High blood pressure exhibits no symptoms for many of us; and for others the symptoms are so mild that they go more often than not unnoticed. This is why it is estimated that a third of hypertensives are undiagnosed and are unaware that they have a potentially life threatening condition if left untreated.

Because for many sufferers, high blood pressure symptoms, particularly in the early stages of the condition, are either mild or they do not have any symptoms, they are most likely only to manifest themselves when our condition is in its more advanced stages of development. For those of us with one or more of the following risk factors for developing hypertension:

• being overweight or obese;
• being over 40 years of age;
• we have diabetes; or
• we have a family history of the condition,

we should have regular checkups if we are to be diagnosed before we manifest any symptoms of hypertension.

Watch out for these symptoms if there is no family history of hypertension and you are not suffering from any other medical condition that may cause this condition:

1. Frequent headaches and migraines;
2. Feinting, dizziness and or confusion;
3. Your vision becomes blurred;
4. Frequent nosebleeds, especially if you have not previously suffered with them.

Too many of us dismiss the symptoms of high blood pressure as being unimportant or explain them away as being caused by something else. If we are suffering from one or more of these symptoms we should seek urgent medical advice before our condition becomes worse and causes further damage to our health.

Diagnosing high blood pressure is easy, painless and quick. Your doctor will use a blood pressure monitoring machine to determine your systolic and diastolic pressures; and, within a few minutes will be able to confirm whether or not you have hypertension. Your condition will be monitored over a period of time to eliminate the possibility of false readings caused by "white coat syndrome". You may even be asked to wear an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for 24 hours to enable your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the appropriate course of treatment for you.

With the increase in the numbers of us who are obese or overweight and the prevalence of diabetes, it is important to know the high blood pressure symptoms to watch out for if we are not to fall prey to this silent killer.