What happens if hypertension is not treated?

Blood pressure can be high without causing a clear warning symptom. Over time, extra force against artery walls can make them less healthy and place strain on the heart. Damage may affect the brain, kidneys, eyes and blood vessels. A stroke or transient ischaemic attack can occur when brain blood flow is interrupted. Headache, blurred vision or a nosebleed can happen for many reasons and do not reliably measure blood pressure, so a reading is needed.

Arrange a chronic disease review if you have repeated high readings or have stopped treatment. Your clinician may check blood pressure, medicines, kidney health and cardiovascular risk, then agree a plan involving medication and daily habits. Home readings can be useful when taken correctly. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring records readings during normal activities and may help distinguish sustained hypertension from a temporary rise.

Call emergency services for sudden facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, severe new headache, chest pain, severe breathlessness, confusion or sudden loss of vision. These can signal stroke or another emergency. A very high reading with concerning symptoms also needs immediate assessment; do not take extra medicine unless a clinician has told you how to do so.

Ask what your readings mean, how often to measure them, whether ambulatory monitoring is appropriate, and how to take each medicine. Discuss side effects, missed doses, salt, activity, sleep and any other condition that may affect blood pressure.