Is it possible to feel your own high blood pressure?

[Askance]

This may end up in IMHO, but I'll start here in GQ as I would expect there to be a factual answer. I am seeing doctors about these things, I just want the facts.

For over 10 years I've had this feeling of pressure in my head and inner ears, as if my head is "full", like blood comes up my neck and doesn't all go back down. I've also been intermittently diagnosed with moderately high blood pressure (ie one doctor says I do and another says I don't - neither gave me actual numbers). Is it possible this sensation in my head is due to high blood pressure? Could one actually feel the increased pressure in any way?

As a follow on: is there any known or conjectured connection between elevated blood pressure and tinnitus? I've had them for about the same period too.

Thanks all.

[dragonlady]

I have been being treated for high blood pressure for about 5 years. I had NO discernible symptoms, even after I knew I had it. Nothing I could say "OHHH, that's what that was!" Not saying that what you describe isn't possible, just that I didn't have it.

standard disclaimers apply....IANAD YMMV

[groo]

I've had this for 47 years, and I typically have rather low blood pressure (102/64 just now). I feel it in my ears and temples, sometimes at the back of my eyes.

[aruvqan]

I now have high blood pressure, and I dont notice it while on meds, but now i am medicated, if I miss my meds I get shakey, light headed and feel decidedly *off* almost like I am having a hypoglycemic issue, but when I test my glucose it is just fine. I think it may be partially because whatever meds I am on manipulates my pulse rate also. [An unfortunate side effect of my BP meds is a bad case of the sleepies. We still cant figure out why, but unfortunately my optimum set of BP meds just does that to me and we cant really find a grouping that keeps me in my optimum range and doesnt give me the sleepies. *sigh*]

Isn't it amazing how much you can feel about your physical condition if you simply sit and contemplate how parts of you feel in a quiet room?

[misling]

IANAD, but isn't it possible that the tinnitus and pressure feelings have something to do with an (unrelated) ear problem?

[Little Nemo]

Anecdotes are not data but I used to have tinnitus quite frequently but it stopped as soon as I began taking medication for my high bllod pressure. So did my frequent headaches.

[Chief Pedant]

Most hypertension is asymptomatic.

Rapid rises tend to cause symptoms more than absolute numbers. Some people do have rapid changes which give them vague symptoms which are hard to describe--at the extreme end headache, visual changes and various disturbances of consciousness can occur.

Try checking your BP at a drugstore, or whatever when you are having symptoms and when you are not.

[Askance]

Originally Posted by misling

IANAD, but isn't it possible that the tinnitus and pressure feelings have something to do with an (unrelated) ear problem?

I did see a specialist when I first got tinnitus, he ruled out hearing problems and a brain tumour (!). Not sure what other kind of ear problems there might be that could contribute to this?

Originally Posted by Chief Pedant

Try checking your BP at a drugstore, or whatever when you are having symptoms and when you are not.

I never don't have these symptoms.

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by Askance

I did see a specialist when I first got tinnitus, he ruled out hearing problems and a brain tumour (!). Not sure what other kind of ear problems there might be that could contribute to this?

I never don't have these symptoms.

A decent BP cuff that automatically works is available at most medical pharmacies for around $80. Get one, and take your BP or get a manual sort and learn to use one [it is actually pretty easy, I learned how to do it in 8th grade bio class when we did a segment on BP for human anatomy]

When we were working on adjusting my BP meds, I took my own a lot at various points of the day to determine what the best combo was for me, the way you work with a glucometer for diabetes.

[picunurse]

Most people don't have symptoms from hypertension, but some do. Here is the Mayo Clinic's page on symptoms.

If you can't afford a blood pressure cuff, you can go to any local fire station for a free reading any time. Also, many pharmacies have free BP testing. Even some medical clinics will test for free.

Pressure in the ears and full feeling in the head is more often related to sinus problems.

[misling]

IANAD: In my case, pressure in the side of the head and tinnitus was the early sign of Meniere's Disease in my inner ear. Which luckily has not progressed to giving me balance problems, as they told me it might.

But this situation did not show from an examimation of my outer/visible ear parts - they had no fluid or infection. They had to do some other tests to track it down. And it could have been nothing, or several other things, so I'm not saying you have Meniere's disease.

[ToeJam]

Originally Posted by aruvqan

A decent BP cuff that automatically works is available at most medical pharmacies for around $80. Get one, and take your BP or get a manual sort and learn to use one [it is actually pretty easy, I learned how to do it in 8th grade bio class when we did a segment on BP for human anatomy]

I'd definately recommend a manual one- as they're around $6-9 bucks on amazon. Of course there is the price of buying a stethoscope, but still.

Best option is probably to look around for those free readers out there.