Diagnosis Of Orthostatic Hypotension
- Medical history, including medical conditions and drugs taken on a regular basis
- Physical examination
- Measuring blood pressure when lying down versus standing up
- Blood tests to check, for example, blood sugars or adrenal hormones
- Echocardiography, an imaging scan of the heart, to check for certain heart conditions
- Other tests, depending on individual factors.
Anxiety Disorders As A Cause Of Dizziness Or Lightheadedness
One of the more obvious causes of constant lightheadedness is related to dealing with chronic stress. Our brain is programmed to be able to only focus for about one hour after spending this time in deep concentration, it starts to stray. Due to the demanding nature of jobs in modern society, we are forced to perform in high-stress environments for hours a day in order to fulfill all our duties. This type of intense concentration can surely lead to dizziness and lightheadedness like you, your brain will be working “overtime”. Ways to reduce stress, like yoga and breathing exercises, have been proven to be a great way to reduce the level of stress and improve your mental health. On the other hand, if your job constantly brings you significant stress, exploring the option of moving to a less stressful occupation, or taking a sabbatical, could also be a step to take. Removing your source of stress permanently is one of the best ways to cope with stress, after all.
What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure
Lets start with a bit of information on blood pressure and hypertension.
When your heart pumps blood through your body, this increases the pressure in your arteries. Normally, they respond by widening. High blood pressure happens when your arteries have hardened . Hardened arteries do not relax sufficiently. As a result, your blood pressure increases.
In other words, your arteries remain relatively narrow even when you have a lot of blood flowing through them. Over the years, the increased pressure on your arteries damages them as well as your heart. Eventually, high blood pressure can lead to stroke and heart attack.
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Other Causes For Fatigue With High Blood Pressure
Although fatigue can be a symptom of high blood pressure, a lack of sleep may actually be a contributing factor, too.
Sleeping 5 hours or less per night may raise your risk for developing high blood pressure. And if you already have high blood pressure, lack of sleep could be making it worse.
In addition, obstructive sleep apnea is a known risk factor for hypertension, especially in older age groups.
Some prescription medications used to treat high blood pressure can also cause fatigue.
Another cause of fatigue could be due to pulmonary artery hypertension. This is when you have high blood pressure in the vessels that carry blood between your heart and lungs. Along with fatigue, it can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness.
There are usually no symptoms or warning signs that you have hypertension. Thats why its so important to monitor your blood pressure.
Its especially important to see your doctor if youre experiencing:
- fatigue
- stress management
- drinking alcohol in moderation
Your doctor will also consider your age, coexisting conditions, and any other medications you take when treating your blood pressure. If necessary, your doctor may prescribe hypertension medications. These include:
Some of these medications can cause you to feel tired.
Other treatments depend on the extent of damage to your heart, kidneys, and overall health.
- following a healthy, balanced, low-salt diet
- getting regular exercise
In Most Cases High Blood Pressure Does Not Cause Headaches Or Nosebleeds
- The best evidence indicates that high blood pressure does not cause headaches or nosebleeds, except in the case of hypertensive crisis, a medical emergency when blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or higher. If your blood pressure is unusually high AND you have headache or nosebleed and are feeling unwell, wait five minutes and retest. If your reading remains at 180/120 mm Hg or higher, call 911.
- If you are experiencing severe headaches or nosebleeds and are otherwise unwell, contact your doctor as they could be symptoms of other health conditions.
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How To Treat High Blood Pressure
It is important to talk with a doctor about high blood pressure, as making behavioral changes and taking medications, such as beta-blockers, can help.
A person may find that managing stress or eating less salt can also help lower their blood pressure.
A home blood pressure reading with a systolic number above 180 or a diastolic number above 120 warrants a 911 call or a trip to the emergency room.
When a person has intracranial hypertension, it means that there is higher pressure from the fluid that cushions the brain. This can happen for many reasons, including:
A person may experience a chronic throbbing headache or neurological symptoms such as vision issues or difficulty concentrating. If this is the case, a person should contact a doctor, as these symptoms can be life threatening.
Some people develop intracranial hypertension for no clear reason. Doctors call this idiopathic intracranial hypertension . Making certain lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, may help with IIH.
How To Treat Sinusitis
Applying heated pads or warm compresses to the face may help. Some people may also find relief by taking allergy medications or over-the-counter pain relievers.
Antibiotics some sinus infections, but only if they are due to bacteria. They cannot help with viral infections.
Some people may develop a chronic form of sinusitis that may require a consultation with a specialist.
affect the middle ear , which is just past the eardrum. These infections are common among children. Sometimes, an ear infection follows another illness, such as a sinus infection or the flu.
