Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Severe headache Fatigue or confusion Vision Problems

Chest pain Difficulty in breathing Irregular heartbeat Blood in the urine Pounding in your chest, neck, or ears

If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately. You could be having a hypertensive crisis that could lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Hypertensive Urgency Occurs when blood pressure spikes, but there is no damage to any of the organs and blood pressure can be brought down safely within a few hours with blood pressure medication.

When organ damage occurs as a result of severely elevated high blood pressure, this is considered a hypertensive emergency. When this occurs, blood pressure must be reduced immediately to prevent organ damage. This is done in an intensive care unit of a hospital.

Organ damage in case of hypertensive emergency may include : Changes in mental status such as confusion or coma (encephalopathy). Bleeding into the brain (stroke). Heart failure. Chest pain (angina). Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). Heart attack. Aneurysm (Bulging blood vessel). Eclampsia (occurs during pregnancy).

Headache Seizure Chest pain Shortness of breath Swelling or edema (fluid buildup in the tissues)

Diagnosing Hypertensive Emergency Certain tests will be given to monitor blood pressure and assess organ damage, including: Regular monitoring of blood pressure. Eye exam to look for swelling and bleeding. Blood and urine testing.

Treatment for Hypertensive Emergency and Associated Organ Damage the first goal is to bring down the blood pressure as quickly as possible with intravenous (IV) blood pressure medications organ damage that has occurred is treated with therapies specific to the organ that is damaged.