Anxiety and high blood pressure?

[laydeechaz]

I'm 20 years old and had anxiety for years but only the physical symptom's for around 3. Over the past few months or so i've noticed my body is extremely sensitive to my stress level's - even the smallest amount. Whenever i start feeling stressed i get all sorts of problems, i can feel my whole body tense up, i get palpitation's, dizzy spell's, my eye's start feeling strained, i get tingle's all over my body and a bad headache. But if i let my stress level's get worse it will progress into a a full blown panic attack. But for some reason it feel's like my blood pressure also goes high along with it (i know that's normal but it just feels like it goes too high at time's) and as soon as i start relaxing the symptom's go away, my Auntie who's a nurse said it also sound's like my blood pressure is getting a bit too high, bringing on the headache, so i need to be careful. But when i look high blood pressure up it give's you mixed message's. They say that Anxiety can obviously cause high blood pressure spell's but doesn't usually directly cause it for it to become a problem.
Does that mean it doesn't cause it long term? Hypertension? But if my anxiety does cause a rise in blood pressure that could lead to it becoming more serious in the future? Cos' i get the feeling almost everyday.
I'm very confused about it.
I know i'm a bit young to be worrying about it but ofcourse my anxiety can't help it.
Should i be worried?

x

[laydeechaz]

I've seen a Doctor about it before and she checked my blood pressure and said it was fine, it hasn't been in the past the first time around probably cos' i'm anxious about seeing a Doctor so she did it again it went down. I know high blood pressure usually take's years to develop, and i'm pretty healthly overall, well part from the anxiety and the symptom's it give's me.

And i'm seeing a councillor about my anxiety, have been for over 6 months, but there's been a few change's and i haven't seen her in 2 months.

She basically said i have a panic disorder, limited symptoms attacks, and Agoraphobia.

[Shanna707]

I get severe anxiety attacks at times to the point of chest pain, shortness of breath, and also increased blood pressure, although normally my blood pressure is normal so I understand what you are talking about.  I would advise you that even if you are not diagnosed with hypertension it can still become unhealthy for your blood pressure to be rising to the point of causing headaches on a DAILY basis.  Yes, you are young and may pass a physical, but how we treat our bodies when we are young certainly can affect our health as we age.  I suggest you do what you need to control the panic attacks and keep your  blood pressure down.  Are you doing anything to manage the anxiety?  You may need to speak to your DR. and share your complaints.  Make sure that you are able to pass an overall health check and if physically everything is fine you have less to worry about.  Then, you can concentrate on a therapist or whatever measures may help prevent your anxiety from getting to the point of a full- blown panic attack that affects you so much physically.  Remember to take those deep, cleansing breaths at the first sign of feeling anxious.  I wish you well.

[r9c]

Hi,as far as i know..anxiety and panic attack can rise ur blood pressure by a bit,this was me when i had a very bad panic attack where i rushed to the A&E department of the hospital,where they took my blood pressure and it was around 136/85 which was a bit high,but then it does come back down to normal below 120/80 once adrenaline are burnt off in your body.If your blood pressure maintain its high  level then its something you need to talk with your doctor.And age is on your side,ur still young at 20 and a slight rise in ur blood pressure is normal and this was told by my cardiologist and doctor and if u were a middle age person then its something not to be taken lightly.
Anxiety does rise your BP but it does not maintain at that level for 24 hours unless u keep freaking and scaring urself out.BP always came down once ur panic attack ease and it always ease cause a human body can only produce a certain amount of adrenaline in a day.And for ur information i do experienced light headness,and dizzness and even shortness of breathe / chestpain...i done every test at the cardiology department and all test came out with flying colours.You just need to accept that the symptoms is caused by anxiety nothing else provided that you have a overall health checkup.