High blood pressure during panic attacks is a common occurrence in people who suffer from vegetative-vascular dystonia, in which blood pressure is elevated. If you know how to get rid of panic during an attack and act correctly, you can regulate high blood pressure and improve your well-being. Let's consider what are the causes of the development of pathology, accompanying symptoms and principles of therapy.
What happens to blood pressure under stress?
Most often, pressure during excitement rises above normal levels. A decrease is extremely rare - this is typical for people with initially low blood pressure. But still, as statistics show, even in hypotensive people after stress, blood pressure indicators increase slightly.
During any experience, no matter pleasant or not, excessive production of adrenaline is observed in the human body. This cannot be called a negative factor. This is explained by the fact that adrenaline is produced to protect the body from a provoking factor. As a result, the heart begins to contract faster and the blood vessels narrow.
Such changes are accompanied by the following clinic:
- severe headaches;
- dizziness;
- noise in the head;
In very rare cases, blood pressure decreases due to stressful situations
- nausea;
- pronounced palpitations.
Adrenaline is burned only by muscle tissue. That is why in a stressful situation there is a surge of strength and vigor.
The heart is also a muscle. Accordingly, if the body is constantly under stress, the heart has to work harder. This leads to rapid wear. Thus, an increase in blood pressure as a result of excitement is observed in all people, but after rest and normalization of the psycho-emotional state, the pressure normalizes. If there is constant stress, then the pressure will be maintained at high levels for a long time. And this already poses a risk of developing very dangerous complications.
Don't think that you need a lot of stress to raise your blood pressure. Sometimes, even an unsuccessful step into a hole can cause a surge in pressure and subsequent changes in organs and systems.
Increased blood pressure is often accompanied by dizziness
Distinctive features of a hypertensive crisis
Symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia very often include increased blood pressure, in which patients feel nausea, dizziness, headaches and palpitations.
There are several types of hypertensive crisis:
- Light : begins gradually, with small changes in pressure in the direction of its increase. Average numbers can vary from 130/80 to 135/90 mmHg. Art.
- Moderate : Despite the visible deterioration of the condition, the person is still able to carry out everyday activities without losing performance. Pressure readings are at the level of 145/95 mm Hg. Art.
- Severe : characterized by a serious deterioration in health, in which the person is very scared, anxious, and the numbers on the tonometer exceed 150/100 mm Hg. Art. After a crisis like this, it takes a long time for a person to come to his senses.
A hypotonic VSD crisis is characterized by a sudden decrease in pressure, which can stop at 80/60 mm Hg. Art.
Symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypertensive type include:
- a sharp or slow increase in blood pressure;
- pain in the back of the head, having a compressive nature;
- dizziness;
- “flies” flashing before the eyes;
- cold feet and hands that are difficult to warm;
- acceleration of heart rate;
- absentmindedness;
- the appearance of a lump in the throat and difficulty breathing;
- increased sweat production;
- tremor of the whole body;
- increased anxiety;
- redness of the skin;
- impairment of motor activity.
Attacks can last from 20 minutes to 2-3 hours, and in the absence of proper correction they can develop into hypertension.
Causes of increased blood pressure
Each person reacts to stress with a certain strength. Provoking factors include poor nutrition, bad habits, and excess weight. Thus, a particularly pronounced surge in pressure will occur in people who have at least one of the following factors:
- excessive alcohol consumption;
- obesity;
- eating fatty foods;
- increased sensitivity to weather changes;
- blood thickening;
- hormonal imbalance;
- history of trauma;
- elevated cholesterol levels.
Excess body weight increases blood pressure surges
Of course, every person has most of the provoking factors. However, not everyone develops hypertension. This is explained by the individual characteristics of organisms.
Kinds
Panic attacks are divided into 3 types:
- spontaneous _ Characterized by a sudden appearance for no apparent reason;
- situational _ It is discovered when a person again finds himself in a traumatic environment or waits for its appearance (for example, in anticipation of a quarrel);
- conditional-situational. Here the “trigger” is a biochemical component that excites the nervous system (for example, alcohol or drugs).
What is the danger of high blood pressure
Stress is present in the life of every person. They are almost always accompanied by an increase in blood pressure. At the same time, patients may not be aware that blood pressure levels are currently above normal. This is explained by the fact that changes in pressure levels do not always cause certain symptoms.
A surge in pressure is detected more often in cases where a person has become in the habit of regularly measuring blood pressure.
