The most common symptom of hypertension is headache. It usually starts from the nape of the neck and spreads towards the crown. Sometimes it can be felt all over the head. One of the points that should not be forgotten is that there are many diseases that can cause headaches. For this reason, there is no rule that says every person with a headache will have high blood pressure. Anxiety disorders, anxiety, tensions in daily life and viral infections can also cause headaches. Especially if blood pressure is high in these patients, panic increases and headaches become more severe. Again, headaches may only be observed in people who do not have any disease, due to daily tension and fatigue.
The mechanism of headache formation in hypertension that has not caused any damage is not fully clear. Some researchers suggest that the headache seen in hypertension is due to excessive stretching of the muscle layer under the nape and scalp. The mechanism of how high blood pressure creates this tension is not fully clear. As the patient panics, tension increases and the headache becomes more severe. Most of the time, by lowering the blood pressure and correcting the panic, the headache eases or disappears and the patient feels better. Headache in hypertension is usually felt during the daytime, rarely at night. But in uncontrolled hypertension, a person may wake up with a headache in the morning.
The severity of headache seen in hypertension increases as blood pressure increases.
Other common symptoms of panic and anxiety disorders are headache, palpitations and rapid breathing. If these patients have high blood pressure, anxiety increases and these complaints may become severe. The doctor treating the patient should take this situation into consideration.
The first symptom of hypertension in children may be headache and is common. For this reason, blood pressure should be measured in cases of frequently recurring headaches in children.
I would like to point out here that some medications can also cause headaches in hypertension patients. The most important side effect of blood pressure lowering drugs, called calcium antagonists, is headache.
“Still, one of the points I want to emphasize is that high blood pressure, including headache, It does not give any symptoms. For this reason, there are many hypertension patients who are diagnosed incidentally.”
When does a headache in hypertension indicate danger?
Sudden and severe headache in patients with hypertension Headache should be feared. In this case, the nearest health institution should be consulted. It may be a sign of brain hemorrhage.
It is not right to underestimate the headaches seen in hypertension and attribute them to high blood pressure. This may cause some serious diseases that may cause headaches to be overlooked. If a patient with hypertension has a headache, they should be questioned in detail, and if another cause is suspected, further examination should be performed.
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