High blood pressure: anxiety, stress, or something else?

I’m a bit of a hypochondriac, and my heart is always my main obsession.

About a week ago, I borrowed a digital blood pressure monitor just to see where I stood.

Every morning when I checked, things seemed fine—systolic was hovering between 125 and 135. If I stayed calm through the day, it stayed under 140. Sure, if I got nervous or stressed, it would spike, but rarely over 160, and those spikes usually passed quickly.

But then, I managed to trigger a bit of a crisis for myself. It was afternoon, and I had just gorged on a massive meal and smoked two cigarettes back-to-back. Suddenly, I felt my heart racing a little. I thought, "Let me check my pressure." The reading came back at 165/85.

For some reason, that number really rattled me. I tried again, and this time it was 170/85. Now I was genuinely scared. I assumed the machine was malfunctioning. Two minutes later, I checked again. Of course, it was even higher: 180/90! Seeing that, I started shaking. I was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, my heart pounding like crazy. In a total daze, I took another measurement, and it hit 190/95. That was the moment I realized I needed to stop and take some Xanax. It was pure madness.

So, there you have it. I managed to drive my pressure from a 160—likely just from the heavy food and nicotine—up to 190 in less than ten minutes. I basically gave myself a textbook panic attack. By the next morning, my pressure was back to 125/80, so I decided it was time to return that damn device.

The mental fallout, however, hasn't gone away. Since I had no idea my blood pressure could spike that drastically just from anxiety, I’m now constantly worried it’ll happen again and that I’ll eventually suffer a stroke.

Do you guys think this is purely psychological? Can stress really push numbers that high, or should I go see a cardiologist just to be safe?

How old are you?
Does anyone in your family deal with high blood pressure issues?

How exactly were you measuring it? I mean, my husband once clocked in at 180, only to realize he was holding his arm down by his side instead of keeping it level with his heart, which totally throws off the reading. His blood pressure is actually perfectly fine otherwise.

Also, you might want to check the batteries in that digital monitor. If they're getting low, the readings can get wonky.

And if you’ve been checking it over and over in a row and seeing the numbers climb higher each time... well, you can probably blame your own anxiety for that.

That said, if you're consistently seeing numbers above 140/90, it's definitely time to chat with a cardiologist. How old are you, anyway? And what’s your lifestyle like—diet, weight, and all that?

So, I’m 31. My lifestyle isn't exactly what you'd call "organized"—I'm currently burning through two packs of cigarettes a day.
Regarding my measurement methods and battery life, everything stayed consistent whether I was seeing readings of 130 or 190 (and just to be clear, that higher number only happened once).
Up until now, I’ve had my blood pressure checked at my doctor's office a few times—most recently about 15 months ago—and it has never been high.
But honestly? I'm pretty rattled right now. Even though most of my readings have been fine, and those few spikes only happened when I was totally panicking, I can't stop obsessing over it. I just didn't expect my pressure to jump that high, even under intense stress, especially since I always assumed my heart was healthy.

It’s common knowledge that blood pressure spikes whenever you get worked up... or when stress hits. What kind of work are you doing? How much are you stressing out on a daily basis? Are you the type to bottle everything up inside, or do you just scream at the top of your lungs?

I've dealt with similar episodes myself, and I'm only 22. My reading was 130/85.

Yeah, I was stressed—like, seriously stressed. But I stopped. Now, I cap it at maybe one coffee a day (if I even have one), I'm trying to cut back on the smoking, and I don't go overboard with the salt.

My whole family is just genetically prone to high blood pressure... with a few exceptions. But whatever, nobody's perfect; you just have to learn how to live with your issues. 🙂

Man, those nerves will send your blood pressure through the roof, so don't be surprised at all if things spike.

Maybe try cutting back on the coffee and cigarettes—and most importantly, try to manage the stress. I know, sounds like Mission Impossible, but it's worth a shot. You should also start getting some exercise in; it does wonders for both your heart and your stress levels...

Digital ones are a total joke. I read they can be off by as much as 30 or 40 decimal points. You’re better off sticking with the manual doctor's version. Also, if you use those digital gadgets, don't leave your arm lying flat—you have to keep it bent.

I used to do the same thing, but I finally gave up on it.

Ryan Vaughn7 said:I suppose I’m quite the hypochondriac, particularly when it comes to my heart.

Well, there it is. I really did it this time. My blood pressure jumped from 160—which was likely just the result of a heavy meal and a few cigarettes—all the way up to 190 in less than ten minutes. I essentially gifted myself a rather intense panic attack. By the following morning, it had settled back down to 125/80, at which point I decided it was best to simply return that damn machine.

There is such a thing as a blood pressure cuff. They aren't expensive, and they actually work quite well; they can stabilize things in just a few minutes. 👍

Woke up feeling pretty rough this morning, so I figured I’d check my blood pressure to see if it was running low. Got a reading of 90/60, pulse at 67.

Is that actually low enough to worry about?

That’s definitely on the lower side, but honestly, quite a few of my girlfriends have blood pressure just like that, especially first thing in the morning. It doesn't seem like anything to worry about...

Lakonogi said:I could barely drag myself out of bed this morning, so I figured I’d check my blood pressure just to see if it was running low. The reading came back at 90/60, with a pulse of 67.

Is that, I guess, considered really low?

Yeah, you probably ought to do something about that.😕