Can I Feel It If I Have High Blood Pressure?

Dr. Roger Blumenthal answers the question: 'Can I Feel High Blood Pressure?'

By
Roger Blumenthal, M.D., Director, The Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
May 2, 2008, 1:06 PM ET
2 min read

— -- Question: Can I Feel It If I Have High Blood Pressure?

Answer: It would be very unusual to be able to feel high blood pressure, unless the blood pressure was very high. Occasionally, some people may have chronically elevated high blood pressure, and they're maybe more prone to develop headaches. But for most people with elevated blood pressure, it's asymptomatic.

We know that a normal blood pressure is really less than 120 over 80, but if someone's blood pressure is consistently high, especially if the top number is greater than 160, then those people may be more prone to developing some headaches. So that may be a sign that your blood pressure is high.

For most people, high blood pressure is what's termed a silent killer, and we don't know of any real way to detect that, other than doing measurements. And it's important to get your blood pressure checked, at least once a year, and make sure that it's normal, and if you have a history of some elevated blood pressure readings, it's good to try to see a doctor or other health care professional more frequently.

Next: How Does My Blood Pressure Change Throughout The Day And Night?

Previous: Do Home Blood Pressure Cuffs Work?