High blood pressure or hypertension is a common problem that must be treated in the initial stages. Otherwise, it can cause harm to your health. Many people cannot diagnose the problem of high blood pressure because sometimes its symptomless and is known as a “silent killer.” Although the blood pressure keeps fluctuating throughout the day, you must seek medical attention if you feel a long-term increase because high blood pressure can cause serious heart problems, including strokes and heart attacks.
The temporary spikes in blood pressure are not a major concern, but if you know that you cannot accept the unpleasant consequences, you must visit a doctor. Blood Pressure Norms tell you about the stroke level of blood pressure that is dangerous to your health. Both low and high blood pressure is not good for your health, so a doctor’s consultation is necessary to detect the problem and keep your blood pressure level at a normal range.
Many factors affect blood pressure and cause high and low blood pressure. Below are enlisted numerous factors that cause spikes in blood pressure.
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Causes of Spikes in Blood Pressure
Blood pressure spikes are caused by the following factors that must be prevented to decrease the risk of blood pressure spikes.
Smoking
Smoking is the major cause that causes a rise in blood pressure. Cigarettes are dangerous to health, so smoking must be resisted. The spikes in blood pressure due to smoking might be temporary but can have long-term health effects. The artery walls might also get damaged.
Certain Medications
Patients with high blood pressure must take appropriate medications that suit their blood pressure levels and not take medicine without a doctor’s prescription. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and unusual combinations can cause high blood pressure that might harm your health.
Acute Pain
Acute pain can also cause blood pressure spikes. For example, if you stubbed your toe or cut your finger accidentally, that might cause high blood pressure. The blood pressure will be higher if you measure it right after getting hurt or experiencing acute pain. This is a temporary problem, but if the pain does not go away for many days, you must seek medical attention.
Stress
Stress is the most common form of causing spikes in blood pressure. You will feel your blood pressure is high when you feel depressed or stressed. Whenever you feel a stressful situation, your body produces stress hormones due to the fight-or-flight mode, and vessels’ constriction starts causing blood pressure spikes. You must avoid stressful situations and visit the doctor if you cannot handle this problem yourself.
White Coat Syndrome
This is exceptional, but many people have white coat syndrome, referred to as doctor-associated anxiety. Many people feel normal at home, but their blood pressure increases when they visit the doctor. It happens because you become worried about your health issue when you visit the doctor, and your stress level increases, which causes a rise in blood pressure.
Caffeine
You can feel sudden spikes in blood pressure when you consume caffeine excessively. It causes a temporary rise in blood pressure but consulting with the doctor is necessary if it happens to you often. Another solution is to avoid consuming caffeine and other caffeine-contained substances.
Anxiety
We often feel anxiety, which is a major reason that causes blood pressure spikes. It is also related to white coat syndrome, such as when you visit the doctor and feel anxious about your health. Anxiety is caused by many situations that can be the effect of personal experiences or any other circumstances. It is necessary to talk to the doctor in such cases.
Food Containing Tyramine
Tyramine is used to regulate blood pressure norms, but it causes an increase in blood pressure when you consume tyramine in excessive amounts. Some foods, such as cured meats, aged cheese, and tropical foods, have good amino acids, and their high intake can cause hypertension or spikes in blood pressure. There is nothing serious about it if you do not use such foods daily, but these blood pressure spikes can decrease your quality of life.
Dehydration
The spikes in blood pressure can also be caused by dehydration. That is why you must drink more water and keep your blood pressure ranges normal. You will assist your body and heart to run smoothly if you are hydrated.
Exercise
Although exercise is beneficial for health, your systolic blood pressure gets higher whenever you do exercise. This is normal because it only happens when you try to exercise. Still, if you feel it is not normal for you, visiting a doctor is necessary. Otherwise, the blood pressure goes back to the normal level before doing the exercise.
Full Bladder
When your bladder is full, the blood pressure automatically rises by 15 points or more. It also increases when you try to hold the urine in your bladder, which is not good. When the bladder is empty, your blood pressure becomes normal as before.
What Should Be Done to Normalize the Blood Pressure
Spikes in blood pressure can cause serious heart problems if you feel this problem often and leave it untreated. You can do the following things whenever you feel a rise in blood pressure or any other similar situation.
Stress Relieving Techniques: Apply stress relieving techniques such as trying to take deep breaths as it will help to normalize blood pressure.
Feel Relaxed: Calm yourself down by lying down or sitting on a comfortable seat. The blood pressure will become normal when you relax.
Useful Blood Pressure Medications: Take blood pressure medications as prescribed by the doctor. They will help to bring the blood pressure to its normal level. Do not take any medicine without the consultation of the doctor.
Eliminating Triggers: Eliminate the triggers that cause spikes in blood pressure, such as caffeine and smoking. Other factors, such as exercise, should also be avoided or be done less often if it causes a rise in blood pressure.
Meditation: Meditation is the best way to reduce blood pressure levels. Whenever you feel stressed or have a rise in blood pressure, meditation will help you to get back to your normal blood pressure level.
Healthy Diet: Diet is also related to high or low blood pressure. The higher intake of Sodium in your food is the reason for the rise in blood pressure, so you must avoid using excessive Sodium in your diet. Such foods include cured or smoked meat, canned food, or frozen dinner.
Sufficient Sleep: Sufficient sleep is necessary to maintain blood pressure levels. Blood pressure can increase if you do not get enough sleep. As a result, you will feel more stressed and anxious. Less than six hours of sleep is not good for health.
Conclusion
Blood pressure fluctuations happen throughout the day, and it happens due to various factors. Normal blood pressure indicates your health. If the blood pressure is not normal, you will feel multiple difficulties in your health. A normal rise or low in blood pressure is acceptable, but unexpected spikes in blood pressure are not good. You can feel the symptoms of blood pressure, but often they are difficult to identify, which is why you must have the habit of regular blood pressure checkups.
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