Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
146 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

What Causes Sudden Rise & Fall In Bp?

My mother is 84 her bp spiked for about an hour at 160/99 . She was pale and cold. Now her bp has returned to what she says is normal at140/90. Her color is back tO normal, and is feeling better. Was this just a spell, or should she go to the hospital?
posted on Fri, 14 Mar 2014
Twitter Tue, 2 Sep 2014 Answered on
Twitter Tue, 2 Sep 2014 Last reviewed on
Report Abuse
General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello,

Thank you for writing to HCM about your query,

Brief Answer -

One of the mysteries of blood pressure is that it can rise or fall without any obvious changes in your life.

Explained Answer -

As you grow older, the systolic pressure (the top number) in particular tends to increase.

We used to believe that only the diastolic pressure (the bottom number) was important to control.
But we now know that both numbers are important.

Today, we recommend that most people over age 50 focus on the systolic reading as a guide to controlling blood pressure.

A variety of conditions can cause sudden changes in blood pressure.

Some of the most common include chronic kidney disease, an overactive or underactive thyroid gland, and overactive adrenal glands.

Talk with your doctor about these so-called secondary causes of hypertension to see if you should have additional tests. He/She will probably want to do some simple blood tests to check for them.

Hope You will find it out helpful.

Thanks And Regards,
Dr. Gaurav Prajapati
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Hypertension


Loading Online Doctors....
What Causes Sudden Rise & Fall In Bp?

Hello, Thank you for writing to HCM about your query, Brief Answer - One of the mysteries of blood pressure is that it can rise or fall without any obvious changes in your life. Explained Answer - As you grow older, the systolic pressure (the top number) in particular tends to increase. We used to believe that only the diastolic pressure (the bottom number) was important to control. But we now know that both numbers are important. Today, we recommend that most people over age 50 focus on the systolic reading as a guide to controlling blood pressure. A variety of conditions can cause sudden changes in blood pressure. Some of the most common include chronic kidney disease, an overactive or underactive thyroid gland, and overactive adrenal glands. Talk with your doctor about these so-called secondary causes of hypertension to see if you should have additional tests. He/She will probably want to do some simple blood tests to check for them. Hope You will find it out helpful. Thanks And Regards, Dr. Gaurav Prajapati