What is the Connection Between High Blood Pressure and Nausea?

While high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer" and many times comes with no symptoms, some people with prolonged high blood pressure may develop symptoms like nausea. High blood pressure and nausea may be closely related because the abnormal pressure causes a lack of oxygen to the brain. The heart of a person with high blood pressure has to work much harder to circulate oxygenated blood throughout the body. After a prolonged period of time, this basic task may become too much for the heart and parts of the body, such as the outer limbs and brain, begin to lose their oxygen supply.

Quite often, symptoms of high blood pressure do not occur until the patient has had the condition for long enough that organs have become damaged. Without a routine check of her blood pressure, that patient may have no idea she have high blood pressure until these symptoms appear, at which point it may be too late. If high blood pressure and nausea have not gone untreated for too long, then it may be possible to treat the conditions with simple lifestyle changes. Common changes include a diet low in fat and salt, a moderate exercise routine, and eliminating any drugs or alcohol.

Any muscle which must work strenuously will begin to enlarge over time. Just as a person may build up size by working out their arms, so the heart's size also increases from hard work. Where moderate exercise creates healthy and strong muscles, too much begins to create problems. The same is true when the heart becomes too big. When the heart is grossly enlarged, regulating blood flow becomes very difficult, and shortness of breath occurs very quickly.

Once a person begins to experience shortness of breath and their heart begins to fail to regulate blood properly, the connection between high blood pressure and nausea becomes apparent. When these combined symptoms occur, a person's blood pressure is generally treated as a critical condition. Aggressive medicines such as diuretics may be administered, and the blood pressure is usually closely monitored until sufficient improvement is seen.

Another connection between high blood pressure and nausea may be very serious. High blood pressure may lead to a heart attack, and signs of a heart attack include pain in the chest, heavy sweating without any activity, and unexplained nausea, especially after any hard work. These symptoms can occur at any time and even if a person is unaware she has high blood pressure, they warrant an emergency visit to the hospital.