Blood pressure screening is one of the first tests administered to patients when they first walk into a healthcare center. Whether you’re visiting a hospital for routine checkups or emergency treatments, a blood pressure test can reveal a lot about your overall health condition.
Typically, your blood pressure will rise when you’re sick. The spike is usually temporary.
And contrary to common perception, blood pressure increase doesn’t necessarily point to a heart or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Various ailments may cause momentary hypertension.
In this post, we examine why your blood pressure can go up when you’re ailing.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is not only a key metric of heart health. It can also speak volumes about the overall medical condition, particularly for seniors.
Blood flows from the heart in two phases – systolic and diastolic.
Systolic blood pressure is the pressure exerted by your cardiovascular vessels when the heart beats. Meanwhile, diastolic pressure is the force recorded when the heart is at rest.
Healthy individuals record a normal blood pressure reading of around 120/80 mmHg. A reading above 140/90 mmHg constitutes high blood pressure.
Factors like diet and exercise may cause temporary hypertension. Such are normal, and the pressure should revert to healthy readings within minutes.
However, blood pressure spikes may also be due to a medical condition. Sickness-triggered hypertension can be quite severe, even potentially life-threatening for seniors with underlying heart disease.
Understanding why your blood pressure can go up when sick is the first step in managing the condition.
Remember that restoring your blood pressure to normal readings isn’t the core objective. Rather, it’s addressing hypertension’s root cause and returning to a complete state of health.
Causes of Blood Pressure Spikes When Sick
1. Increased Stress Hormones
Infections exert a massive load on the immune system. To fight off the disease, your body releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
A surge in cortisol and adrenaline levels causes your blood vessels to constrict.
Note that this happens without reducing the overall blood volume. Therefore, blood now flows through the narrowed vessels at higher speeds, causing hypertension.
2. Fever
Fever is a normal reaction to illness. By increasing the core body temperature, your immune system seeks to destroy the disease-causing pathogens.
However, fever can force the heart to go into overdrive. Increased cardiovascular activity may present as an elevated heart rate, faster pulse rate, and high blood pressure.
For seniors, fever may present other complications like throbbing headaches. That underscores the significance of urgent treatments.
3. Pain
Most infections present as body aches.
Whether it’s chest pain triggered by an upper respiratory infection or joint tenderness due to osteoarthritis, persistent aching may trigger a surge in blood pressure.
Studies examining the nexus between pain and hypertension found that severe body aches can trigger blood pressure spikes by affecting the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
4. Inflammation
Inflammation is another natural immune response associated with high blood pressure.
Swelling of the body tissues causes vasoconstriction (narrowing of the arteries and veins). Although this mechanism ensures more oxygenated blood and immune cells get to the target sites, it can also trigger blood pressure spikes.
It’s worse for seniors with chronic inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may alleviate pain and swelling, restoring normal blood pressure.
5. Dehydration
Sickness can lead to inappetence. A bad appetite reduces food and water cravings, causing malnutrition and dehydration, respectively.
Besides, dehydration may result directly from fluid loss caused by vomiting and diarrhea.
Dehydration initially triggers hypotension by reducing blood volume, causing the heart to pump harder to get the little blood to all body parts. Elevated heart rate consequently increases blood pressure.
6. Certain Medications
Congratulations if you’re already on prescription meds. It means you acted fast enough, which is necessary for a speedy recovery.
However, certain drugs can trigger hypertension. Notable mentions include decongestants like phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine.
Decongestants exert their therapeutic effects by constricting the blood vessels in your nose, causing temporary hypertension.
You can manage your condition effectively by sticking to the recommended dosages. Besides, avoid over-the-counter (OTC) medications unless you have an express prescription from a licensed doctor.
7. Physical Inactivity
Sickness can cause you to take a break from your fast-paced routines. That’s not only natural but also highly recommended.
Ample rest enables your body to marshal its defenses and combat the infection. It also enhances the efficacy of drugs, leading to accelerated recovery.
However, studies have shown that prolonged physical inactivity may cause hypertension.
To strike the perfect balance, consider moderate aerobic exercises even while sick. Remember to also resume your normal active routine after complete recovery.
Managing Blood Pressure Spikes for Accelerated Recovery
It’s normal to register a blood pressure spike when you’re sick. And as highlighted, the surge is usually due to your immune system’s efforts to combat the ailment.
Certain over-the-counter medications may also cause hypertension during sickness. Besides, spikes may result from prolonged periods of physical inactivity.
Fortunately, you can manage temporary hypertension by eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated. Other interventions include getting ample rest, managing stress, and ensuring a good night’s sleep.
Monitor your condition carefully and contact a doctor if the symptoms persist beyond your prescription medications.
We should also underscore the significance of regular blood pressure screening. Routine check-ups can uncover underlying medical issues (such as heart disease) early, improving the treatment outcome.
