What makes blood pressure fluxuate

When a medication or lifestyle choice is the precipitating factor, making appropriate changes can cause labile hypertension to disappear. In labile hypertension, blood pressure tends to spike upwards.

Blood pressure that swings in both directions may be a sign of a different problem called autonomic dysfunction. People with this problem have difficulty regulating involuntary functions such as heart rate, breathing and body temperature, in addition to blood pressure. Hypertension can wreak havoc on the body before alarming symptoms appear. Sometimes, Dr. Lioudis asks patients to check their blood pressure at different times of the day.

They should also talk with their family doctor about stress , heart or kidney disease, family history of high blood pressure and any other potential contributing factor. For starters, all humans have a natural daily rise and fall in blood pressure that corresponds with their circadian rhythm. For most people, blood pressure will be at its lowest in the early morning hours and then rise through the late morning and peak in midafternoon. Typically, this range will be about 10 to 15 millimeters of mercury on the upper, or systolic, value, which represents the peak pressure in the arteries; and five to 10 millimeters of mercury on the lower, or diastolic, value, which represents the lowest pressure at the resting phase of the cardiac cycle.

Other factors contribute to fluctuations in blood pressure, but the most common one is hypertension, a condition characterized by chronic high blood pressure. One of the manifestations of poorly controlled blood pressure is a high degree of variability, he says.

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See more conditions. Pheochromocytoma and irregular blood pressure. This information may help you or your doctor detect a pattern or a problem. Emotional stress and anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure. Over time, excess stress can take a toll on your cardiovascular system and might lead to permanent blood pressure problems.

Find out more about the effects of stress on your body. At home, you may find your reading is normal. However, people with white-coat hypertension are more likely to develop high blood pressure. Both over-the-counter and prescription medications can impact your blood pressure.

Some medications, like diuretics and blood pressure pills, are designed to lower your blood pressure numbers. Others, like cold and allergy medications, can increase your blood pressure. What you eat or drink might impact your blood pressure reading.

Foods high in tyramine, a substance found in aged foods, can increase blood pressure. This includes foods that are:. Drinks with caffeine can boost blood pressure numbers temporarily, too. Your adrenal system is responsible for hormone production.

Adrenal fatigue occurs when your hormone production is low. Your blood pressure may fall as a result. An overactive adrenal system can cause sudden spikes in blood pressure and hypertension. This rare tumor develops in the adrenal glands and impacts hormone production.