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What Causes Rise In Blood Pressure Level?
Question: My blood pressure goes up during stressful times. Right now it's 130/ 88 but when it goes up I have a constant headache, wake up with it and go to sleep with it. I have recently lost 46 lbs, cut my smoking in half and reduced salt, I don't drink. Sometimes it gets as high as 190 over 100 but it always seems stress related. No anxiety or depression, family history of high blood pressure both parents, my father had his first heart attack at 47 (I am 44) and 3 more until the last one, which killed him, at 69. Is bp medication necessary when it isn't high all the time?
Brief Answer:
Calculate your risk and act to avoid catastrophe
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome to HCM and thanks for your query.
Stress is a well known cause of high and fluctuant blood pressure and heart attack. I appreciate your stopping smoking and reducing weight. Follow a DASH diet. Practice stress relieving measures like exercise, yoga, meditation or relaxation techniques. If you have not done an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, it is worth doing to know the fluctuations in the blood pressure in relation to stress.
You can also calculate your 10 year risk for heart attack at http://www.drnoblezachariah.com/home/health-monitoring
click on ' Heart attack risk calculator '
You are also welcome to subscribe to the Hypertension monitoring plan. It is free now.
Let me know your risk and I can advise appropriate action.
Take care,
Dr Noble Zachariah
Calculate your risk and act to avoid catastrophe
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome to HCM and thanks for your query.
Stress is a well known cause of high and fluctuant blood pressure and heart attack. I appreciate your stopping smoking and reducing weight. Follow a DASH diet. Practice stress relieving measures like exercise, yoga, meditation or relaxation techniques. If you have not done an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, it is worth doing to know the fluctuations in the blood pressure in relation to stress.
You can also calculate your 10 year risk for heart attack at http://www.drnoblezachariah.com/home/health-monitoring
click on ' Heart attack risk calculator '
You are also welcome to subscribe to the Hypertension monitoring plan. It is free now.
Let me know your risk and I can advise appropriate action.
Take care,
Dr Noble Zachariah
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
My risk was 5.1 but I have not had my cholesterol checked in 3 yrs since I lost insurance when the company I worked for closed. My cholesterol was 205 3 yrs ago but was only 137 before I gained the weight. Now I have lost 46 lbs am hoping it is better. I have increased fiber and vegetables, decreased beef and pork intake and increased poultry and fish and lost the weight in 7 months. I would like to lose another 20 lbs but will need to increase my exercise as I have hit a bit of a plateau. I have been walking several times a week as well.
It also said my bmi is 26.25.
In last 2 days my blood pressure as been as low as 120/70 in morning and as high as 148/105 later in day.
The only chronic health condition I have is moderate osteoarthritis in rt knee with a history of 5 arthroscopic surgeries on knee, loss of about 10-15% of range of motion. Knee replacement has been recommended by age 50-60. Without insurance that is not likely so I went back to school and will graduate with my BA in less than a yr and have already been accepted into a graduate program, so I would really like to get weight and blood pressure under control. Blood pressure has only been fluctuating for last 2 yrs, previously my pressure was a very consistent 110/70 for my whole adult life.
It also said my bmi is 26.25.
In last 2 days my blood pressure as been as low as 120/70 in morning and as high as 148/105 later in day.
The only chronic health condition I have is moderate osteoarthritis in rt knee with a history of 5 arthroscopic surgeries on knee, loss of about 10-15% of range of motion. Knee replacement has been recommended by age 50-60. Without insurance that is not likely so I went back to school and will graduate with my BA in less than a yr and have already been accepted into a graduate program, so I would really like to get weight and blood pressure under control. Blood pressure has only been fluctuating for last 2 yrs, previously my pressure was a very consistent 110/70 for my whole adult life.
Brief Answer:
Healthy lifestyle and stress relief for the presen
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Sorry for the delay in replying as I was attending to my patients at my physical clinic.
You can adopt a healthy lifestyle, reduce your weight, exercise, follow a DASH diet and practice stress relief.
Continue monitoring your blood pressure. It is not at any dangerous level now. Check your cholesterol levels also.
If your blood pressure doesn't stabilize, then you would require medicine.
Wish you good health.
Healthy lifestyle and stress relief for the presen
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Sorry for the delay in replying as I was attending to my patients at my physical clinic.
You can adopt a healthy lifestyle, reduce your weight, exercise, follow a DASH diet and practice stress relief.
