Are Dizziness, Vision Impairment And Fatigue Serious Symptoms In A Hypertensive Patient?

Thank you for your query BPPV, Heart disease, TIA, Refractive error. Based on her symptoms, I would like to first rule out the above. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is giddiness associated with change in the position of the head. The inner ear has 3 canals which has fluid in them. These usually adjust to changes in position which help us go about our routine activity. When this fluid thickens or when there are particles in there, these interfere with the normal movement of fluid and result in giddiness, nausea, vision disturbances. Cervical spondylosis (the space between the vertebrae in the neck is reduced) can cause giddiness due to compromised blood supply to the parts of the brain that control equilibrium. TIA (transient ischemic attack) can be symptomatically subtle but can go from ok to worse quickly and lead to a stroke. Signs like headache, giddiness, short term memory loss of current /recent events, slurred speech, tingling or numbness on the limbs(usually one-sided) or face should caution you for immediate medical attention. Heart disease can compromise blood flow to the brain when it is unable to cope due to I creased demand or decreased function. With long term hypertension, the heart is exposed to a continuous increase in resistance which it has to counter to do its work. This may lead to enlargement of heart muscle to meet the demand. Sometimes this I crease is size is not always accompanied by equal resources like blood and oxygen and the heart begins to fails. An echocardiogram (mechanical study of the heart), an angiography (study of the blood supply of the heart) may be required. Refractive errors and retinopathy (due to hypertension) can result in her symptoms as well. I recommend seeing her doctor ASAP to rule out any of the serious causes. BPPV as the name suggests is benign and can be managed with medications and correcting the cause (like dehydration, for instance). A consult with an ophthalmologist will rule out refractive errors or retinal dysfunction. In case of heart disease and TIA, the sooner it is discovered and treated, the better the prognosis. You seem to know what to expect and you are right. Watch out for chest pain, jaw pain, breathing difficulty, indigestion, stomach discomfort, unexplained sweating, dizziness, vomiting, weakness anywhere in the body. If any is present, go straight to the ER. 133/92 may seem benign, the diastolic value should caution you to impending worsening of symptoms. The diastolic is the pressure when the heart rests. An mild to moderate increase is significant and needs to be checked out immediately, especially with associated symptoms. Hope this helps. Please feel free to get back to us if you need any clarification. Wish you both good health