My blood pressure keeps rising and falling for no apparent reason. Why does this happen and what should I do?

Recently, several friends have said that their blood pressure fluctuates for no reason. When the blood pressure rises, they will experience symptoms such as headache, chest tightness, pale face or flushing. However, after a period of time, the blood pressure will return to normal. Why is this happening and what can be done?

Huazi said that blood pressure will not rise for no reason. Abnormal fluctuations in blood pressure must be caused by some reason, but it may be hidden and not easy to be discovered.

1. Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytoma is an uncommon tumor. Its typical symptom is that it can cause paroxysmal increases in blood pressure. The reason is that pheochromocytoma can increase the secretion of catecholamine hormones (such as adrenaline, norepinephrine, etc.), causing blood vessels to constrict, resulting in abnormally high blood pressure. It is usually accompanied by symptoms such as headache, sweating, and pale or red face.

However, the amount of catecholamine hormones stored in the human body is limited. When the hormones are exhausted, the elevated blood pressure will return to normal. After waiting for new hormones to be synthesized, the symptoms of elevated blood pressure will reappear. It is necessary to perform imaging examinations of the kidneys and adrenal glands, and to confirm the diagnosis by combining symptoms with blood analysis.

2. Autonomic Nervous System Disorders

Autonomic nervous system disorders are also a factor that causes abnormal fluctuations in blood pressure. The heart and blood vessels of the human body are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. When the human body is under great mental stress, tension, anxiety, depression and other negative mental states, it is easy to cause autonomic nervous system disorders and cause blood pressure fluctuations.

Hypertension in young and middle-aged people and menopausal women is often caused by autonomic nervous system disorders. While taking antihypertensive treatment for symptoms, you can also seek help from a psychologist. Treatment with anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants may have miraculous effects. For menopausal women, estrogen replacement therapy may be needed to effectively relieve symptoms.

3. White coat hypertension

About 30% of people have "white coat hypertension". Their blood pressure is not high, but after seeing a doctor in the hospital, it will rise when measured. The most serious case Huazi has seen is that people are nervous about the act of "measuring blood pressure". Even if they measure their blood pressure by themselves, they will have high blood pressure, but after doing 24-hour dynamic blood pressure monitoring, their blood pressure will be normal.

Therefore, it is recommended that people whose blood pressure is high when measured in the hospital clinic should do more self-tests at home or do 24-hour dynamic blood pressure monitoring to rule out the condition of "white coat hypertension".

4. Angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease

People with coronary heart disease will also have their blood pressure affected when they have angina pectoris. For example, they may experience chest tightness and chest pain, as well as increased heart rate and blood pressure. However, some elderly patients do not have obvious symptoms of angina pectoris, and they need to undergo electrocardiograms, coronary CT scans, coronary angiography and other tests to confirm the diagnosis.

5. Increased blood pressure after exercise

The blood pressure we measure refers to the resting blood pressure after a full rest, because after exercise and activities, the sympathetic nerves are in an excited state, which will cause the blood pressure to rise.

It is recommended that when measuring blood pressure, you should empty your bladder before eating, do not smoke, drink coffee or strong tea, and measure it in a sitting position on a chair with a backrest after at least 10 minutes of complete rest.

In summary, if you find that your blood pressure fluctuates intermittently, it is usually caused by some reason, which may be due to illness or mental state. It is not recommended to take medicine on your own at this time. It is best to seek help from a doctor in time for relevant examinations to determine the cause of the disease. Only when the cause is clear can you choose the appropriate treatment method or medicine. If you have any questions about medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. I am pharmacist Huazi. Welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.