Honing in on Hypertension: Warning Signs of High Blood Pressure
You have a family history
You can exercise and eat healthy to help prevent high blood pressure, but your genetics will always play a role. Genetics are a huge factor when it comes to your heart health, and high blood pressure can be hereditary. Ask your family members about their history of high blood pressure or heart disease. Your grandparents, parents, and siblings are the ones you should be the most concerned about, especially if any of them have had a heart attack younger than 45-years-old.
You experience headaches or brain fog
Some people with high blood pressure may experience mild or chronic headaches or what is known as brain fog. However, high blood pressure symptoms don’t normally manifest in a noticeable way until you’re blood pressure is really high. If you have horrible headaches that won’t go away, you might be having a hypertensive crisis and need to seek medical attention immediately.
You’re dizzy and lose your balance a lot
Suddenly feeling dizzy and losing your balance can be an early warning sign of a stroke caused by high blood pressure. If your dizziness is caused by something obvious, like standing up too fast or watching a 3D movie, and it passes quickly, then you probably have nothing to worry about. However, if it happens more often than it should, it’s time to call the doctor.
Preventive screenings
Americans in their 50s today have higher rates of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure than their parents’ generation did. Knowing that high blood pressure doesn’t typically show obvious symptoms, it’s incredibly important to go to the doctor for regular preventive screenings.
You can get a number of different screenings to protect your health, including hypertension screenings, cardiovascular screenings, thyroid disease tests, and more. The earlier you learn of a medical problem, the quicker you can change your lifestyle and get back on the road to a longer life.