor may begin treating your hypertension. Early treatment may reduce your risk of lasting damage.

    Putting On The Brakes

    How can you bring your blood pressure down quickly ...

    Myth: Once you start feeling better, it’s OK to stop taking your medicine for high blood pressure.

    Fact: If your doctor has prescribed medicine for your high blood pressure, follow his or her exact directions closely. It would be dangerous for you to decrease dosage or stop taking the medication without your doctor’s approval.

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    Who Is At Risk For High Blood Pressure

    Your family history, lifestyle and medications can increase the chances youll develop high blood pressure. Risk factors for high blood pressure include:

    • Age
    • Drinking too much
    • Some medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, also known as NSAIDS, some decongestants, weight loss medicines and stimulants)
    • Some underlying health conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea, kidney conditions, adrenal gland tumors and thyroid diseases
    • Inactivity
    • Tobacco and illicit drug use
    • Other

    Unfortunately, family history is a large contributing factor. Even if you eat well, are physically active and avoid risk factors, you may still experience high blood pressure.

    Negative Effects Of Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one out of every three American adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension. Because high blood pressure is so common, it might be tempting to assume that its no big deal. But the truth is, that when left untreated, high blood pressure can put you at risk for potentially life-threatening complications.

    Here are eight ways that uncontrolled high blood pressure can negatively affect your health:

  • It raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure damages the walls of your arteries. This makes them more likely to develop deposits of plaque that harden, narrow or block your arteries. These deposits also can lead to blood clots. Blood clots can flow through your bloodstream and block blood flow to your heart or brain, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
  • It makes you more likely to develop heart failure. When your arteries are hardened or narrowed, your heart has to work harder to circulate your blood. This increased workload can cause your heart to become larger and fail to supply your organs with blood.
  • You may experience chest pain. Chest pain, also called angina, occurs when the heart does not get the blood it needs. When people with high blood pressure perform activities such as walking uphill, going up steps, or exercising, angina can cause pressure, squeezing, pain, or a feeling of fullness in the chest.
  • Blurry vision or other vision problems
  • Dizziness
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    How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Pressure

    Theres only one way to know if you have high blood pressure: Have a doctor or other health professional measure it. Measuring your blood pressure is quick and painless.

    Talk with your health care team about regularly measuring your blood pressure at home, also called self-measured blood pressure monitoring.

    High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it.

    Dizziness Is Also A Side Effect Of Some High Blood Pressure Medications

    High blood pressure. symptoms. When to see the doctor

    Increased blood pressure does not appear to cause dizziness but it is a side effect of some high blood pressure medications, especially alpha blockers and alpha-beta blockers. If you get dizzy while taking any medication, talk to your doctor about other drugs that might work for you with fewer side effects. Additionally, much research on dizziness and blood pressure indicates that low blood pressure is generally the culprit.

    When the blood pressure drops, dizziness is a common side effect. A person who gets light-headed when standing up too quickly is experiencing orthostatic hypotension dizziness that occurs when systolic blood pressure drops more than 20 mm Hg or diastolic drops more than 10 mm Hg. But age not high blood pressure is the most common risk factor for this condition.The important thing to take note of is what your blood pressure readings are when you experience the dizziness whether low or elevated.

    Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or trouble walking are all warning signs of a stroke. So you must contact your doctor to resolve this situation.

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    Symptoms Of Sudden High Blood Pressure

    Unlike traditional high blood pressure, where there are no visual symptoms until major damage has occurred, sudden high blood pressure alerts you immediately.

    • Weakness or numbness in arms, legs, face
    • Mentality changes such as anxiety, fatigue, confusion, restlessness

    In extreme cases of sudden high blood pressure, there may be bleeding from damaged blood vessels, blindness from ruptured retina nerves or vessels, and possibly seizures.

    What Should Your Blood Pressure Be

    Ideally, we should all have a blood pressure reading between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.

    Most people in the UK have blood pressures higher than the ideal, but below the usual cut-off for diagnosing high blood pressure somewhere between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg. If youre in this range, you could develop high blood pressure in the future. Taking steps to will keep your risk of health problems down.

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    How High Blood Pressure Affects Your Feet

    Although these symptoms may come and go, dont ignore them. The earlier symptoms are spotted and properly taken care of, the better. A proper treatment will help lessen any long-term damage associated with decreased blood flow. If you feel as if your feet are being affected by high blood pressure or decreased circulation, contact our foot care specialists.

    Change In Mental Status

    High blood pressure: A certain feeling in your neck could ...

    This can be a difficult symptom to deal with because when we become confused we may not be able to respond with appropriate judgment. Its important that people who are usually around you are able to recognize the signs of changes in mental status: muddled thinking, changes in speech, unusual behavior and even simply reduced activity. There are many other possible causes for this symptom besides hypertension, including stroke or possibly an unreported head injury, so always seek medical attention if you experience changes in consciousness. Make sure that family members and caregivers know what to watch for, and know that any sign of quickly changing mental status is an emergency that requires immediate medical response.

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    Heart Attack And Heart Disease

    High blood pressure can damage your arteries by making them less elastic, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and leads to heart disease. In addition, decreased blood flow to the heart can cause:

    • Chest pain, also called angina.
    • Heart attack, which happens when the blood supply to your heart is blocked and heart muscle begins to die without enough oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
    • Heart failure, a condition that means your heart cant pump enough blood and oxygen to your other organs.

    Monitor Your Blood Pressure Regularly

    The best way to prevent complications and avoid problems is to recognize hypertension early.

    Keep a log of your blood pressure readings and take it to your regular doctor appointments. This can help your doctor see any possible problems before the condition advances.

    People with hypertension can deliver healthy babies despite having the condition. But it can be dangerous to both the birthing parent and baby if its not monitored closely and managed during the pregnancy.

    People with high blood pressure who become pregnant are more likely to develop complications . For example, pregnant women with hypertension may experience decreased kidney function. Babies born to birthing parents with hypertension may have a low birth weight or be born prematurely.

    Some people may develop hypertension during their pregnancies. Several types of high blood pressure problems can develop. The condition often reverses itself once the baby is born. Developing hypertension during pregnancy may increase your risk for developing hypertension later in life.

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