The Relationship of High Blood Pressure and Tiredness

Official health data shows there are more than 33% of adults in the UK who suffer from high blood pressure. The astonishing thing about it is that most of those suffering from the condition are not even aware they already have it. This is because of the absence of symptoms that signals its onset.

As time goes by, symptoms may start to show, though there may be only a few that you will notice. Ignoring these warning signs, however, may put your life at risk. Some symptoms may show early on, but they can also be attributable to some other condition or situation. At this point, the question in your mind might be whether high blood pressure causes tiredness.

Quick Facts About High Blood Pressure

Known in medical terms as hypertension, high blood pressure occurs when your blood pressure readings are at 140/90mmHg or more. The higher number represents the force at which the heart pumps blood throughout the body while the lower number indicates resistance to blood flow in your blood vessels. If you have high blood pressure, your risk of suffering from a heart attack, strokes, and many other life-threatening cardiovascular events is higher.

Tiredness or Fatigue and High Blood Pressure

While fatigue or tiredness may ensue after a particularly long working day, it may also be the result of lifestyle choices or medication. These poor lifestyle choices will result in tiredness and feeling totally exhausted. Consuming lots of foods high in saturated fats and salt, exacerbated by lack of exercise, can cause you to feel extremely fatigued and tired.

In the case of medication, some drugs can slow the pumping of your heart, which can drain your body of vital electrolytes. As a result, your body stops producing energy, and you begin to feel tired. In some instances, however, tiredness may also be caused by having high blood pressure, as some studies suggest.

While only a hypothesis, scientists say this theory may hold some truth after all. This is because the increased pressures on vital organs like the kidneys, heart, and brain can lead you to feel fatigued. All of these organs have to work double-time to keep up with the high pressure of blood pumped out by the heart. Even if you enjoyed a long night’s rest, your body would feel tired under this situation.

Risk Factors

According to the National Health Service, you are at risk of suffering from high blood pressure if you are 65 years old and above, overweight, and leading a sedentary life. Surprisingly, ethnicity also is a risk factor as studies show you are at higher risk if you are of Caribbean or African descent. Genes also play a role as scientists have proven you are also at higher risk if you have a relative that also suffers from high blood pressure.

Other risk factors include consuming too much salt, not eating enough vegetables and fruits, you are not performing enough calisthenics, and you do not get enough sleep. Smoking and drinking too much alcohol or caffeine-based beverages, like coffee, are also factors that increase your risk of developing high blood pressure.