As already mentioned, the pressure may rise, but after the condition normalizes, it will stabilize. Do you need to take any medications if you experience a surge in blood pressure as a result of anxiety: it all depends on individual characteristics.
In some cases, increased blood pressure is asymptomatic and goes unnoticed
If a person initially has signs of hypertension, then any stress can cause a crisis to develop. In addition, there is a risk of the following complications:
- tachycardia;
- pulmonary edema;
- stroke;
- heart attack;
- angina pectoris.
If there are no pathologies, then there is no need to fear complications. In a healthy person, short-term stress and increased blood pressure do not cause negative consequences. It is enough to rest and eliminate the provoking factor, and the pressure will normalize.
It is worth noting that it is impossible to completely eliminate the possibility of stressful situations. Therefore, people at high risk of pathologies should learn to perceive experiences differently.
Blood pressure that rises due to stress usually normalizes on its own within two days.
Treatment of crises
Vegetovascular disorder includes many different manifestations, each of which causes a person a lot of inconvenience, both physical and mental.
You can provide first aid in the presence of a hypertensive crisis as follows:
- invite the person to lie down on a flat surface, placing his legs above body level;
- ensure sufficient oxygen access by unbuttoning constrictive clothing and opening windows;
- suggest a blood pressure medication that the person usually takes;
- drop a little valerian or corvalol into a glass of water.
You should not try to immediately reduce high blood pressure levels. In the first hour, their reduction by no more than 20% is allowed.
To relieve a hypertensive crisis of VSD, the following medications are used:
- Captopril (Capoten): has a smooth lowering effect on blood pressure, gradually, over half an hour, bringing high levels to normal;
- Cordafen: not used often, only in cases of high risk of myocardial infarction, when redness of the skin of the face and increased heartbeat are observed;
- Clonidine: used when other drugs are ineffective, gives a pronounced effect an hour after using the drug.
In addition to high blood pressure, other unpleasant symptoms of VSD require relief:
- if you have difficulty breathing, you should use an oxygen cylinder;
- Nitroglycerin is good for heart pain;
- to normalize heart rhythm - antiarrhythmics;
- to relieve pain - analgesics;
- anticonvulsants;
- sedatives to prevent the development of a panic attack.
What is the difference between a temporary increase in blood pressure?
It is extremely important to understand whether a person has hypertension or whether the cause of increased blood pressure is stress, and the change in indicators is temporary. In some cases, it happens that a person, in the hope that the deterioration of his condition was caused by stress, does not consult a doctor. But contrary to expectations, the pressure does not decrease and a visit to a specialist becomes inevitable. But even in this case, you should not worry that already at the initial visit a diagnosis of “hypertension” will be made.
The disease is diagnosed only if elevated blood pressure is detected after three measurements are taken.
During stress, changes in blood pressure are not caused by the reaction of blood vessels. The fact is that during experiences there is a release of hormones produced by the adrenal glands. In such a situation, it is especially important to realize that as soon as you can calm down, the pressure will return to normal. Thus, if the pressure jumps once, there is no need to worry. The condition should stabilize within two days without taking any medications.
Valerian tincture or tea from it will help reduce blood pressure that has risen due to nervous experiences
If stress in a person’s life occurs so often that the pressure is constantly in the upper limits, the load on both the heart and blood vessels increases. In such a situation, it is recommended to see a doctor and select medications that will not only reduce blood pressure, but also ease the reaction to stressful situations.
The difference between a panic attack and a phobia. What is PA, fear and panic disorder.
Many people are frightened by the very concepts such as “panic attacks”, phobias, depression, OCD, Neurosis, generalized anxiety disorder, vegetative crisis, etc., they think that these are some kind of terrible mental illnesses. And the very words or thoughts about it already make them very nervous and feel completely sick. This is exactly what I felt when I didn’t know anything yet and was just beginning to deal with my internal problems.
Therefore, I’ll say right away that you don’t need to be scared of these names, all of these are nothing more than conditions (in psychology, disorders), and not diseases. And all these conditions disappear without pathologies when their causes are eliminated.
So, what is PA (panic attacks), this term came to us from the West “panic attack”, meaning “panic attack”. These attacks are also given other definitions in psychology - “panic neurosis” and “anxiety attacks.”
A panic attack is a temporary, sudden outbreak of fear (acute anxiety), during which a surge of autonomic reactions occurs in the body, in particular, a powerful release of adrenaline into the blood, accompanied by spontaneous muscle tension and various painful symptoms.
Therefore, a panic attack is also called a “vegetative crisis.” But it is very important to understand that, in its essence, PA is the same ordinary fear with which we are all very familiar, only in its maximum manifestation.
