‘Can high blood pressure cause fever’? High blood pressure is a very common medical ailment that affects the majority of the population. An infection may be accompanied by high blood pressure, or it may be present for other reasons.
However, a rise in body temperature could be an indication of high blood pressure, as could a persistently high fever.
The basic signs of high blood pressure include a fever or elevated body temperature.
A fever is a brief rise in body temperature, which is frequently the outcome of an illness. A fever is also typically an indication that something unusual is happening inside your body. If the fever is under 38°C, it shouldn’t be concerning, but if it frequently exceeds the usual range, it may be a sign of high blood pressure. Fever causes a significant rise in body temperature, which in turn raises the heart rate.
So, the answer to your question, ‘Can high blood pressure cause fever’? is positive. Let’s have a look at how high blood pressure affects your health, signs and symptoms, ways to manage high blood pressure, and treatment regimen.
Table of Contents
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as ‘Hypertension’ in medical terms, occurs when the force of the blood pushing on the blood vessel walls is too high. When someone has high blood pressure:
- Their heart has to pump harder.
- The arteries (blood vessels that carry the blood away from the heart) are under greater strain as they carry blood.
Many times, high blood pressure has few or no symptoms. Unaware of it, many people have it for years.
However, just because high blood pressure frequently goes unnoticed does not imply that it is unharmful. In actuality, uncontrolled high blood pressure harms your arteries, particularly those in the eyes and kidneys. It becomes a risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular issues.
Causes of High Blood Pressure
Why does blood pressure rise? Usually, high blood pressure comes on gradually.
Unhealthy lifestyle decisions, such as not engaging in adequate regular physical activity, can contribute to it. Obesity and certain medical problems like diabetes might raise one’s risk of acquiring high blood pressure.
Who is More Prone to High Blood Pressure?
People who are more likely to develop high blood pressure are:
- People that have high blood pressure in their families
- Smokers
- African-Americans
- Expecting mothers
- Women who uses birth control tablets
- Overweight or obese individuals over the age of 35
- People who are inactive
- People who consume excessive amounts of alcohol
- Those who consume excessive amounts of salty or fatty meals
- Those who suffer from sleep apnea
Is High Blood Pressure Genetic?
Many of the genes that can predispose a person to high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke. Genes are genetic building blocks that parents pass on to their offspring.
Additionally, relatives could have similar routines like smoking, exercising, and eating that can increase risk.
Types of High Blood Pressure
Generally speaking, high blood pressure is a chronic illness. There are the two main types of high blood pressure.
- Primary hypertension, also referred to as essential hypertension, affects the majority of people. This type of hypertension doesn’t result from a specific cause. Instead, it develops gradually over time. Many such cases are due to hereditary factors.
- High blood pressure develops as a direct result of another medical disease – secondary hypertension.
High Blood Pressure in Kids
Younger children’s high blood pressure is frequently linked to various health issues like genetic diseases, hormone imbalances, kidney illness, heart defects, and kidney disease. Primary hypertension is more common in older kids, especially those who are overweight.
High Blood Pressure in Teens
Obesity is one of the biggest risk factors of high blood pressure in teens. It can occasionally be brought on by underlying health issues with different body systems, such as kidney disease or cardiovascular illness.
In addition, some drugs may contribute to it. Hormone contraceptives are one type of drug that teenagers use.
Moreover, if parents worry that their adolescent is experimenting with alcohol or drugs, this might result in high blood pressure and other health issues.
High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
Your heart and kidneys get under additional strain if your blood pressure rises during pregnancy. Heart disease, renal disease, and stroke may result from this.
Preterm birth, placental abruption, cesarean delivery, and preeclampsia are also among the risks that are increased by high blood pressure during pregnancy.
Dangers of High Blood Pressure
Possible health consequences that can happen over time when you don’t treat high blood pressure include:
Damage to the heart and coronary arteries, including heart attack, heart disease, congestive heart failure, aortic dissection, and atherosclerosis.
Can High Blood Pressure Cause Fever?
