Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDizzinessConnectionTreatmentWhen to Seek CareFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Dizziness
Connection
Treatment
When to Seek Care
Frequently Asked Questions
Dizzinesscan be a symptom of many different conditions. Though it is not considered a symptom ofhigh blood pressure(hypertension), it can indicatelow blood pressureon its own or frommedications that lower blood pressure.
Read on to learn more about how blood pressure fluctuations can lead to dizziness and when to see a healthcare provider.
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What Is Dizziness?
When to Seek Emergency Medical CareWhether or not you have high blood pressure, if you are experiencing dizziness with symptoms including weakness on one side of the face or body, speech difficulty, chest pain, or sudden severe shortness of breath, you should seek emergency medical attention immediately.
When to Seek Emergency Medical Care
Whether or not you have high blood pressure, if you are experiencing dizziness with symptoms including weakness on one side of the face or body, speech difficulty, chest pain, or sudden severe shortness of breath, you should seek emergency medical attention immediately.
Is Dizziness a Sign of High Blood Pressure?
Dizziness is not a direct sign of high blood pressure, but it is actually a common symptom oflowblood pressure. Dizziness can also happen as a side effect of blood pressure–lowering medication or from certain complications of high blood pressure, like stroke andheart attack.
High blood pressure is common, affecting nearly 1 in 2 Americans.Uncontrolled hypertension is a serious and important risk factor of stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. For this reason, it’s important to pay attention to your blood pressure and ensure it’s in a good range.
High blood pressure is commonly labeled the “silent killer” since it usually does not cause any symptoms. Severely high blood pressure can cause headaches and nosebleeds, but more often, hypertension doesn’t cause any symptoms at all.
Even though dizziness is not a direct symptom of high blood pressure, people with high blood pressure can experience dizziness from the following related causes:
How Is High Blood Pressure Measured?Blood pressure is measured in milligrams of mercury (mmHg). According to American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines on hypertension, blood pressure readings above 120 mmHg systolic (upper number) are considered elevated, whereas blood pressure readings of 130/80 on more than one occasion are considered high blood pressure, or hypertension.
How Is High Blood Pressure Measured?
Blood pressure is measured in milligrams of mercury (mmHg). According to American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines on hypertension, blood pressure readings above 120 mmHg systolic (upper number) are considered elevated, whereas blood pressure readings of 130/80 on more than one occasion are considered high blood pressure, or hypertension.
Medication Side Effects
Blood pressure medications, also known asantihypertensivemedications, lower blood pressure. There are many different classes of antihypertensive medications, but dizziness is a potential side effect of all of them.
Orthostatic Hypotension
Some people with high blood pressure experience wide fluctuations in their blood pressure. Orthostatic hypotension is low blood pressure and dizziness upon standing. It commonly occurs as a complication of blood pressure treatment in older adults and in people withParkinson’s disease.
Complications of High Blood Pressure That May Cause Dizziness
Some complications of high blood pressure may lead to dizziness. These include:
Treatment and Management of Dizziness
Treating dizziness depends upon the underlying cause.
When dizziness is due to side effects of blood pressure medication, changing medications or the dose or timing of medication may be necessary.For example, your medication dose may be reduced or you may be asked to take blood pressure medication at a different time of day, such as at night instead of in the morning. Any medication side effects and changes should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
When dizziness is a symptom of complications of high blood pressure, like stroke or heart attack, emergency treatment is needed.
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Dizziness is an unpleasant symptom that can have many potential causes, so it’s important to talk with a healthcare provider to understand what’s causing it. Pay attention to the timing of dizziness and anything that worsens your symptoms, and make sure to bring this information to your healthcare provider.
As always, if you have any symptoms that indicate a heart attack or stroke, such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, weakness or numbness on one side of the face or body, or sudden difficulty speaking or walking, get immediate medical attention.
Summary
Dizziness has many possible causes. High blood pressure doesn’t directly cause dizziness, but people with high blood pressure may experience dizziness as a side effect of medication designed to lower blood pressure or from complications of high blood pressure. Pay attention to any additional symptoms, and be sure to seek medical attention for any signs of stroke or heart attack.
A Word From Verywell
Dizziness as a side effect of blood pressure medication can be a nuisance and can increase the risk of falls. If you notice dizziness that occurs shortly after taking your medication, after starting a new medication, or changing doses, talk to your healthcare provider. While it can be frustrating, it often takes experimenting with different strategies to manage dizziness from hypertension treatment.
Learn MoreCauses of Dizziness
Any blood pressure medication can cause dizziness since it lowers blood pressure. These medications include diuretics, ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers, among others. Other medications, such as those for treating mood disorders, prostate enlargement, seizures, and insomnia, can also cause dizziness.Learn MoreDizziness and Medications
Any blood pressure medication can cause dizziness since it lowers blood pressure. These medications include diuretics, ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers, among others. Other medications, such as those for treating mood disorders, prostate enlargement, seizures, and insomnia, can also cause dizziness.
Learn MoreDizziness and Medications
Learn MoreOrthostatic Hypotension
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.American Heart Association.What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066Ricci F, De Caterina R, Fedorowski A.Orthostatic hypotension: epidemiology, prognosis, and treatment.J Am Coll Cardiol.2015;66(7):848-860. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.06.1084American Stroke Association.Stroke symptoms.American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Dzeshka MS, Shantsila A, Shantsila E, Lip GYH.Atrial fibrillation and hypertension.Hypertension. 2017;70(5):854-861. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.08934Biaggioni I.Orthostatic hypotension in the hypertensive patient.Am J Hypertens. 2018;31(12):1255-1259. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpy089Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measuring orthostatic blood pressure.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.American Heart Association.What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066Ricci F, De Caterina R, Fedorowski A.Orthostatic hypotension: epidemiology, prognosis, and treatment.J Am Coll Cardiol.2015;66(7):848-860. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.06.1084American Stroke Association.Stroke symptoms.American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Dzeshka MS, Shantsila A, Shantsila E, Lip GYH.Atrial fibrillation and hypertension.Hypertension. 2017;70(5):854-861. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.08934Biaggioni I.Orthostatic hypotension in the hypertensive patient.Am J Hypertens. 2018;31(12):1255-1259. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpy089Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measuring orthostatic blood pressure.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.American Heart Association.What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066Ricci F, De Caterina R, Fedorowski A.Orthostatic hypotension: epidemiology, prognosis, and treatment.J Am Coll Cardiol.2015;66(7):848-860. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.06.1084American Stroke Association.Stroke symptoms.American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.Dzeshka MS, Shantsila A, Shantsila E, Lip GYH.Atrial fibrillation and hypertension.Hypertension. 2017;70(5):854-861. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.08934Biaggioni I.Orthostatic hypotension in the hypertensive patient.Am J Hypertens. 2018;31(12):1255-1259. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpy089Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measuring orthostatic blood pressure.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.
American Heart Association.What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?.
Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066
Ricci F, De Caterina R, Fedorowski A.Orthostatic hypotension: epidemiology, prognosis, and treatment.J Am Coll Cardiol.2015;66(7):848-860. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.06.1084
American Stroke Association.Stroke symptoms.
American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.
Dzeshka MS, Shantsila A, Shantsila E, Lip GYH.Atrial fibrillation and hypertension.Hypertension. 2017;70(5):854-861. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.08934
Biaggioni I.Orthostatic hypotension in the hypertensive patient.Am J Hypertens. 2018;31(12):1255-1259. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpy089
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measuring orthostatic blood pressure.
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