Fluctuating blood pressure, dangerous or not? this is the cause

Checking blood pressure or tension is arguably mandatory if you are visiting a doctor. Sometimes, you may have a slightly low blood pressure and sometimes a little high. Yes, sometimes blood pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. Is this normal? What causes blood pressure to fluctuate? Check out the answer below.

Causes of fluctuating blood pressure

Fluctuating blood pressure can be normal or not. Fluctuating blood pressure can be caused by the body's response to small changes in daily life, such as stress, lack of sleep, exercise, and so on.

The following are the causes of fluctuating blood pressure.

Stress. The body goes through various changes when you are stressed, one of which is higher blood pressure. This change occurs because the stress hormones the body produces, such as the hormone cortisol, makes the heart pump blood harder.
Certain drugs. Consumption of certain drugs can also cause blood pressure to fluctuate. For example, taking acetaminophen, decongestants, and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Sensitivity to food. Some people can experience changes in blood pressure because they are sensitive to certain foods. This is common in those who have a sensitivity to foods that contain high salt / sodium or very salty foods. Usually, blood pressure will return to normal in a while.
Consume caffeine. Coffee, tea, or other drinks that contain high caffeine can cause blood pressure to rise. Experts suspect, this happens because caffeine causes constriction of blood vessels. For those of you who are not accustomed to drinking coffee, drinking more than two cups of coffee per day can increase blood pressure by 4-13 mmHg.
Dehydration. Dehydration can cause blood pressure to drop. You need to drink more water to increase blood volume so that blood pressure rises again.
Fever. Fever is the body's response to fighting infection. When you have a fever, your blood pressure can increase because your blood vessels constrict while your heart rate increases.

An unstable blood pressure can be a sign of a serious problem

It is normal for blood pressure to fluctuate throughout the day, if it is within reasonable limits. However, it would be a different story if the blood pressure fluctuates over a very large range. This could in fact be a sign of an increased risk of heart disease and premature death, as researchers in WebMD point out.

One study showed that upper (systolic) blood pressure that fluctuates more than 14 mmHg is associated with an increased risk of heart failure by 25%. Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading.

Compared with people whose blood pressure was stable, people whose blood pressure fluctuated by an average difference of 15 mmHg was associated with a 30% increased risk of heart attack and a 46% increased risk of stroke.

Paul Muntner, professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama School of Public Health in Birmingham, head of the study said that fluctuating blood pressure could be a sign of increased arterial damage.

Therefore, it is important for you to always try to keep your blood pressure under control. At the very least, keep your blood pressure at less than 140/90 mmHg. Meanwhile, normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg.

If you do have high blood pressure (blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg), proper medication and lifestyle changes can help keep your blood pressure stable. So, try to adopt a healthy diet and regular exercise.