When is high blood pressure an emergency?
High blood pressure causes gradual damage to your body over the years. At times, the blood pressure can rise so quickly and severely that it causes an emergency situation that needs immediate medical attention, and often hospitalisation. During these emergencies, high blood pressure causes the following:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Memory loss, trouble concentrating, irritability, personality changes or progressive loss of consciousness
- Pain in the chest
- Fatal damage to your body's main artery
- Shortness of breath due to the sudden impaired pumping of the heart causing fluid to backup in the lungs
- Complications in pregnancy (preeclampsia or eclampsia)
- Sudden loss of kidney function
- Blindness
What are high blood pressure medications that cause tinnitus?
ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) that are used to lower the blood pressure may cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears). The good news is that tinnitus caused by taking these medicines is often temporary. The ringing of the ears goes away in a few days or in a few weeks after you stop taking medicine
Which high blood pressure medication causes erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an occasional side effect of high blood pressure medication such as thiazide diuretics, beta-blockers, and loop diuretics. These medications decrease the blood flow to the penis, thus making it difficult to get an erection. However, other high blood pressure medications, such as alpha-blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers, and ACE inhibitors, rarely cause ED.
Why is blood pressure high during pregnancy?
There are several possible causes of high blood pressure during pregnancy.
These include:
- first-time pregnancy
- age (over 35)
- carrying more than one child
- not getting enough physical activity
- being overweight or obese
- assistive reproductive technology (such as in vitro fertilisation, or IVF)
- having diabetes or certain autoimmune diseases
- a family history of pregnancy-related hypertension
- drinking alcohol
- smoking
What do high blood pressure headaches feel like?
A hypertension headache usually occurs on both sides of your head. The headache is often pulsating and typically gets worse with any activity. You may also experience vision changes, tingling, numbness or shortness of breath.
Can drinking lots of water lower blood pressure?
Yes. If you have hypertension, you should drink twelve 8-ounce glasses or 96 ounces of water per day to lower your blood pressure.
What is normal blood pressure by age?
The table below shows the estimated normal blood pressure by age.
Age
|
Normal Systolic Range
|
Normal Diastolic Range
|
Newborn to 1 month
|
45–80 mm Hg
|
30–55 mm Hg
|
One to 12 months
|
65–100 mm Hg
|
35–65 mm Hg
|
Young child (1–5 years)
|
80–115 mm Hg
|
55–80 mm Hg
|
Older child (6–13 years)
|
80–120 mm Hg
|
45–80 mm Hg
|
Adolescent (14–18 years)
|
90–120 mm Hg
|
50–80 mm Hg
|
Adult (19–40 years)
|
95–135 mm Hg
|
60–80 mm Hg
|
Adult (41–60 years)
|
110–145 mm Hg
|
70–90 mm Hg
|
Older adult (61 and older)
|
95–145 mm Hg
|
70–90 mm Hg
|