High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that can remain undetected for years because it often causes no noticeable symptoms. This is why regularly measuring blood pressure is more reliable than waiting for warning signs to appear.
Some people with very high blood pressure may experience headaches, dizziness, vision changes, shortness of breath or other symptoms, but these are not specific to hypertension and can have many other causes.
If left uncontrolled over time, high blood pressure can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of serious cardiovascular complications, including heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Treatment and Lifestyle Changes
After hypertension is diagnosed, treatment depends on the individual’s blood pressure levels and overall cardiovascular risk. Doctors may prescribe blood-pressure-lowering medication and recommend lifestyle changes such as reducing excess sodium intake, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and following a balanced diet.
What About Sunflower Seed Decoction?
Some traditional remedies recommend boiling unroasted sunflower seeds in water and drinking the resulting decoction to lower blood pressure. Sunflower seeds themselves contain nutrients such as magnesium and unsaturated fats and can be part of a healthy diet.
However, there is not sufficient reliable clinical evidence to establish sunflower seed decoction as a treatment for hypertension, and it should not replace prescribed medication or medical care.
Anyone who repeatedly records high blood pressure should consult a healthcare professional rather than relying on symptoms or home remedies. Very high blood pressure accompanied by symptoms such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath, neurological changes or severe headache may require urgent medical evaluation.
