Why Did My Blood Pressure Suddenly Spike
High blood pressure is something that you may think of as a chronic condition, and it certainly is. But did you know that some can experience sudden, sharp increases in blood pressure? Were guessing if youre reading this, you might have recently experienced a spike.
Also known as sudden high blood pressure, these increases can have a number of possible causes. While a singular spike isnt always a cause for concern, if its happening regularly, they can lead to bigger health issues.
Here are some of the more common causes to keep an eye on and what you can do about them.
Sudden or acute pain
Turns out a stubbed toe, a vicious paper cut, or injuring your back can do more than wound your pride. Sudden or sharp pain can also bump up your blood pressure. Thankfully, it usually goes back to normal as soon as the shock of the pain subsides. We cant say the same for any bruised egos.
Dehydration
Yet another reason to keep that resolution to drink more water. Hydration is the key to keeping your body running smoothly. So, dont forget to refill that water glass, your heart will thank you.
You have to go
Oh, the irony. Yes, that water we just told you to drink can turn against you. As you might have guessed, this one has an easy fix. Basically, when you have to go go. Yes, its that simple.
White coat effectAnxiety
Studies Look At Causes Of High Blood Pressure While Sleeping
AVENTURA, Fla. Researchers are learning more about a phenomenon called nocturnal blood pressure, a condition where some people experience a dangerous rise in blood pressure at a time when their bodies are supposed to be at rest.
Theres always a question of sudden death at night, waking people up with heart attacks and weve never really understood this methodology, so this recent study showed even though most people at night, when your engine is off and youre relaxing and taking it easy, blood pressure and pulse are low, but certain people have elevated blood pressure, which is recorded with ambulatory monitoring, and this is associated with sudden deaths and heart attacks occurring in the middle of the night, said cardiologist Dr. Leonard Pianko.
He said researchers found that the root cause appears to be an interruption in the bodys natural circadian rhythm, which can be altered by medications such as sleep aids and even using electronic devices before bed.
Along with the risk of blood pressure being too high, it can also be dangerously low.
Low blood pressure may be genetic or occur as a result of aging.
In some cases, its temporary and caused by pregnancy or dehydration, but in other cases it can result from an underlying disease or a severe reaction to something in the environment or diet.
Warning signs include dizziness and unexplained fatigue, and are reasons to seek medical attention.
About the Authors:
Data Analysis And Statistics
BP and HR measurements were averaged across 24 hours and over the wake and sleep periods. Sleep and wake periods were defined as the actual time periods that the subjects were in bed attempting to sleep and when they were out of bed and awake, respectively . We also analyzed the data separately for the day, defined as after 6 am and before 10 pm, and for the night, defined as between 10 pm and 6 am, as is often done in clinical trials in which no information is available regarding sleep timing, to permit comparison of our results with these trials. Average daily physical activity counts and energy expenditure were estimated using the accelerometers associated software.
Paired samples t tests were used to test if averaged variables varied between the ambulatory and bed rest conditions. Moreover, linear mixed model cosine analyses were performed on raw BP and HR data to further test for differences between conditions. The cosine analyses were performed on actual clock time of measurement and included a condition factor and both fundamental and the second harmonic terms of the 24-hour day. Thus, the above cosine analysis tested the effect of condition and its interactions with the fundamental and second harmonic terms. Statistical tests were performed with SPSS for Windows, version 18 . Statistical significance was accepted at P< 0.05. Data are presented as mean ± SEM.
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How Sleep Apnea Affects Blood Pressure
Alexa Fry, Senior Health Editor
Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Anis Rehman, Endocrinologist
Fact Checked
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High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a common health issue in which the amount of force that pumps blood through blood vessels is higher than normal. People with hypertension often dont have symptoms but learn they have high blood pressure during routine checks at a doctors office. If left untreated, high blood pressure puts a daily strain on the cardiovascular system which may lead to stroke, heart disease, and other conditions. Fortunately, managing hypertension with medication and lifestyle changes can reduce your risk for harmful health effects.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes numerous lapses in breathing during sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea . OSA is marked by episodes of airway collapse, which blocks airflow into the lungs and often causes snoring and gasping during sleep. In CSA, breathing lapses occur because of a lack of communication between the brain and the muscles involved in breathing.
How Much Sleep Do I Need
Most adults need at least 7 hours of sleep each night.1 However, more than 1 in 3 American adults say they dont get the recommended amount of sleep.2 While this may be fine for a day or two, not getting enough sleep over time can lead to serious health problemsand make certain health problems worse.
