One of the first things a doctor would check if you visit them is your blood pressure because it gives the doctor or nurse an indication of your overall health. For most people, their blood pressure would turn out normal, but others may experience low blood pressure or high blood pressure, two of the most common conditions worldwide. In fact, over 50 million people in the United States alone suffer from high blood pressure and more people are being diagnosed each day. Because both low blood pressure and high blood pressure can cause different health problems, you need to have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Low blood pressure and high blood pressure has varying symptoms. Although most people with high blood pressure can live not knowing of their condition, this is not true for those who suffer from low blood pressure. This is because the symptoms of low blood pressure are usually difficult to ignore because it is always associated with another health condition. On the contrary, high blood pressure symptoms usually don't appear until an organ is damaged, which is why hypertension or high blood pressure is known as the 'silent killer'.

Symptoms of low blood pressure include nausea, dizziness, headaches, lightheadedness, chest pains, loss of balance, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath and pale skin. The symptoms of high blood pressure include fatigue, decreased stamina, shortness of breath, chest pains, kidney failure, visual problems and stroke.

Since the symptoms of low blood pressure often get worse, it forces a person to seek medical help immediately. Unfortunately, those who have high blood pressure usually don't develop any of the symptoms mentioned and if they do, it may have caused other serious health problems such as stroke or heart attack. Most of the time, people ignore the symptoms of high blood pressure because it isn't that bothersome. However, this shouldn't keep you from having your blood pressure monitored, especially if you have a history of high blood pressure. Now that you know the different symptoms of low blood pressure and high blood pressure, you can easily respond to it if you begin to experience any of them.