Blood pressure is a key indicator of your health. It shows how much force your blood is putting on the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body.
When your blood pressure is at a healthy level, it helps your organs get the oxygen-rich blood they need to work well.
But when blood pressure gets too high, it can be very dangerous. This condition is known as hypertension, or high blood pressure. It’s often called the “silent killer” because it usually doesn’t cause symptoms, but it can lead to serious health problems like heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure.
In some cases, blood pressure can get extremely high. This is known as a hypertensive crisis, and it’s a medical emergency. A hypertensive crisis happens when your blood pressure reaches 180/120 mm Hg or higher.
At this level, the body can begin to show clear warning signs that something is seriously wrong. These symptoms include:
Severe headaches: These headaches can come on quickly and feel much worse than normal headaches. They are often described as some of the worst pain a person has ever felt.
Chest pain: High blood pressure can strain the heart and cause pain or pressure in the chest. This may be a sign that the heart is not getting enough oxygen.
Shortness of breath: You may feel like you can’t catch your breath, especially if your heart is struggling to pump blood due to high pressure.
Nosebleeds: While nosebleeds are common and usually not serious, sudden and hard-to-stop nosebleeds can be a sign of dangerously high blood pressure.
Severe anxiety: Some people may feel an overwhelming sense of panic or dread. This is the body’s stress response to a crisis.
Vision changes: Blurred or double vision—or even sudden vision loss—can occur if high blood pressure affects the eyes.
Nausea or vomiting: If you feel sick or begin throwing up, especially with any of the symptoms above, it may be linked to a hypertensive crisis.
These signs mean that high blood pressure may be damaging your organs, and you need medical help immediately. If you or someone else has these symptoms, don’t wait—call emergency services right away.
Because high blood pressure often doesn’t cause symptoms, regular check-ups are very important. Many people don’t know they have high blood pressure until it causes serious damage.
Those at higher risk—like people with a family history of heart disease, those who are overweight, or who live unhealthy lifestyles—should be especially careful to monitor their blood pressure.
The good news is that high blood pressure can often be managed or prevented. Eating healthy, exercising, staying at a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, and not smoking are all smart habits that can help. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, taking your medication and checking your blood pressure at home can help prevent emergencies.
In short, knowing the warning signs of dangerously high blood pressure and making healthy lifestyle choices can protect your health and save your life.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about Intensive blood pressure treatment for older adults may harm heart and kidneys and What you should know about high blood pressure medications.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies about High blood pressure and marijuana: a risky combination and Common blood pressure drug may not prevent heart attack effectively.
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