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How Does Sleep Apnea Treatment Affect Blood Pressure
There are a number of treatment options for OSA. Treatment not only improves sleep quality but could also help manage hypertension. The most common and effective treatment is called continuous positive airway pressure .
CPAP treatment involves wearing a facemask attached to a machine that pumps air into the lungs at night. It works by preventing the airway from collapsing, which improves sleep quality in people affected by OSA. Studies investigating the effects of CPAP in patients with hypertension and OSA have shown that treatment with CPAP lowers blood pressure during the day and at night, especially in patients with severe OSA. CPAP also reduces catecholamine levels.
Some patients have a hard time adjusting to the CPAP facemask at night. Consistent, proper use of CPAP is important in order to effectively manage OSA and hypertension. Mouthpieces are one alternative to CPAP and are designed to help maintain an open airway during sleep. Research is needed to determine if mouthpieces also lower blood pressure in people who experience high blood pressure and OSA. Certain surgical procedures are also done to treat OSA in selected patients.
Losing weight either through diet and lifestyle changes or through weight-loss surgery is another approach to managing OSA that may also lower blood pressure.
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Why Taking Blood Pressure Meds At Bedtime May Be More Effective
- New research suggests that taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime may more effectively reduce your risk of illness or death due to heart and blood vessel disease.
- Timing of medication is important because blood pressure follows a daily rhythm. It rises higher during the day and falls at night when we sleep.
- Rather than taking a blanket approach, experts say any medication regimen should be personalized for you based on a discussion with your physician.
Should you be taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime rather than in the morning?
Research published in the October 22, 2019, issue of the European Heart Journal suggests that maybe you should.
In the study, the researchers followed 19,084 patients with high blood pressure for a median of 6 years.
The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: those who took their blood pressure medication in the morning and those who took it at bedtime.
The researchers found that bedtime medication seemed to make a difference for patients as they had better nighttime blood pressure.
They also had less risk of illness or death due to heart and blood vessel disease.
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Does Your Sleeping Position Affect Blood Pressure
If you happen to be one of the millions of Americans dealing with hypertension, chances are that you have already incorporated certain lifestyle changes in an attempt to lower your blood pressure. But are you aware that changing your sleeping position may also lower your blood pressure?
There has been a lot of controversy about the best sleeping positions for people with high blood pressure, and its important to know one sleeping position hasnt been shown to be far better than others. The blood vessels that return blood to the heart are on the right side of the body, so sleeping on this side may compress them and lead to slower circulation. This is why people may be advised to sleep on their left side.
However, it is important to discuss this with your doctor to determine what works best for you.
Pregnant women experiencing pressure-related problems may also be advised to sleep on their left side. This is because the growing baby puts pressure on internal organs, leading to circulation issues. Sleeping on the left side may improve circulation, which could help in preventing hypertension.
In addition, this position can increase the flow of blood and nutrients to your baby through the placenta.
Lowering Systolic Blood Pressure More May Cut Health Risks
One major study found that lowering systolic blood pressure to well below the commonly recommended level also greatly lowered the number of cardiovascular events and deaths among people at least 50 years old with high blood pressure.
When study participants achieved a systolic blood pressure target of 120 mmHg compared to the higher target of 140 mmHg recommended for most people, and 150 for people over 60 issues such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure were reduced by almost one-third, and the risk of death by almost one-fourth.
“That’s important information, because more lives may be saved and more deaths may be prevented if we maintain lower blood pressure in certain patients,” says Lynne Braun, NP, PhD, a nurse practitioner at the Rush Heart Center for Women.
Braun cautions, however, that your personal blood pressure target depends on a variety of things, including your current blood pressure, lifestyle, risk factors, other medications you are taking and your age. “Every person has to be evaluated as an individual,” she says. “Realistically, we can’t get everybody down to 120, and trying to do so may create unintended problems.”
It can be dangerous, for instance, to keep an older person on medications that have unsafe side effects, such as diuretics , which can cause dehydration and dizziness in older adults.
And there can be other issues involved with taking multiple medications, such as cost and compliance.
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Why Does My Blood Sugar Go Up At Night A Detailed Guide
10 min read
Diabetes causes many complications when not properly managed, and one of them is high blood sugar at night. People with diabetes usually experience night high blood sugar in three phases before they sleep, when they sleep, and after they wake up.
Also, apart from established diabetics, people can experience a blood sugar spike at night if theyre vulnerable to developing diabetes or do things that could increase their blood sugar levels just before they sleep.
The good thing about elevated blood sugar levels at night is that you can prevent it, or at the very least, reduce it with the proper management tips. This article/guide examines how to successfully maintain low blood sugar at night by throwing light on the cause of the blood sugar spikes at night, the kind of people susceptible to it, and the solutions to live healthier.
