Do you know what health condition affects about 70 million — or one out of every three — American adults? I’ll give you a hint. Nearly one out of three adults who don’t have the condition are one step below having it. The answer is a highly common yet preventable condition called high blood pressure, also known as hypertension — which is why you need to pay attention if you have high blood pressure symptoms. (1)
High blood pressure isn’t just a problem in and of itself, but it also leads to other dangerous health conditions, including stroke, heart attack, chronic heart failure and kidney disease.
Did you know that most people with high blood pressure or hypertension have no symptoms, even when their blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels? In fact, about one of five U.S. adults with high blood pressure still doesn’t know he or she has it. Scary, I know.
The good news is that even mainstream medicine will agree with me when I say that diet and exercise are the most important tools for preventing and treating high blood pressure naturally and successfully.
High Blood Pressure Symptoms & Life Expectancy
What is high blood pressure exactly? It’s a common disease in which blood flows through blood vessels and arteries at higher than normal pressures.
Hypertension costs the U.S. $46 billion each year, which includes the cost of health care services, medications to treat high blood pressure symptoms and missed days of work. Standard medical treatment for elevated blood pressure is to prescribe dangerous beta-blockers, ACE inhibitor drugs and diuretics, along with convincing the patient to restrict salt in the diet. Although these things can help, they don’t get to the root of the problem and can actually cause more problems. We’ve been encouraged to fear salt when it comes to our health, but this recommendation of extreme salt reduction for high blood pressure symptoms remains controversial, questionable and even destructive for good reason. (2)
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. High blood pressure happens when this force is too high. Scary, but true: Most people who have this condition display zero signs or high blood pressure symptoms, even when their blood pressure readings are at dangerously high levels.
When blood pressure is measured, there are two numbers that result, which measures two different pressures. The top number is systolic pressure, the blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. The second or bottom number is diastolic pressure, the blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.
Blood pressure ranges include: (3)
Normal: Less than 120/80
Prehypertension: 120–139/80–89
Stage 1 high blood pressure: 140–159/90–99
Stage 2 high blood pressure: 160 and above/100 and above
Frequently, there are no high blood pressure symptoms as blood pressure increases, but some warning signs for very high blood pressure can include chest pains, confusion, headaches, ear noise or buzzing, irregular heartbeat, nosebleeds, tiredness, or vision changes.
At the age of 50, total life expectancy is about five years longer for people with normal blood pressure than for those who have hypertension. (4) That’s just another worthwhile reason to get your high blood pressure symptoms under control and keep them under control.
Complications of High Blood Pressure
More than 360,000 American deaths in 2013 included high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause. That equates to a highly disturbing and concerning nearly 1,000 deaths each day.
High blood pressure increases your risk for dangerous health conditions, such as: (5)
First heart attack: About seven of every 10 people having their first heart attacks have high blood pressure.
First stroke: About eight of every 10 people having their first strokes have high blood pressure.
Chronic heart failure: About seven of every 10 people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure.
Eye problems: High blood pressure can cause thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes, which can result in vision loss.
Metabolic syndrome: High blood pressure symptoms increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, a combination of three or more of the following health issues: abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure or low HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Memory issues: Uncontrolled high blood pressure can affect your ability to think, remember and learn. Trouble with memory or understanding concepts is more common in people with high blood pressure.
Aneurysm: Increased blood pressure can cause your blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening.
High Blood Pressure vs. Low Blood Pressure
Risk of both low blood pressure and high blood pressure normally increases with age due in part to normal changes during aging. Here are how low and high blood pressure stack up.
High Blood Pressure
Frequently, there are no high blood pressure symptoms as blood pressure increases. Some warning signs for very high blood pressure, however, can include:
chest pains
confusion
headaches
ear noise or buzzing
irregular heartbeat
nosebleed
tiredness
vision changes