Everyone has experienced fear in life and if you look closely, these are almost the same bodily symptoms and sensations that you experience during a panic attack.
You would experience the same thing, for example, if you met a hungry lion in the forest. Your heart would pound, your legs would shake, your mind would become stupefied for a moment, you would feel hot and cold due to the sweat that appeared, and you would want to run as fast as you could. During a panic attack, the body receives a signal of “mortal danger” and reacts in the same way, only there is NO threat (a hungry lion).
One day I was opening the door to the entrance, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a cat flew out, so unexpectedly and sharply that my heart skipped a beat and my breath caught, because I suddenly experienced intense fear.
You’ve probably also already experienced something similar, when something sharply frightened you, remember what you experienced then, what sensations were there?
You may have experienced the same symptoms of accelerated heartbeat (tachycardia), pressure surges, rapid or constricted breathing, stomach cramps, trembling, chills, dry throat, dizziness due to rapid breathing, goosebumps, etc. situations that are significant and exciting for you - driving fast, passing exams, weddings, long journeys, a serious quarrel, a sharp sound and much more.
That is, all these sensations and symptoms are natural physiological reactions that occur in the body when we experience strong emotions and, in particular, fear. Only in the case of panic attacks do these phenomena manifest themselves in their most acute form.
How can you lower blood pressure
Let us immediately note that it is not necessary to take medications such as ACE inhibitors and beta blockers for a single increase in blood pressure. A doctor can prescribe them only if there is diagnosed hypertension. Of course, this does not mean that such medications are dangerous to health, but their incorrect use without consulting a doctor can lead to an excessive decrease in blood pressure, which is also undesirable for a person.
Novopassit is a medicine that has a pronounced calming effect.
If your blood pressure rises as a result of anxiety, it is recommended to take a sedative. Herbal remedies are an excellent option. As a rule, this is valerian, motherwort or lemon balm. The herbs can be used in either tincture or tea form.
Important: the effect of such treatment does not occur immediately. In order to respond more easily to stress, you need to take the decoctions for two weeks.
A more pronounced and earlier manifested effect is observed from motherwort. It is available both in the form of drops and as part of the drug Novopassit. You should not use the product for a long time, as it can cause irritation of the gastric mucosa. If the pressure is normalized, it is better to use herbal teas in the future.
After watching the video, you will learn how to reduce blood pressure during anxiety:
Video on the topic
Increased blood pressure during a panic attack is one of the main signs of a pathological condition. You can learn how to distinguish hypertension from panic attacks from this video:
Panic attacks do not go away on their own. The interval between them can be quite long - several months. But then the attack will recur, and this situation cannot be left without treatment. Panic disorders are not life-threatening, it’s just our brain’s way of trying to protect itself from negative overexcitation.
If the disease is neglected, it will greatly worsen the patient’s mental state. Gradually, various phobias will arise, and depression will begin to develop. To prevent this, it is important to start treatment on time. It can be long-term (up to 6 months), but a favorable outcome is guaranteed in 99% of cases.
How to prevent high blood pressure from stress
If a person has increased sensitivity to stress and each experience ends with an increase in blood pressure, it is recommended to adhere to the following tips:
- Try to eliminate the source of stress. At work, learn not to react to stimuli; if possible, change the environment.
- If there is a pronounced relationship between mood and health, it is recommended to rest more and take frequent walks in the fresh air.
- Learn to perceive problems as real and not escalate the situation.
- If stress does arise, it is recommended to sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and imagine a pleasant picture, such as the sea or a waterfall. Favorite music helps you relax perfectly.
- No matter how funny it may sound, get a cat. Such a pet helps to relax after a working day; it has been proven that people who have a pet endure all experiences much easier.
Good rest and walks in the fresh air will be an excellent stress prevention
- If your condition is particularly severe and your thoughts are constantly depressing, you may want to see a psychologist.
- If there is any meeting ahead that may become unpleasant, take a soothing tea or tincture in advance. This will help you bear the experience easier.
- Don't be afraid of drugs. At the initial stage, the doctor will recommend mild herbal remedies and only in case of severe disorders can powerful tablets be used.
Thus, stress is not dangerous for a person, but only on condition that the body easily adapts to it and the pressure normalizes within 24 hours. If you have a tendency to hypertension, and stress is constantly present in your life, you need to see a doctor and get a prescription. Remember that hypertension develops gradually and unnoticed by the patient. And only at the initial stage, the treatment started will help completely eliminate the pathology.
