Hypertension causes and symptoms: what to know

Contributors can include family history, increasing age, excess weight, high-salt foods, limited activity, tobacco, alcohol, ongoing stress, kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, and some medicines. Some people have hypertension without feeling unwell. Others may report headache, dizziness, blurred vision, palpitations, or nosebleeds, but these symptoms are not specific and can have other explanations. Measurement is the way to identify high blood pressure; a clinician may also look for an underlying cause when the pattern or medical history suggests one.

Arrange a check if you have risk factors or have not had your blood pressure assessed recently. If readings are being monitored, use a validated device, follow the correct posture, and keep a diary. Review medicines and supplements with a clinician, including anti-inflammatory pain medicines and decongestants. Sustainable activity, nutritious food, less processed salt, good sleep, and stopping smoking can help, whether or not tablets are prescribed.

Get emergency help for sudden weakness or numbness on one side, facial drooping, speech difficulty, new severe confusion, sudden vision loss, severe chest pain, or serious breathlessness. A headache that is sudden and unusually severe, particularly with neurological symptoms, also needs immediate assessment. Do not wait for a home reading before seeking help.

Which contributors might apply to me? Should I have kidney, diabetes, cholesterol, sleep, or medicine reviews? What symptoms are urgent, and how should I check my BP at home?