Symptons of High Blood Pressure and Cardiomyopathy

[sophie]

I have often heard that high blood pressure is a silent killer.  If this is true, can you experience any symptons when you have high blood pressure?  Also, if you also have dilated cardiomyopathy how would you know if your symptons are from you HBP or your diseased heart and how do these symptons differ?  One more question, what is generally the cause when you have a numbness on one side of your body?  I have heard this could be a TIA leading to a stroke.  Could it also be a sympton of HBP or cardiomyopathy?  How would you know what is causing it?

Thanks for you time in responding to my concerns.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Numbness on one side of the body, if it is real, sounds like a TIA or stroke and I would not ascribe it to other causes. Very high blood pressure can cause symptoms such as headache or fatigue. It can also cause chest pain and shortness of breath. Cardiomyopathy can also cause fatigue of shortness of breath so there is overlap in symptoms and no way to tell whether high blood pressure of cardiomyopathy is causing symptoms.

[nicciblue]

A related discussion, High-blood Pressure symptoms was started.