“High blood pressure?”
My number is 159/109 blood pressure. I just took meds. I'm waiting for it to come down or go to ER. I also have a headache.
Male | 48 years old
Complaint duration: 1 day
Conditions: Diabetic, hypertension
6 Answers
That’s not too high. If you have a headache, you might need to get that checked out, though.
Monitor your symptoms for about an hour or two, if blood pressure keeps going up and headache remains please go to an urgent care or and emergency room.
If your headache persists even if your blood pressure goes down, an ER visit will be appropriate or you can wait to see your primary doctor and see if you need to change your meds. If you have any chest pain or signs of a stroke, go straight to the ER. Also, watch your salt intake and try to exercise 3 times a week for 30 minutes like walking or biking.
A good rule of thumb - if your headache is severe, chest pain, or difficulty breathing is occuring with your elevated blood pressure - you should seek medical attention. If it is elevated, but you have minimal symptoms - get an appointment with your PCP. ED research has shown ER docs can do more harm than good by treating asymptomatic hypertension (as crazy as that sounds!)
If you develop numbness, weakness, vision changes, chest pain, shortness of breath, decreased urination then go to the ED. If not, though it is not an ideal blood pressure, it is not an acutely dangerous blood pressure. I would suggest contacting your primary doctor or doctor that prescribed your blood pressure medication for guidance. Avoid high sodium foods. Relax, try over the counter medication for your headache and recheck your blood pressure again. If still elevated and you’re concerned and/or primary doctor has not returned your call then you can go to the ED for evaluation.
Because you have a headache with an elevated blood pressure, I would recommend getting evaluated by a physician in the ER. In addition, you need to see your primary care doctor to have your blood pressure medication adjusted.