What to expect?
- Which Set of People Have High Blood Sugar at Night?
- The Different Stages of Night-Influenced High Blood Sugar Level
- High Blood Sugar at Night: Symptoms
- How to Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes at Night
Why You Should Take Your Own Blood Pressure At Home Or On The Go
Because of regular fluctuations in blood pressure, white-coat syndrome, and masked hypertension, doctors may recommend self-monitoring for people with HBP. There are many benefits to taking your own BP:
- Knowing your actual, average blood pressure outside of regular fluctuations
- Gaining more control over your blood pressure
- Tracking your progress
- Saving time and possibly money from frequent doctor visits and complications
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Tips For Taking An Accurate Blood Pressure Reading
Follow these recommendations to get an accurate blood pressure reading:
Measure your blood pressure at the same time each day
A good first step is to check your blood pressure at the same time every day to help even out fluctuations. You should also try to arrange appointments with your doctor at the same time of day.
Sit in the best position
Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor and your arm supported at the level of your heart . Use the same arm each time you check your blood pressure. Resist the urge to talk or do other activities while your blood pressure is being taken.
Take a reading twice a day
Some experts suggest checking blood pressure twice a day: when you first get up and in the evening after work. This would be the opposite if you work night shifts. Taking a blood pressure reading twice a day will also help you detect any abnormal fluctuations.
Wait 30 minutes after eating, drinking, smoking, or exercising
Leaving some time before you take a blood pressure reading after eating, drinking , smoking or exercising can allow your blood pressure to stabilize.
Keep a record of your readings
Keeping a record of your blood pressure readings is a good way to get an accurate, average measurement and highlight any unusual patterns. High blood pressure is not diagnosed after one high reading your doctor will assess your average blood pressure, so being able to show them a blood pressure log will be helpful.
Making Changes If You Have Anxiety Or Depression
If your high blood pressure is co-occurring with a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety, it can be even tougher to find the energy and motivation to make the necessary lifestyle changes. Just thinking about exercising or preparing a healthy meal, for example, can seem overwhelming. But by focusing all your efforts on one tiny change at a time, youll find that youre capable of more than you realized.
Take the first step. It could be as simple as going for a walk or downloading a meditation app or buying some nicotine patches. It can take time for lifestyle changes to register as a reduction in blood pressurebut sometimes they can improve your mood much sooner. Taking that first step is always the hardest.
Focus on small steps. Its easy to get overwhelmed by daily life when youre battling depression, anxiety, or another mood disorder. By taking small but positive steps each day, though, youll find that your energy and outlook will gradually start to improve. Once you feel happier and more positive, youll find it easier to forge ahead with lifestyle changes and see the results in both your blood pressure readings and your overall outlook and wellbeing.
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Why Does Blood Pressure Fluctuate
Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day for several reasons, but its helpful to know what to expect and when your fluctuating blood pressure might be abnormal.
Circadian rhythms
Your blood pressure is strongly influenced by your bodys circadian rhythms, including your natural sleep cycle. Your circadian rhythm is connected to the master clock in your brain which regulates your body function throughout the day.
As the sun goes down and it gets dark, your master clock tells you its time to go to bed and get some rest. In contrast, when the sun is up, your master clock makes sure you have enough energy to stay alert and go about your day. Your heart rate and blood pressure will adjust according to this pattern,¹ so its normal for your blood pressure to dip while you sleep and rise throughout the day.
Physical activity
Being active and exercising regularly helps reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure in the long term. For people with diagnosed hypertension, exercise has been found to cause a blood pressure dip called postc-exercise hypotension .
You might notice your blood pressure reading change slightly during or after exercise. This is normal, but a significant change could suggest you have hypertensive response to exercise .² In HRE, blood pressure in normal, healthy people elevates significantly with exercise . HRE is thought to be an early warning sign for developing hypertension.
Nervousness and stress
White-coat syndrome
Eating and drinking
You Shouldnt Ignore White Coat Hypertension
Some people experience white coat hypertension, when blood pressure is elevated in the doctors office but not in other settings. These patients need to monitor their blood pressure at home or wear an ambulatory blood pressure monitor that takes your blood pressure every 30 minutes for 24 hours.
While white coat hypertension was formerly considered simple nervousness, recent research suggests otherwise.
A study published in the journal Hypertension found that people with white coat hypertension are at a significantly greater risk for developing sustained high blood pressure than people who have normal blood pressure. One possible explanation is that people with white coat hypertension have a harder time managing stress and anxiety.
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