Continue monitoring your blood pressure. It is not at any dangerous level now. Check your cholesterol levels also.
If your blood pressure doesn't stabilize, then you would require medicine.
Wish you good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Well last night my pressure went up to 184/102 and stayed that way for hours resulting in headache. Better this morning tho. Are these spikes damaging?
Brief Answer:
Avoid precipitating cause
Detailed Answer:
What do you think was the precipitating cause for this spike. It can be stress, excess salt, missing of medicines etc. Avoid such causes. If there is no obvious cause, you should be investigated for conditions like pheochromocytoma.
Accelerated hypertension can damage the blood vessels of the body affecting every organ in the body, especially the heart and the brain leading to anything from a heart attack to a stroke.
So investigations are important and a gradual control of the Blood pressure so as not to cause a shock to the system is important.
Avoid precipitating cause
Detailed Answer:
What do you think was the precipitating cause for this spike. It can be stress, excess salt, missing of medicines etc. Avoid such causes. If there is no obvious cause, you should be investigated for conditions like pheochromocytoma.
Accelerated hypertension can damage the blood vessels of the body affecting every organ in the body, especially the heart and the brain leading to anything from a heart attack to a stroke.
So investigations are important and a gradual control of the Blood pressure so as not to cause a shock to the system is important.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
I know it was stress related, it just goes so high at these times and makes my head hurt so it worries me when it happens. I don't have panic attacks or anything, I just start the headache and say to myself uh oh, better check bp and find it crazy high sometimes. Just concerned there could be long term damage if continues.
Quite frankly, the stress is hard to avoid because it comes from my husband and his behaviors. So stress has been chronic for few yrs now.
Quite frankly, the stress is hard to avoid because it comes from my husband and his behaviors. So stress has been chronic for few yrs now.
Brief Answer:
Willing to advise on medicines, if ready to accept medication.
Detailed Answer:
I am sorry to note your stress factor.
The head ache you have is a vascular headache and can be dangerous rarely.
Would you like me to suggest something I give to my patients in a similar situation? If you are willing to accept medications, I can do that. They can help reduce the fluctuations and are preventive for vascular headaches.
Best wishes,
Dr Noble Zachariah
Willing to advise on medicines, if ready to accept medication.
Detailed Answer:
I am sorry to note your stress factor.
The head ache you have is a vascular headache and can be dangerous rarely.
Would you like me to suggest something I give to my patients in a similar situation? If you are willing to accept medications, I can do that. They can help reduce the fluctuations and are preventive for vascular headaches.
Best wishes,
Dr Noble Zachariah
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Yes, that may be a good idea since my stress factor lives with me. I have also started yoga and have walked 10 miles over last week. Taking krill oil and an over 50 women's multivitamin. I am 44 but had complete abdominal hysterectomy at 38. Had to stop estrogen replacement 2 yrs ago due to it contributing to development of bilateral fibrocystic breasts. Over 150 of them, few complex but since stopping estrogen it resolved. it was soon after stopping estrogen that the blood pressure issues started.
Brief Answer:
Medication in addition to stress relieving measures would solve the spikes
Detailed Answer:
I am glad that you are practising yoga and exercising. You could also learn some relaxation techniques.
You would be helped by a betablocker like Concor ( Bisprolol) 5 mg once a day together with Topiramate ( Topamax) 25 mg at bed time. Many of my patients are helped by this combination. Topamax may be a prescription medication in your country, but any GP should be able to write it for you for migraine ( a vascular headache) prevention. Many of my patients are controlled on this dose itself but some require a higher dose.
I shall be happy to advise you if you have any query in the future.
Wish you good health in which you can manage your stress and blood pressure well.
Dr Noble Zachariah.
Medication in addition to stress relieving measures would solve the spikes
Detailed Answer:
I am glad that you are practising yoga and exercising. You could also learn some relaxation techniques.
You would be helped by a betablocker like Concor ( Bisprolol) 5 mg once a day together with Topiramate ( Topamax) 25 mg at bed time. Many of my patients are helped by this combination. Topamax may be a prescription medication in your country, but any GP should be able to write it for you for migraine ( a vascular headache) prevention. Many of my patients are controlled on this dose itself but some require a higher dose.
I shall be happy to advise you if you have any query in the future.
Wish you good health in which you can manage your stress and blood pressure well.
Dr Noble Zachariah.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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