We are back to the original question, ‘can high blood pressure cause fever?’ It is important to explore this with scientific evidence and research, so that you don’t mistake your fever for something else.
In a 2009 study, the US National Library of Medicine’s National Institutes of Health looked at the connection between patients’ blood pressure, body temperature, and plasmatic nitrate levels.
Thirty blood samples were taken, and it was discovered that patients’ nitric oxide synthesis levels were elevated and corresponded with their body temperature readings.
Moreover, the study’s key finding was that body temperature and nitric oxide concentrations had an inverse relationship; the greater the body temperature, the lower the nitric oxide concentrations.
Nitric oxide relaxes the inner muscles of the blood vessels causing it to widen. It increases blood flow and affects the blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure Signs and Symptoms
High blood pressure symptoms in men are the same as in women, or in teens. Rarely, someone with chronic high blood pressure may experience the following signs:
- Chronic headaches
- Woozy episodes
- Nosebleeds
Only when blood pressure climbs abruptly and severely enough, do symptoms typically appear. It is called having a hypertensive crisis.
Here’s how you can check your BP online on a sphygmomanometer.
A blood pressure reading of 180 mm Hg or higher for systolic pressure (first number) or 120 mm Hg or higher for diastolic pressure is another hypertensive crisis (second number).
If you take your own blood pressure and find it to be so high, wait a while before doing it again to ensure the first reading was accurate. There may be additional signs of a hypertensive crisis, such as:
- Severe migraine or headache
- Severe anxiety
- Chest pain
- Changes in vision
- Breathing difficulty
- Nosebleed
Whether your second blood pressure reading is still 180 or above after a few minutes, don’t wait to see if your blood pressure drops on its own, and call your doctor immediately
How is High Blood Pressure Treated?.
If a condition like renal disease or a hormone issue is the cause of high blood pressure, treating the underlying issue may be sufficient to bring the blood pressure back to normal.
Doctors frequently advise making lifestyle modifications. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may advise you to:
Eat a Balanced Diet
- Eat more veggies, fruits, and low-fat dairy products.
- Limit your salt intake.
- Skip the caffeine (found in sodas, tea, coffee, and energy drinks).
- Skip the alcohol.
Exercise Frequently
Exercise at least three times per week, try to get in 30 to 60 minutes of activity. If a teen has severe hypertension, they should consult their doctor about the safest sports and activities.
Some activities, such as bodybuilding, strength training, or weightlifting, should not be permitted until their blood pressure is well managed.
Read more about the best exercises for the heart.
Medication
If lifestyle changes alone aren’t lowering high blood pressure, there are a number of drugs that can be taken. In many situations, up to two separate drugs are needed. There are many high blood pressure medicines in Pakistan, which you can get with a doctor’s prescription.
When to See a Doctor?
If any of these remedies for high blood pressure aren’t helping, speak with your doctor right away. A new medication may take up to two weeks to take full effect. If your blood pressure doesn’t change, you could need to try a different treatment, or it might be the sign of another issue related to your high blood pressure.
Additionally, you must contact your physician if you encounter:
- Blurry vision
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Breathing difficulty
- A chest ache
These might also be side effects from the drug or the signs of another condition. In this situation, a different medication may need to be administered in order to replace the one that is uncomfortable.
Best Hospitals to Visit Top Physicians for Treatment
The best hospitals with the best physicians that can provide top-quality treatment to your health concerns about fever and high blood pressure are:
Takeaway!
You are expected to monitor and manage high blood pressure for the rest of your life once you have it. With lifestyle adjustments, there is a potential that the high blood pressure will go back to normal, but it’s difficult.
Typically, to keep blood pressure at a target level, lifestyle modifications and medication are both required. The likelihood of a heart attack, stroke, and other complications from heart disease will be significantly reduced with treatment.
You can live a healthy life with proper monitoring and attentive attention. However, if you want to know more about blood pressure symptoms and management, make sure to consult a general physician anywhere near you in Pakistan via Healthwire’s platform.
