3. How do I know if I have high blood pressure?
Because hypertension involves consistently high blood pressure readings over time, one or two readings alone might not be helpful. The best way to know if you have it is to monitor your blood pressure over time, either at annual physicals in the doctor’s office or at home, using your own blood pressure cuff.
It’s important to note that you could have hypertension even if you feel fine because it generally doesn’t cause symptoms. High blood pressure tends to develop gradually over a period of years, so you shouldn’t be misled by the lack of symptoms, says Dr. Turner.
“Sometimes there’s an assumption that if you feel well, you’re generally healthy. But you can feel very well for a long time and not know you have significant high blood pressure that’s damaging your body,” he says.
4. Why is hypertension dangerous?
The condition forces the heart to work harder, which can lead to serious problems that include chest pain, heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and heart failure. There is also a subtype of dementia called vascular dementia, which is much more prevalent in patients with high blood pressure. “The thought is that high blood pressure contributes to blockages in small blood vessels of the brain, injuring it. That, over time, can lead to dementia,” Dr. Giaimo says.