What Makes Blood Presure Go Up Fast?

High blood pressure is considered to be a health risk, but when the term is used in a medical sense, it is used with the meaning that the elevated blood pressure is not temporary. Most causes of a rapid rise in blood pressure are not necessarily dangerous in the same way that clinical high blood pressure is dangerous, although there can be other dangers. Understanding what causes blood pressure to go up fast is important in understanding the associated risks.

The Facts

Blood pressure can go up fast for emotional as well as physiological reasons. Anger and frustration can cause sudden rises in blood pressure. Changes in posture, such as going from a reclining to a standing position, can increase blood pressure. Stimulants, both legal and illegal, can also cause fast rises in blood pressure. Smoking cigarettes, which contain nicotine, and drinking coffee or tea, which contain caffeine, are legal actions that can result in suddenly high blood pressure. Cocaine is a drug that can cause a drastic, sudden and dangerous rise in blood pressure.

Effects

For some people, a sudden rise in blood pressure can cause dizziness and temporary unconsciousness. This is why some people pass out when standing suddenly. While the rise in blood pressure isn't in itself dangerous in terms of leading to a heart attack, the fall after fainting can be extremely dangerous. The temporary elevations in blood pressure from tobacco and caffeine aren't dangerous in that they can cause heart attacks, but the sustained elevation from these drugs can increase the chances of a heart attack. In these cases, it's not the sudden elevation that poses the risk--it's the long-term elevation of blood pressure that causes an increased risk.

Warning

Cocaine is a drug that can cause such a rapid rise in blood pressure and to such an elevated level that it can in itself lead to heart failure. Any drug, legal or illegal, that causes the extreme elevation of blood pressure to dangerous levels can cause heart failure.

Misconceptions

Many people might think that blood pressure is a constant. In fact, a person's blood pressure varies. It varies with the time of the day, the posture he is in, types of meals and many other factors. Like a person's body temperature, blood pressure is usually given as an average, but at any specific time of day, it can yield a different reading.

Benefits

There is a cause of a sudden rise in blood pressure that can be healthy, and that's exercise. Running on a treadmill, for example, will cause blood pressure to go up suddenly. But as long as exercise is taken in moderation--such as exercise regimens starting with light exercise and progressing toward more strenuous exercise--it will ultimately lead to a healthier body, especially if the regimen is adhered to routinely.

Resources

• Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure