Blood pressure increase! - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

luv2sing · 12-27-2005, 12:45 PM

I hope someone can help me. My blood pressure has always been nice and low. I got a little stressed the holiday season this year and when I went to the dr. last Wednesday, it was high...like 180/100 (2 weeks before it was 120/80)And I had a feeling it would be because I felt warm in the cheeks-although I wasn't flushed. I have been pretty depressed lately as well. The past few days mostly at night in bed, I get warm and still I'm not flushed but i know my BP is up. I got what I think is an anxiety attack on Xmas when I was supposed to leave the house-I just had a horrible feeling that I was gonna either die in a bad crash or get really hurt-I almost envisioned myself in the hospital. I started taking some new vitamins and suppliments so I thought that maybe they had something to do with it and I didn't take them today but here i am at work feeling warm. I have been pretty tired latey as well. I am all worried what would be causing this sudden rise in BP-could it be depression? Along with the warm feeling, I get a headache right in my eyes too.

razz123 · 12-27-2005, 01:34 PM

^A one-time BP reading is not reliable (esp at the Doctor's office).
I suggest you buy yourself a BP measuring device and monitor your BP at home over a reasonable period of time (say a couple of weeks, if not a month).

Its my opinion that stress/anxiety induced high BP is temporary, so if your BP remains high over a long period and even under non-stressful circumstaces, you should start to investigate other possible causes.

luv2sing · 12-27-2005, 01:49 PM

Thanks-like I said it was always nice and low...I have been stressed before but maybe it's the fact that I was stressed and depressed. My grandmother had high blood pressure so that's why I was concerned. From what I have read, depression can increse BP which I never knew so that might be it.

Uff-Da! · 12-27-2005, 01:54 PM

I concur with the suggestion to get your own monitor to check your pressure at home for a while. Get one with an arm cuff; those that measure at the wrist or finger tend to be less reliable.

See if you can do some deep breathing exercises or meditation at home (or even at noon or on your breaks) for a short time a couple times a day for a while and see if that helps to break up your pattern of stress a bit.

You aren't by chance a female approaching menopause?

razz123 · 12-27-2005, 01:57 PM

From what I understand, it is highly unusual for the BP to go from 120/80 to 180/100 in 2 weeks.

This kind of spike is "Acute Hypertension" and generally has secondary causes (stress,anxiety, acute health issues (eg kidney related) etc). Or it may just be a one-time erroneous reading.

Primary Hypertension (e.g Hereditary) develops gradually over a very long period of time.

Like I said above, you should monitor your BP at home over a longish period to get a better picture.