9 Surprisingly Subtle Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

from NCOA

Americans are living longer, which means more time doing the things we love with the people we care about. But that extended lifespan has a flipside: It brings a greater risk of developing one or more chronic health conditions as we enter older adulthood. One of the top chronic diseases facing older Americans today is high blood pressure (hypertension), which impacts nearly 70% of people age 60 and up.

Here’s a surprising fact about high blood pressure: More than 40% of adults with this condition don’t even know they have it. The problem isn’t a lack of concern; it’s a lack of clues. Most people with hypertension feel normal—even as elevated pressure quietly damages their blood vessels. That’s why hypertension is often called a “silent killer.”

What are the subtle, silent signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?

Most people experience no symptoms at all, which makes regular screening critical. But if you have very high blood pressure or a sudden spike, you may notice one or more of the following signs:

1. Early-morning headaches: Persistent, dull headaches felt at the back of your skull when you wake up can be related to elevated nighttime blood pressure.
2. Dizziness or light-headedness: High blood pressure can reduce blood flow to your brain and leave you woozy.
3. Blurred vision or eye strain: Your eyes contain delicate blood vessels. Over time, uncontrolled hypertension can damage the retina, causing blurred or double vision and even vision loss. Regular eye exams sometimes reveal high blood pressure before other tests do.
4. Pounding sensation in your ears, neck, or chest: This may be the result of greater pressure from blood flowing through your arteries—especially if you’re having other symptoms.
5. Shortness of breath: Extra pressure in your blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder, which may cause you to get winded easily during physical activities.
6. Nosebleeds: Occasional nosebleeds are usually nothing to worry about. But frequent or unexplained episodes can accompany sudden spikes in blood pressure.
7. Fatigue or confusion: Uncontrolled hypertension can impair blood flow to your brain, leading to persistent tiredness, trouble concentrating, or even episodes of confusion.
8. Irregular heartbeat (palpitations): High blood pressure can enlarge or strain your heart muscle, contributing to atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias. This can feel like your heart fluttering, racing, or skipping beats.
9. Tinnitus: Tinnitus is defined as recurring ringing, buzzing, or roaring in one or both ears. In a 2021 study, researchers found that 45.8% of people with hypertension also had tinnitus (compared to 39.2% of people who did not have hypertension).

Regular blood pressure checks are vital, even without symptoms

Even with no symptoms, older adults should have their blood pressure checked at least once a year. “Hypertension can affect anyone,” Leigh Simmons, MD, a general internist, explained in a Mass General Brigham Newsroom article. “The number one risk factor for whether you will develop hypertension is your family history of hypertension or high blood pressure.”

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