20 Commonly Asked Questions About High Blood Pressure
After you're diagnosed with High Blood Pressure (also known as Hypertension) you may have questions on how it may affect your life.
Let's cover 20 commonly asked questions about high blood pressure, with information provided from sources like the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the American Heart Association, and other medical experts.
1. Does High Blood Pressure Cause Headaches?
High blood pressure may cause headaches in extreme situations, but they should not be a regular occurrence, according to the American Heart Association.
High blood pressure is considered around 130/80 mm Hg and higher. If your blood pressure reads around 180/120 mm Hg or higher more than once, this is considered a hypertensive crisis and you need to seek immediate medical treatment.
An extreme case like that is an instance where you may feel a headache, but that is more due to blood pressure readings than anything. If you have consistent headaches while being diagnosed with high blood pressure, you may have other conditions that need to be addressed.
2. Does High Blood Pressure Make You Tired?
High blood pressure does have the potential to make you feel tired, but it can also contribute to other ailments that worsen fatigue, according to Healthline.
The damage caused by unchecked or untreated high blood pressure may lead to many complications with bodily processes that can leave you feeling fatigued.
You must develop a treatment plan with your doctor as soon as possible so that you can avoid these complications, and with telehealth options, you may even get a prescription online for high blood pressure.
3. Does High Blood Pressure Make You Hot?
There is no evidence that high blood pressure leads to increased body temperature.
While experiencing things like Facial Flushing (visible coloring of the face) or hot flashes may coincide with an increase in blood pressure, high blood pressure is not linked as a cause of these phenomena, as explained by the American Heart Association.
4. Does high blood pressure cause Dizziness?
There are no supported links between dizziness and high blood pressure.
Dizziness, especially if suddenly onset, can be a sign of stroke, which high blood pressure is a leading contributor to. If you do experience sudden onset dizziness as well as other symptoms like loss of balance and coordination, seek immediate medical treatment, as directed by the American Heart Association.
Dizziness is also a side effect in some blood pressure medications, but high blood pressure is not the direct cause.
5. Does High blood pressure cause anxiety?
High blood pressure can trigger feelings of anxiety. As IBCCES explains, when diagnosed with hypertension, some people become worried about their health and future, and thereafter develop feelings of anxiety.
This can become an issue especially when occurring over a prolonged period of time, and even has the potential to increase blood pressure further. Your medical providers should do their best to help you feel at ease with your diagnosis. High blood pressure is extremely common and easy to identify with many treatment options.
If you are having consistent feelings of anxiety, however, it can be helpful to seek treatment with a mental health professional, to help come to terms with your diagnosis and treatment.
6. Does high blood pressure cause shortness of breath?
Yes, High blood pressure can cause shortness of breath, but it may be a sign of other underlying conditions as well.
If you find yourself dealing with shortness of breath, it is worth consulting your doctor. Shortness of breath exists in conjunction with some other issue occurring within your body, so identifying what the cause is as soon as possible is crucial to help treat the issue.
Penn Medicine offers great advice for how to proceed when you are experiencing shortness of breath.
7. Does high blood pressure make you immunocompromised?
Yes, High blood pressure can make you immunocompromised, as reported by the Mayo Clinic.
While having high blood pressure can make you more susceptible to infection, (including from Covid-19), patients treating their blood pressure with medication seem to fare better than those without.
You must stick to a treatment plan developed with your doctor, so that you may help treat your high blood pressure and avoid the dangers that come with a weakened ability to fight infection. You can even seek out an online prescription for hypertension if needed.
8. Does high blood pressure cause nausea?
It's possible. Nausea is not a commonly reported symptom of high blood pressure, but it does have the chance of occurring in rare cases.
Many reports of nausea with high blood pressure come as a result of dizziness caused by a hypertension crisis event. If this occurs seek immediate medical treatment, (a reading of around 180/120 mm Hg more than once)
Healthline recommends that you call your doctor if you experience nausea while treating your high blood pressure, especially if you are on medication, as this may also be a contributing factor.
9. Does high blood pressure cause ED?
Yes, high blood pressure can cause Erectile Dysfunction.
Untreated high blood pressure can lead to damage in blood vessels that limit blood flow. This lessened blood flow can contribute to ED as well as other problems, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If you have high blood pressure and are experiencing symptoms of ED, it is best to consult your doctor, so that you may come up with a treatment plan to address these problems. For the sake of convenience, you may even have the option of an online prescription for high blood pressure.
10. Does high blood pressure cause nosebleeds?
No, nosebleeds are not generally a symptom of high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.
In extreme circumstances, (hypertensive crisis), you may experience nosebleeds, but the most important symptom of hypertensive crises is a high blood pressure reading (around 180/120 mm Hg) and you will probably experience other serious symptoms as well.
Typically, you will not have to worry about nosebleeds as a symptom of high blood pressure.
