Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
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High blood pressure can remain undiagnosed for years, because most people don't experience significant symptoms. Occasionally, some people with hypertension may have headaches, dizziness, or nosebleeds, but in most cases, hypertension goes undetected. This is why hypertension is known as “the Silent Killer.” When blood is flowing to body organs at elevated pressures, changes occur in your blood vessels that can result in damage to the eyes, kidneys, and other organs.
What Is Hypertension
If hypertension remains unrecognized, medical complications occur that could often be prevented with early treatment and good blood pressure control.

Measuring Your Blood Pressure

The only accurate way to determine whether or not you have hypertension is by measurement of your blood pressure. The diagnosis of hypertension is usually made after three elevated readings have been obtained, so when you measure your blood pressure, you should be aware of things that can cause a temporary rise in your numbers. Some things that can elevate your blood pressure include:

Smoking
Exercise
Caffeine
Stress
Cold temperatures
Some medications
“White Coat Hypertension”

“White Coat Hypertension” refers to the increase in blood pressure you may experience when visiting your doctor. Often, your doctor will wait until you’ve settled into your visit to repeat measurement of an initially high blood pressure reading. Smoking and caffeine constrict your arteries, which results in elevated blood pressure measurement.
Your sympathetic nervous system reacts to exercise and stress by redistributing blood flow, which can also alter your blood pressure. You should measure your blood pressure at the same time each day, to get a consistent reading.