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More than 80 million Americans (33%) have high blood pressure, and as many as 16 million of them do not even know they have the condition. If left untreated, high blood pressure greatly increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. Hypertension is projected to increase about 8 percent between 2013 and 2030.
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- Overview
- What is considered hypertensive urgency?
- When should you consider going to the ER for hypertension?
- What symptoms create a hypertensive emergency?
- Are there treatment guidelines for chronic high blood pressure?
- How do you prevent hypertension from becoming an emergency?
- Do you need medication for hypertensive urgency?
- Takeaway
A hypertensive emergency from a sudden rise in your blood pressure at 180/120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or higher requires immediate care. If not treated, it can cause serious health difficulties including heart difficulties.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is when the force of blood flowing through your vessels is too high too often.
About 50% of adults in the United States live with it. When you have a sudden, large jump in your blood pressure, you may be experiencing hypertensive urgency or a hypertensive emergency. Both can cause serious health difficulties.
Both are also types of hypertensive emergencies and need immediate care. A hypertensive emergency is when your blood pressure quickly reaches 180/120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or higher.
Many things can cause a spike in your blood pressure, including exercise, anxiety, or stress. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention.
Hypertensive urgency can be a symptom of a more serious problem or potential for difficulties down the road.
This is a sudden, severe increase in blood pressure that may put you at risk of progressive organ damage. That risk can increase if you have other conditions, such as congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease.
You may have urgency (but not an emergency) when there isn’t evidence of organ damage such as kidney failure, neurological difficulties such as stroke, or other acute heart difficulties along with blood pressure elevation.
Timely treatment is vital because untreated blood pressure at or above 180/120 mm Hg can cause:
•eclampsia (if you’re pregnant)
•fluid in your lungs, aka pulmonary edema
•eye and kidney damage
•angina
•heart attack
A hypertensive emergency is when blood pressure is at or above 180/120 mm Hg. When you have an increase in both numbers plus the symptoms of organ damage mentioned above, it’s an emergency.
Other symptoms of a possible emergency include the following:
•dizziness
•confusion
•headache
•trouble breathing
Doctors may suggest one or more treatments for chronic high blood pressure, including lifestyle changes and medication. Managing chronic hypertension also requires close monitoring.
Consult your doctor or other healthcare professional about your options for treating chronic high blood pressure.
Some changes they may recommend include:
•tracking your blood pressure regularly
•eating a heart-healthy diet that’s low in salt, which can worsen hypertension
•getting regular physical activity
The best way to avoid a hypertensive emergency is to take all your blood pressure medication as prescribed.
A 2015 Italian study looked at 622 people with hypertension who had gone to the hospital with heart failure. In the study, many hypertension medications greatly lowered the risk of heart failure in those who took their medications as prescribed. But the less regularly people took their medication, the less effective the medication was at protecting them.
If you have hypertensive urgency, a doctor may or may not decide to give you medication to lower your blood pressure quickly. The choice depends on which organs are affected, so consulting your healthcare team is the best option.
Some of the medications they may give you during a hypertensive emergency include:
•sodium nitroprusside, which is short-acting
•labetalol, an alpha-beta-blocker
•fenoldopam, a peripheral dopamine receptor agonist
•clevidipine, a calcium channel blocker
If you have high blood pressure and it spikes to 180/120 mm Hg, you may be experiencing hypertensive emergency. It may be hypertensive urgency that a doctor can help you treat without hospitalization, or it could be a hypertensive emergency requiring immediate medical treatment.
The difference between the two is that urgency doesn’t involve symptoms of organ damage.
People also ask
What is high blood pressure?
What is a high blood pressure reading?
How do you treat high blood pressure?
If you're an adult and your systolic pressure is 120-129, and your diastolic pressure is less than 80, you have elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure is a systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or diastolic pressure of 80 or higher, that stays high over time.
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have recommended the following guidelines: Below 120/80 mm Hg Normal blood pressure. 120/80 to 129/80 Elevated blood pressure. 130/80 or higher Hypertension or high blood pressure.
Almost half of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure. But, since high blood pressure doesn’t cause obvious signs or symptoms, many people don’t even know they have it. If you have untreated high blood pressure, it can significantly increase your risk of: Heart attack. Stroke. Heart failure. Kidney disease. Vision loss. Sexual dysfunction.
Jan 25, 2022 · After pandemic dip, how Texas system improved BP control to 78%. Jan 25, 2022 . 4 MIN READ. By. Sara Berg, MS , News Editor. Print Page. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Southwestern Health Resources (SWHR), in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, saw its blood pressure (BP) control rates reach as high as 85%. During the initial part of the pandemic ...
Feb 19, 2024 · Causes. Risk factors. Complications. Overview. 4:15. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains. Learn more about hypertension from nephrologist Leslie Thomas, M.D. Show Transcript. High blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body's arteries. It's also called hypertension.
