high blood presssure – impact
Too little attention is still being paid to high blood pressure (hypertension), although it is much more widespread than you might think: 25 to 30 percent of all adults worldwide suffer from it, and in Austria every second person is affected by it at an advanced age ! Since the associated health problems may not be noticed for a long time, high blood pressure is also called a “silent killer”. Its consequences can be deadly! There is an increased risk of heart failure, heath attack, stroke or kidney failure. Finally, due to the increased pressure in the arteries, hypertension has a detrimental effect on all major organs, most notably the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes.
Hypertension would be easy to diagnose and treat. With timely therapy, it is even possible to prevent half of all strokes and heart attacks.
You can do a lot yourself to stay healthy. Even small lifestyle changes can sometimes lower blood pressure. However, your doctor usually prescribes a combination of lifestyle changes and medications to get permanent control of your health problems.
Please remember: it is indeed important to recognize high blood pressure early. So if you notice the following symptoms, you should consult a doctor:
Fatigue for several days
headache
dizziness
Nervousness, inner restlessness
Shortness of breath on exertion
If blood pressure rises suddenly or significantly it can lead to nausea, nosebleeds or numbness.