How does your body feel if your blood pressure is high?

High blood pressure or hypertension is often called silent killer because most people feel no symptoms even when BP is dangerously high, which is why regular checks are important, but when symptoms do occur, body may feel several warning signs. When blood pressure is moderately high, you may feel no symptoms at all, which is why many people do not know they have high BP. When blood pressure is very high, especially over 180 over 120, known as hypertensive crisis, you may feel headache, particularly throbbing headache at back of head, dizziness, blurred vision or seeing spots, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, nausea, confusion, anxiety, nosebleed, pounding in chest, neck, or ears, and fatigue. Some people feel flushed face, sweating, and difficulty sleeping. Long-term high BP can cause body to feel tired, have swollen ankles, and frequent urination. However, these symptoms are not specific to high BP and can have other causes, so only way to know is to measure BP with monitor. If you experience severe headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, or confusion with high BP reading, seek emergency medical help immediately as it could be hypertensive emergency. Otherwise, high BP often has no feeling, so you may feel completely normal even with high readings. Regular monitoring, healthy diet low in salt, exercise, and medication if prescribed are needed to manage high BP.