High blood pressure (hypertension) and low blood pressure (hypotension) are both dangerous medical conditions. Hypertension often goes undetected for years and can lead to serious complications, while hypotension causes symptoms such as dizziness and chest pains. Both conditions can be treated if recognized early.
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, while hypotension is the word for low blood pressure. When it comes to medical issues like high blood pressure and low blood pressure, it’s important to know that the two may be opposites, but they’re both dangerous. Most people discover that they have normal or abnormal blood pressure during regular doctor’s appointments, as both hypertension and hypotension are considered serious enough for most doctors to check their blood pressure regularly. Unfortunately, some find out only after the problem has already caused impossible-to-ignore symptoms or serious medical conditions related to hyper- and hypotension.
Many people suffer from hypertension, as their resting blood pressure is consistently higher than it should be. Unfortunately, most people don’t find out about their hypertension for years because there are few definitive symptoms associated with it, especially in mild cases. Symptoms of accelerated hypertension include vision problems, fatigue, headaches and vomiting, although only a minority of patients are diagnosed with this type or experience any of these signs. Instead, high blood pressure can go undetected for years, often leading to stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, or kidney failure. Even without these complications, having consistently high blood pressure can lead to a shorter life expectancy.
On the other hand, hypotension brings with it many symptoms, which means that patients suffering from low blood pressure appear to be more likely to receive treatment than those suffering from high blood pressure. Patients with hypotension usually complain of dizziness, headaches, chest pains, difficulty breathing, nausea, and a rapidly beating heart. While having symptoms may mean that patients with hypotension are likely to seek medical attention, the unfortunate side is that most symptoms are caused by underlying problems rather than just low blood pressure. These include bleeding, anemia, congestive heart failure, sepsis, and other nagging medical problems.
In most cases, both hypertension and hypotension can be treated if recognized, or even prevented in some cases. High blood pressure can often be eliminated with weight loss, the addition of an exercise routine, and a low-sodium diet. The medicine available for this includes ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and diuretics, just to name a few. Hypotension usually requires your doctor to address the underlying issue, but the use of steroids, certain medications, and blood sugar control can help. While both high blood pressure and low blood pressure can become quite serious and should never be ignored, each problem is typically treatable if caught early.
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