The middle ear makes fluid itself to keep itself clean. This fluid should drain into the throat through an opening. However, if the throat becomes swollen, the opening swells shut. Therefore, the fluid collects, which can be painful. It may then become infected.
Symptoms may come on suddenly, and most people develop a fever. A person may also have pressure in the head, ringing in the ears, or dizziness.
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High Blood Pressure: 6 Signs And Symptoms Of Hypertension
- 20 Sep 2018
High blood pressure or hypertension is often associated with few or no symptoms. Theres a reason why hypertension is called the silent killer because many people suffer from it without facing any symptoms.
However, just because high blood pressure is often symptomless doesnt mean its harmless. In fact, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or hypertension, causes damage to your arteries, especially those in the kidneys and eyes. High blood pressure is also a risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems.
If you are worried that you could be suffering from hypertension, here are 6 signs that you need to watch out for.
Medications Used To Treat High Blood Pressure
Diuretics
These high blood pressure medications flush extra water and sodium from your body. Diuretics may cause these side effects:
- Extra urination. Extra water out means more time in the bathroom. Take these medications earlier in the day and when you’re not far away from a bathroom.
- Erection problems in some men
- Weakness, leg cramps, or fatigue. Diuretics may decrease the body’s levels of the mineral potassium, which can lead to these side effects. Certain potassium-sparing diuretics do not have this effect, however.
- Intense and sudden foot pain, which is a symptom of gout this is rare.
Beta-Blockers
Beta-blockers make your heart beat less forcefully and more slowly. These medications may cause side effects such as:
- Insomnia and sleep problems
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
These high blood pressure medications block formation of a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow, so vessels relax. ACE inhibitors may cause these side effects:
- A dry, hacking cough that doesn’t go away. If you have this side effect, the doctor may prescribe another type of medication.
- Skin rash and a loss of taste are two other possible side effects of ACE inhibitors.
Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers
These high blood pressure medications shield blood vessels from a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow. This allows blood vessels to stay open. One of the more common side effects of ARBs is dizziness.
Calcium Channel Blockers
Alpha-Blockers
Alpha-2 Receptor Agonist
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How Is Low Blood Pressure Treated
You will likely get treated for low blood pressure only if it is causing symptoms or if your blood pressure drops suddenly. Treatment depends on your symptoms, how severe they are, and the reasons for the low blood pressure.
Your doctor may have you:
- Get fluid through an intravenous line if you are very dehydrated.
- Change or stop medicines that lower your blood pressure.
- Take medicine to treat the problem that is causing low blood pressure. For example, you may need antibiotics to treat infection or medicines to stop vomiting or diarrhea.
Your doctor may suggest that you try some simple ways to prevent symptoms like dizziness. These things may include drinking more water and limiting alcohol and caffeine.
Dizziness In Hypertensive Patients
Because dizziness is such a general term, patients often use it to describe various disorienting symptoms, including vertigo episodes and loss of balance. A study notes that patients who experience dizziness because of high blood pressure also experience additional symptoms like:
- Fatigue
- Anxiety, panic, or depression
- Irritability
Sometimes, the dizziness brought by hypertension can impact daily activities. This is especially true when the vertigo attacks worsen with movement. When not appropriately managed, such dizzying symptoms can pose risks for injuries due to tripping or slipping. If you think you have hypertension or if your dizziness or vertigo attacks stem from high blood pressure, dont hesitate to call your primary health care doctor.
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What Is Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure means that your blood pressure is lower than normal. Another name for low blood pressure is hypotension .
In most healthy adults, low blood pressure does not cause problems or symptoms. In fact, it may be normal for you. For example, people who exercise regularly often have lower blood pressure than people who are not as fit.
But if your blood pressure drops suddenly or causes symptoms like dizziness or fainting, it is too low. It can cause shock. Shock can be dangerous if it is not treated right away.
Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body. Blood pressure consists of two numbers: systolic and diastolic.
- The systolic number shows how hard the blood pushes when the heart is pumping.
- The diastolic number shows how hard the blood pushes between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood.
Someone with a systolic pressure of 120 and a diastolic pressure of 80 has a blood pressure of 120/80, or “120 over 80.” Normal blood pressure is lower than 130/85.
Low blood pressure does not have a specific number where it is too low. Most doctors consider blood pressure to be too low when it causes symptoms or drops suddenly. In general, low blood pressure symptoms happen when blood pressure is less than 90/60.
