High blood pressure is a very serious disease. It can cause damage to your vital organs and in the worst cases can be fatal. Sufferers of high blood pressure often do not show any symptoms and when the symptoms do show, the damage has often already occurred. Therefore, the best way to determine whether you have high blood pressure or not is to go and see a trained doctor and get it checked out.

Blood pressure is said to be normal if it is 140 over 85. However, it can differ between different races and geographic locations. Generally speaking blood pressure above 140 over 85 is said to be high. A few degrees above normal may not cause any significant problems but a signficant increase can be dangerous.

As I mentioned above high blood pressure does not always display symptoms. However, there are a number of signs you can look out for. Regular migraines are also a sign of high blood pressure. If you find yourself breathless after a little exertion this is another sign that you may have high blood pressure, particularly if this didn't seem to happen previously. A third sign is increased nose bleeds or increased bleeding from any other area of the body. Additional signs of high blood pressure can include hyperventiliation and tension. If you notice any of these signs, particularly an increased occurence of any particular sign e.g. increased nosebleeds, you should seek further advice from your doctor immediately.

If left untreated high blood pressure can cause unwanted damage to a number of areas across your body. Your eyes receive blood through the optic arteries and if these are damaged by high blood pressure then your vision may be impaired. Brain damage is another possible outcome of high blood pressure. The brain requires oxygen and nutrition which is supplied in the blood stream. If this supply is impaired by high blood pressure it can lead to a mini-stroke, a full stroke and even dementia in old age. High blood pressure can also cause serious damage to the heart including heart attacks and heart failure.

As you can see high blood pressure can easily go unnoticed and potentially cause a lot of damage to your body. However, if it is identified early enough then you are likely to never experience any of the consequences mentioned in this article. It is advisable to go and see your doctor immediately and be tested for high blood pressure. As long as it is diagnosed early enough it can be managed using a combination of medication, diet and exercise.