The Top Warning Signs of Hypertension to Look Out For

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a highly prevalent condition impacting nearly half of all adults in the United States. Concerningly, many people are unaware they have it until serious complications start to happen. 

Our multispecialty team at LeSante Health Center in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens area of Brooklyn, Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, and Little Caribbean, New York, urges all our patients to get their blood pressure checked regularly. In fact, we provide blood pressure readings during all physical exams and other internal medicine appointments across New York City.

Ignoring hypertension or simply not realizing you have it can lead to dire consequences for your health, like a heart attack or stroke. Whether or not you have the means to check your blood pressure regularly, you should be aware of the warning signs and report them to your physician right away if you notice them. 

While hypertension doesn’t always cause symptoms, here are a few signals your body might send you if your blood pressure gets too high.

Frequent headaches

A headache is one of those symptoms that doesn’t always tell you something deeper is wrong. In fact, many people get them occasionally in response to stress, certain foods, and other triggers, or for seemingly no reason at all. 

Symptoms like headaches don’t tend to come with high blood pressure until it’s extremely high. Even then, you may or may not get headaches. But if you start to get more frequent headaches than usual, especially if you feel dizzy, too, it’s a good idea to see your primary care provider and discuss the possibility of hypertension. 

Nosebleeds

A bloody nose can cause you to run to the nearest restroom or nearby box of tissues to clean the sudden mess. While you might consider other causes first, such as dry air or allergies, regular nosebleeds could be a sign that your blood pressure is extremely high. Like headaches, nosebleeds don’t typically appear until the condition is advanced. 

Your own behaviors and habits

Perhaps the best indication that you might have high blood pressure is a lifestyle that fosters hypertension. Physicians encourage their patients to exercise regularly and to limit salt and saturated fat in their diets in order to avoid hypertension among other heart and blood vessel diseases. 

You should speak with one of our experts at LeSante Health Center about your blood pressure and discuss hypertension if you:

• Drink a lot of alcohol
• Eat a lot of salty or fatty foods
• Are overweight or obese
• Smoke cigarettes
• Use other tobacco products
• Live a stressful life

Changing these behaviors isn’t always easy, but reversing them can quickly lower your blood pressure to safer levels. 

Your health and wellness

Several conditions are closely linked to hypertension and tend to go hand-in-hand with it for many people. If you have chronic conditions like diabetes, sleep apnea, or high cholesterol, it’s crucial that you and your physician keep a close eye on your blood pressure readings due to your risk of hypertension. 

Hypertension can go on for years without you realizing that your cardiovascular health is in jeopardy. Schedule a visit at any of our New York City offices to get a blood pressure reading today.