11. Can high blood pressure affect your vision?
Yes, high blood pressure can affect your vision, according to the Mayo Clinic.
High blood pressure may eventually lead to damage in the blood vessels in your eyes, causing a range of vision problems. Bleeding in the eye, blurred vision, and even complete loss of vision are all possibilities.
If you have previously or are currently experiencing these symptoms while diagnosed with high blood pressure, you should seek medical treatment. To avoid the occurrence of these issues, it is best to identify your high blood pressure as soon as possible and develop a treatment plan with your doctor.
12. Can high blood pressure affect your kidneys?
Yes, high blood pressure can negatively affect your kidneys, according to the American Heart Association.
Unchecked high blood pressure can eventually cause damage to the arteries around your kidneys. These damaged arteries do not filter blood well, and the damage your kidneys sustain will mean they cannot regulate blood pressure well either.
Identifying your high blood pressure early and working up a treatment plan with your doctor can help you avoid these potential threats to your health.
13. Can high blood pressure affect your skin?
Currently, there is not much evidence to suggest that high blood pressure affects the skin.
Some studies suggest Psoriasis may contribute to high blood pressure, and others suggest that high blood pressure may affect skin aging, but this connection is not often reported.
14. Can high blood pressure affect your ears?
Yes, there is evidence to suggest that high blood pressure may affect your ears and hearing, based on information from the Mayo Clinic and Anderson Audiology.
High blood pressure affects the blood vessels around your body, and this includes in your ears. Problems like tinnitus and generally worsened hearing have been found in connection with high blood pressure.
Avoiding these long-term effects is possible with early identification and treatment of your high blood pressure. Also, see what options you have to get an online prescription for hypertension.
15. Can high blood pressure affect sleep?
Lack of sleep and poor sleep can contribute to high blood pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic, but there are not many reports about high blood pressure causing a lack of sleep.
Poor sleeping habits and sleep deprivation can cause your blood pressure to increase, as sleep is a time when your body generally experiences a blood pressure decrease.
So if you are experiencing high blood pressure and have issues sleeping, consult your doctor to see how you can proceed and if they are linked, or if they are separate issues that you need to address.
16. Can high blood pressure affect your period?
No, there are not many current reported links between high blood pressure and changes in menstruation.
While research notes possible links between a person's period and their blood pressure fluctuating, there is not much evidence to suggest that high blood pressure will affect your period in any way.
17. Can high blood pressure cause chest pain?
Yes, high blood pressure may cause chest pain, as reported by the CDC.
High blood pressure can cause damage to arteries, decreasing the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart. This may cause chest pain, as well as heart disease, heart attack, and even heart failure.
If you find yourself dealing with chest pain while diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is important to keep in contact with your doctor, to ensure that you are treating your blood pressure well, and so that any problems can be addressed before they become any more severe.
18. Can high blood pressure affect your sinuses?
Research is still ongoing into possible links between high blood pressure and sinus issues, but generally, high blood pressure is not shown to affect sinuses.
One thing that is important to note though, is that some medications for treating sinus issues may be troublesome for those with high blood pressure. So, if you are having sinus issues and high blood pressure, you should consult your doctor before taking any medication.
19. Can high blood pressure affect your thinking?
Yes, high blood pressure may contribute to thinking problems, early brain aging, and even Alzheimer's disease, according to Johns Hopkins.
Current research shows that high blood pressure can contribute to cognitive decline over time, as damage to arteries hinders blood and oxygen flow throughout the body, including to your brain.
Identifying high blood pressure early on and mitigating and treating it with a plan tailored for you can help to avoid these problems down the line.
20. Can high blood pressure be reversed?
Certain risk factors that lead to high blood pressure can be reversed, although some cases of high blood pressure will still need to be managed with medication, as reported by the Mayo Clinic.
Weight gain, smoking, stress, diet, alcohol, and lack of exercise are all factors that can contribute to an increase in blood pressure. Making lifestyle changes to mitigate these risks can help bring down your instances of high blood pressure, and help you avoid or delay the need for medication.
Some people can make healthy lifestyle choices and still have to deal with high blood pressure however, in these instances, consulting with your doctor to find the best treatment plan for you can still help you manage high blood pressure and avoid the more dangerous consequences of leaving it unchecked.
Conclusion
High blood pressure can be a worrisome diagnosis for those with little experience with it. While avoiding acknowledging it is never the right call, some comfort may be gained from knowing that the more severe effects of high blood pressure come when it is left unchecked for long periods of time.
Consulting with your doctor can help you identify what the right steps are for dealing with your case of high blood pressure. Whether that be making some lifestyle changes, obtaining a prescription, or even visiting a mental health practitioner, identifying high blood pressure as early as possible can help you avoid many serious consequences. For more information about blood pressure, click here.
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