High Blood Pressure: Symptoms

What other symptoms might occur with high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is often called “the silent killer” because it generally does not produce symptoms until serious complications develop. In some cases, people with high blood pressure may experience nosebleeds or headaches.

Despite a general lack of symptoms, uncontrolled high blood pressure puts excessive stress on the walls of the body’s arteries. This damages blood vessels throughout the body, including blood vessels in vital organs, such as the kidneys, heart and brain.

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, high blood pressure may accompany symptoms that might indicate a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these symptoms including:

• Change in mental status or sudden behavior change, such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations and delusions

• Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure, palpitations

• Dizziness

• Garbled or slurred speech or inability to speak

• Loss of consciousness or change in consciousness, such as lethargy

• Nosebleed that does not stop within five minutes

• Numbness

• Paralysis or difficulty moving a part of your body

• Rapid heart rate (tachycardia)

• Severe or unusual headache

• Vision changes

• Weakness