High Blood Pressure Symptoms You Shouldnt Ignore
Caregiver Duties Aging & Health
If youre worried about developing high blood pressure or youve already been diagnosed with this condition, you may be wondering what symptoms to watch out for.
While the symptoms described here may indicate a high blood pressure crisis, its also very important to understand that a persons blood pressure can be dangerously high and yet there are no symptoms at all, notes retired emergency physician Ben Hippen. This is why high blood pressure is sometimes called the silent killer.
For this reason, its important to monitor your blood pressure often. When youre at your doctors office, or even at the pharmacy, take a few minutes to stick your arm in the cuff and get a reading. If you can afford it and will actually use it, a home blood pressure monitor is a worthwhile investment.
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High Blood Pressure And Nausea Or Vomiting
- Medical Author: Dan Brennan, MD
Reviewed on 6/15/2020
These symptoms are present in a wide variety of gastrointestinal conditions. Perhaps you ate something that didn’t agree with you or you were exposed to a viral illness. Please keep track of your blood pressure and if you have concerns, then please contact your doctor right away.
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
What Makes Yale Medicines Approach To Dizziness Unique
Because dizziness can be caused by so many different underlying illnesses, patients might have to undergo several diagnostic tests to ensure a proper diagnosis. At Yale Medicine, most patients can have all those tests performed under one roof.
Yales Medical Campus has a joint clinic that combines the resources from the Hearing and Balance Center with its Otolaryngology Center. Experts work closely with Yales Neurology Program for patients with potential neurological disorders. Physicians from each clinic are each trained to assess a patients symptoms in a slightly different way and they work together to identify the best possible treatment.
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Will Your Doctor Treat Low Blood Pressure
You will likely get treated for low blood pressure only if it is causing symptoms or if your blood pressure drops suddenly. Treatment depends on your symptoms, how severe they are, and the reasons for the low blood pressure.
Your doctor may have you:
- Add more salt to your diet.
- Get fluid through an intravenous line if you are very dehydrated.
- Change or stop medicines that lower your blood pressure.
- Take medicine to treat the problem that is causing low blood pressure. For example, you may need antibiotics to treat infection or medicines to stop vomiting or diarrhea.
Be sure to talk with your doctor before you add more salt to your diet or make any changes in your medicines.
Family History Of Hypertension
While exercising and healthy eating go a long way towards lowering your blood pressure, there are some risk factors that you may not be able to change.
Genetics is a major contributing factor when it comes to your hearts health, and blood pressure can be hereditary. If you are aware of your immediate family being hypertensive or having had a heart attack before the age of 45 , you should make it a priority to visit a doctor.
Understanding family history is important to recognize the cause of high blood pressure, further evaluating whether it is genetic, poor eating habits or lack of exercise repeating itself across generations is also essential.
Even if you have a family history of high blood pressure, it doesnt mean that you cant take actions to avoid another heart episode in the family. Recognizing high blood pressure is challenging, but with regular blood pressure readings, you can easily track it.
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What Happens When You Call 911
When paramedics respond to a complaint of wooziness, they check your vital signs , do a stroke screening, and ask about your medications. If there’s no good explanation for your symptoms, they’ll take you to the local emergency department.
There, a nurse will ask about your symptoms, probably obtain an ECG to look for signs of a heart rhythm abnormality or heart attack, and start intravenous fluids to ward off dehydration. Then a doctor will evaluate you. “We need to consider every function in the body because wooziness could be caused by almost anything. We’ll do a neurological exam, look at your medications, and order blood tests to look at electrolytes and see if your sodium or potassium levels are off. Whatever is causing your symptoms, we’ll get to the bottom of it,” says Dr. Natalia Rost, chief of Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Medical Signs Of Hypertension
The easiest way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to take your blood pressure reading.
Measuring your blood pressure is very simple and painless. It is carried out with a device called a sphygmomanometer . Within seconds, your doctor can measure your blood pressure.
The results work like this:
- Anything between 120/80 and 140/90 is called the pre-hypertension stage. This often leads to hypertension
- Between 140/90 and 160/100, you are in stage 1 hypertension
- Between 160/100 and 180/110, you are in stage 2 hypertension
- Above 180/110, you are in stage 3 hypertension
People in stage 3 hypertension tend to suffer from secondary hypertension, which is a form of high blood pressure. This can be caused by:
- kidney disease
Other signs of secondary hypertension include:
- No effect from high blood pressure medication
- Suddenly high blood pressure
- No one in your family who has had hypertension before
With either primary hypertension or secondary hypertension, its very important that you talk to a doctor for high blood pressure. This is the only way to understand what type of hypertension youre suffering from and which treatment is best for you.
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