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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffHigh blood pressure doesn't often cause symptoms, though some children with high blood pressure may experience headaches.
Severe high blood pressure
In severe cases, your child might have serious signs and symptoms that indicate a medical emergency, such as:
- Blurred vision
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Chest pain
- Seizures
- Severe headache
- Vomiting
When to see a doctor
Unless your child has an underlying health problem or has the emergency symptoms of severe high blood pressure listed above, you probably don't need to make a special visit to your child's doctor to have your child's blood pressure checked. However, your child's blood pressure should be checked as part of a routine doctor's appointment, starting when your child is age 3.
If your child has a condition that can increase the risk of high blood pressure — including premature birth, low birth weight, congenital heart disease, and certain urinary or kidney problems — blood pressure checks may begin during infancy.
If you're concerned about your child having a risk factor for high blood pressure, such as being overweight or obese, talk to your child's doctor. He or she may recommend more frequent blood pressure checks.
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- High blood pressure in children. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=214. Accessed May 10, 2010.
- Luma GB, et al. Hypertension in children and adolescents. American Family Physician. 2006;73:1158.
- What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure? The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP_SignsAndSymptoms.html. Accessed May 10, 2010.
- Hypertensive emergencies. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec07/ch071/ch071c.html. Accessed May 10, 2010.
- National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. The Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2004;114:555.
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- Garin EH, et al. Treatment of systemic hypertension in children and adolescents. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2009;21:600.
- Lurbe E, et al. Management of high blood pressure in children and adolescents: recommendations of the European Society of Hypertension. Journal of Hypertension. 2009;27:17.
- Hoecker J (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 11, 2010.
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