May is High Blood Pressure Awareness Month.
The usual suspects—obesity, genetics, stress, salt consumption, tobacco and alcohol consumption—affect your blood pressure. But did you know that there are some things you may not have thought of?
For some people it is cold medicine. We all know that decongestants work well for nasal congestion, but they also make it harder for blood to flow, which can increase blood pressure.
As it turns out, your blood pressure can be affected by many things. Ironically, even visiting your doctor to check your blood pressure can cause a spike in levels, also known as “white coat syndrome.”
An increase in blood pressure here or there is usually nothing to worry about, but chronic high blood pressure can be fatal. This is especially important for women, as nearly half of all women in the United States have high blood pressure and fewer than one in four have it under control.
What is high blood pressure and how serious is it?
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a serious chronic disease that affects 120 million people in the United States. “That’s almost half the people in the country,” said Michelle Kelsey, MD, a general cardiologist and associate professor at Duke’s School of Medicine.
With high blood pressure, the blood constantly presses against the artery walls at too high a pressure. “This makes your heart work harder to pump blood and over time can lead to heart attacks, strokes or other serious health problems,” Kelsey explained.
“High blood pressure is often referred to as the ‘silent killer,'” Kelsey said. “While high blood pressure is asymptomatic in most people, you really have to check it to find out.”
Here are 5 surprising things that can increase your blood pressure:
1. Dehydration – Missing a glass of water every now and then is no big deal. But constantly letting your body run on empty can initially cause your blood pressure to drop. “You feel lightheaded and light-headed as your body tries to compensate by squeezing your blood vessels and holding on to salt,” Kelsey explained. Over time, this can lead to high blood pressure.
2. Sleep apnea – Sleep apnea occurs when your breathing starts and stops at night while you sleep. This affects your restful sleep and reduces your oxygen intake. Sleep apnea can be caused by being overweight or obese (which can be a risk factor for high blood pressure itself) or by a structural problem that causes the airway to become blocked when breathing. “The drop in oxygen levels puts stress on your body, which can lead to high blood pressure,” Kelsey said.
3. Chronic pain – Similar to how stress can cause blood pressure to rise, chronic pain also triggers stress in the body and an adrenaline response that can lead to full-blown hypertension over time. One study found that people with chronic widespread pain had a 75% increased risk of high blood pressure, while people with short-term pain had a 10% higher risk.
4. loneliness – Social isolation and social stressors such as feelings of loneliness can increase stress and contribute to the development of high blood pressure. A study of adults ages 45 to 85 found that single women with limited social activity had higher than average blood pressure. And if you have high blood pressure, Kelsey says not having someone to check you or accompany you to appointments can make the problem worse.
5. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – Taking ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) daily may seem harmless, but it can also increase your blood pressure. NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, causing sodium and water retention in the kidneys, reduced blood flow, and narrowing of blood vessels.
Talk to your doctor
It is important to keep an eye on your blood pressure. The risk of high blood pressure increases with age, so you may be walking around with high levels that increase your risk of heart attack and stroke without realizing it.
Your doctor can assess your risk and check your blood pressure regularly to determine whether medication or lifestyle changes are needed. “Knowing your numbers can be helpful,” Kelsey said.
