Can Dehydration Cause High Blood Pressure And Heart Rate?

High blood pressure and heart rate depend on many factors and if your question is can dehydration causes high blood pressure and heart rate then the answer is YES. In addition to dehydration, there are many causes that can lead to high or low blood pressure.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

Hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when blood pressure heightens to harmful levels. The blood pressure is measured taking into consideration the amount of blood passing through the blood vessels and the quantity of resistance it meets when the heart pumps it.

Narrow arteries amplify resistance, the narrower the arteries are the higher the blood pressure is.

Hypertension is normal and it develops over the years and symptoms can’t be identified in one go.

Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension usually comes with no symptoms in many people. Symptoms to develop take years and still, the symptoms could be linked to other health conditions. However, below are the hypertension symptoms;

• Headaches
• Nosebleeds
• Breathing shortness
• Flushing
• Dizziness
• Visual changes
• Blood in the urine
• Chest pain

These above-mentioned symptoms ask for immediate medical intervention and waiting for these symptoms is fatal. The more tricky part is that not everyone will go through these symptoms.

The best and affirmative method is to check if you are suffering from hypertension is to go for regular blood pressure tests.

Causes Of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is of 2 types and as such the causes differ from each other;

1. Primary Hypertension

It is even known as essential hypertension and it occurs over a period with no particular cause. The majority of people have this kind of high blood pressure. These causes include;

• Genes, few people by birth are prone to this and it could be due to genetic abnormalities or gene mutations.
• Physical changes, if the body goes through some changes a person may start to experience this condition.
• The environment and an unhealthy lifestyle too can lead to this condition. Obesity is one result of an unhealthy lifestyle.

2. Secondary Hypertension

It is quicker in taking form and is more severe than primary hypertension. Causes include;

• Kidney disease
• Side effects due to medicines
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Thyroid problems
• Inherited heart defects
• Drug abuse
• Excessive alcohol
• Problems of the adrenal gland
• Few types of endocrine tumors

Can Dehydration Cause High Blood Pressure And Heart Rate?

There is a link between dehydration and blood pressure and heart rate in addition to the link between dehydration and heart disease. Dehydration strains the heart and the quantity of blood passing through the body or blood volume lessens during dehydration and to compensate, the heart beats with increased rate thereby increasing blood pressure and heart rate.

Can dehydration cause low blood pressure and heart rate?

Dehydration may at times lead to a drop in the blood pressure and heart rate but it is not always the cause of it. In fact, the side effects of dehydration such as vomiting, fever, and so on lead to this situation. When you doubt dehydration is the cause of it go for a dehydration blood pressure test.

What Are The Causes Of Dehydration?

One of the main reasons for dehydration is not drinking sufficient water or giving the body the required amount of liquids. The other causes include;

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Excessive sweating
• Vomiting
• Frequent urination
• Diabetes

How Much Water Is Required To Drink In A Day?

It depends on many factors and according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sufficient daily fluid intake is;

• Nearly 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men
• Nearly 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids for women

These suggestions constitute fluids from beverages, water, and food. Nearly 20% of everyday fluid intake normally comes from diet and the remaining from drinks.

Besides these recommendations one should keep in mind the BMI and also the activity one does give the body the correct amount of water.

When To See A Doctor?

Since many people don’t show symptoms a regular check-up is the best method. However, people under the high-risk group should see a doctor frequently and the high-risk group includes:

• People with overweight or obesity
• African Americans
• A family history of high blood pressure
• People with few health conditions
• people aged over 40

Since now you know the answer for can dehydration causes high blood pressure and heart rate it is better to keep your body hydrated in addition to following a healthy lifestyle to prevent high blood pressure.

Sudheendra Reddy

Sudheendra is a passionate blogger for 8 years and holds a Degree in Journalism & Mass Communications. His writings particularly focus on health, medicine, diet & lifestyle. For him, everything that interlinks and relates to health & medical world entices him. His write-ups aim at educating people not by just giving facts but by infusing human touch.