Is Sudden High Blood Pressure Reason to Worry?

We all have sudden high blood pressure from time to time. After we exercise our blood pressure is much higher and when we are anxious or nervous it is also higher. A temporary rise in blood pressure is nothing to worry about, and in most instances is very normal. What is worrisome is when there is a sudden high blood pressure that continues for a prolonged period of time. If you have always had a healthy blood pressure and suddenly you don’t, this may be significant

What Can Cause Sudden High Blood Pressure?

There are a lot of things that can cause sudden high blood pressure. In some people, they are just developing high blood pressure in other people there may be other contributing factors that should be looked into such as:

• Side effects of prescription and non-prescription drugs
• The production of too many or too few hormones in the body
• Narrowing of the arteries that deliver blood to the kidneys and other organs
• Complications of pregnancy

Many people do not know that they have high blood pressure; this is why it is often called the silent killer. Some people who experience sudden high blood pressure do notice a change in the way that they feel overall. Some of the symptoms that you may experience can include:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased stamina
• Chest pain
• Visual disturbances
• Stroke
• Kidney problems

If you visit your doctor and you have a sudden high blood pressure reading your doctor may take your blood pressure a few more times to see if there is a change. In some instances, a doctor will recommend monitoring the blood pressure at home for a few days and will also order some blood work so they can get a look at your blood chemistry to in an attempt find the cause of the sudden high blood pressure. In some cases there will be a very clear cause and in other cases the doctor will not be able to find anything wrong. Many people suddenly just develop high blood pressure that will need to be treated with a healthy lifestyle and even medication throughout the remainder of their life. The results will be different for each person, so it’s important to work with your doctor to try to establish what the right course of treatment should be, if anything.