5 Sneaky High Blood Pressure Symptoms Doctors Say You Shouldn’t Ignore
High blood pressure is called the silent killer for a reason. Here are the surprising signs to watch for
If you’ve ever gone to your doctor for a checkup and learned you had a health concern you didn’t know you had, you know how jarring the surprise diagnosis can be. You may feel at a loss, asking yourself how you missed the signs. While some conditions really do appear without warning, others send signals we don’t always recognize.
For instance, we know chest pain can be a signal of a heart issue, or that weight gain can be linked to thyroid problems. But other health issues show up in ways we might not expect. Consider the 119.9 million adults the CDC says are living with high blood pressure. Did all of them know before being diagnosed? Likely not. The good news? We asked top doctors to share the sneaky signs of high blood pressure you shouldn’t overlook.
What is high blood pressure?
Vascular surgeon Anahita Dua, MD, MBA, MSC, associate professor of surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, shares a helpful way to think of high blood pressure.
Woman's World Answers
“High blood pressure, or hypertension, is when the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is consistently too high,” says Dr. Dua. “Over time, this pressure can damage the arteries, heart, kidneys, eyes and brain. Think of it like [the] pressure of water flowing through a hose. If the pressure is too strong, the hose starts to wear down. Similarly, uncontrolled high blood pressure silently harms your body without any obvious symptoms, which is why it’s often called the ‘silent killer.’”
When a medical professional checks your blood pressure, they’ll give you two numbers, often described as one number “over” the other. “Systolic pressure is the top number that measures the force when your heart contracts and pumps blood out,” explains Will Haas, MD, founder & CEO of VYVE Wellness. “Diastolic is the bottom number representing the pressure when your heart relaxes between beats. Systolic shows how hard your heart is working during each pump, and diastolic indicates whether your arteries can properly relax.”
If your blood pressure is above 130/80 mmHg, you officially have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.
Common causes of high blood pressure in women
Before we get to the sneaky signs, it helps to understand what causes high blood pressure. According to Concetta Milano, MD, a cardiologist at Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia.
Elevated blood pressure levels can be caused by:
- A family history of hypertension
- A diet high in sodium
- Untreated sleep apnea
- Obesity
- Certain medications (such as NSAIDs, decongestants and antidepressants)
- Alcohol use
- Anxiety or stress
- Smoking
- Lack of physical activity
There’s also a unique connection between menopause and high blood pressure.
“Women going through menopause experience an increased risk of developing high blood pressure due to hormonal changes and weight gain, and some types of birth control pills can increase blood pressure in women,” says Estelle Jean, MD, FACC, a cardiologist at MedStar Health.
5 Sneaky high blood pressure signs
Scalloping of the tongue
Your tongue isn’t usually the first place you think of when it comes to blood pressure, but new research suggests its appearance may be a clue.
A new study published in the American Journal of Hypertension examined 1,681 Japanese adults ages 30 to 84. Researchers looked for scalloped tongues, meaning grooves or ridges along the sides of the tongue, and found that people with scalloped tongues had higher blood pressure than those without.
“Tongue scalloping can indicate the presence of inflammation and fluid retention, both of which are linked to elevated blood pressure,” explains Dr. Haas. “When we have underlying inflammation—often from poor sleep, stress or metabolic dysfunction—it affects our vascular health and can cause tissue swelling that shows up in the tongue before we see it elsewhere.”
Pounding in the neck, ears or chest:
“Some people feel their heartbeat more forcefully when their blood pressure is high, especially during stressful situations or physical activity,” says Dr. Dua.
The sensation of blood moving with extra force through the vessels when blood pressure is elevated can lead to a pounding or pumping feeling that feels like a heartbeat in your neck, ears or chest, which all have blood vessels moving through the area.
Nosebleeding:
“The delicate blood vessels in your nose are often the first to show damage from elevated pressure, making them more prone to rupturing spontaneously,” says Dr. Haas.
High blood pressure pushes blood through the vessels more intensely, which can sometimes cause them to rupture. When this happens in the vessels of the nose, it can cause a nosebleed.
Blurred vision:
“High blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina, affecting vision,” says Dr. Dua.
When blood flows with increased pressure through the small vessels in our retina, which is a tissue inside the eye, it can damage them. This damage could look like blurred vision.
Headaches in the morning:
“High blood pressure can cause increased intracranial pressure overnight, leading to headaches upon waking as your body struggles to regulate blood flow to the brain,” says Dr. Haas.
5 Tips to reduce blood pressure:
If you’ve recently been diagnosed, your doctor will recommend strategies to help lower your numbers. Depending on your levels, he or shemay prescribe medication, but lifestyle changes make a big difference too. Our experts recommend:
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- Eat potassium-rich foods every day: “Potassium helps balance sodium levels and relaxes blood vessel walls—foods like avocados, bananas and leafy greens literally help your arteries stay more flexible and responsive,” says Dr. Haas.
- Mindfully manage stress: “Chronic stress triggers adrenaline and cortisol spikes, which can lead to long-term increases in blood pressure,” says Dr. Dua.
- Try deep breathing: “Slow, diaphragmatic breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which naturally lowers heart rate and blood pressure by signaling your body to shift out of “fight or flight” mode,” says Dr. Haas.
- Cut back on sodium: “Salt increases fluid retention, which raises blood pressure by increasing the volume of blood your heart has to pump,” says Dr. Dua.
- Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep: “Poor sleep disrupts hormones like cortisol and increases inflammation, both of which directly raise blood pressure by keeping your nervous system in a stressed state,” says Dr. Haas.
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