Hypertensive Crisis

A hypertensive crisis is an extremely serious condition, and it’s a medical emergency that requires immediate management before it becomes a life-threatening condition.

Hypertensive crisis

A hypertensive crisis means that the blood pressure becomes very high in a sudden way. This means that the systolic pressure becomes 180 mm Hg or higher, and the diastolic pressure becomes 120 mm Hg or higher.

A hypertensive crisis mostly occurs in people who have a high blood pressure condition.

Causes of hypertensive crisis

• Not taking the hypertension drugs properly.
• Discontinuing the blood pressure medications suddenly.
• Preeclampsia and eclampsia.
• Kidney disease.
• Head trauma.
• Brain tumor.
• Endocrine issues.
• Interactions between certain medicines.
• As a result of medicines that the patient takes for other conditions, such as steroids, depression medications, pseudoephedrine, and cyclosporine.
• The risk of hypertensive crisis increases due to obesity, in males, and using stimulant drugs.

Symptoms of hypertensive crisis

Symptoms of hypertensive crisis depend on whether it causes organ damage or not.

• In case there isn’t organ damage, the patient usually doesn’t have symptoms, but certain symptoms may appear in some cases, such as mild headache, shortness of breath, nosebleed, and anxiety.
• When hypertensive crisis causes organ damage, the following symptoms manifest: chest pain, dizziness, altered vision, severe headache, edema, heart palpitations, seizures, altered mental status, decreased urination, and stroke symptoms.
• If not managed, a hypertensive crisis can lead to acute heart failure, pulmonary edema, aortic dissection, kidney failure, heart attack, ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, and hypertensive encephalopathy.

Diagnosis of hypertensive crisis

• Physical exam.
• Blood tests.
• Urine tests.
• Imaging tests.

Treatment of hypertensive crisis

• The patient must be taken to the emergency room immediately.