When symptoms do occur with high blood pressure, they may include a severe headache. People who suspect that they have symptoms of high blood pressure should not ignore them.
This article explains when high blood pressure might cause a headache and what the additional symptoms might be. It also covers when to seek immediate medical treatment.
What does the science say?
Study results provide conflicting evidence on whether or not high blood pressure causes headaches:
Evidence supporting the idea
Researchers are still unsure if high blood pressure causes headaches.According to a paper in the Iranian Journal of Neurology, headaches due to high blood pressure typically occur on both sides of the head.
The headache pain tends to pulsate and often gets worse with physical activity.
According to the authors, high blood pressure can cause headaches because it affects the blood-brain barrier.
Hypertension can result in excess pressure on the brain, which can cause blood to leak from the blood vessels in this organ.
This causes edema, or swelling, which is problematic because the brain sits within the skull and has no space to expand.
The swelling places further pressure on the brain and causes symptoms that include a headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, weakness, seizures, and blurred vision. If a person receives treatment to lower their blood pressure, their symptoms will usually improve within an hour.
Evidence contradicting the idea
The American Heart Association maintain that people do not usually experience headaches when their blood pressure is high unless it goes above a reading of 180/120.
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