Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPainOther CausesPrimary HypertensionGeneral Causes of HypertensionSecondary HypertensionWhite Coat HypertensionTalk to Your Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Pain
Other Causes
Primary Hypertension
General Causes of Hypertension
Secondary Hypertension
White Coat Hypertension
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
For patients who typically have blood pressure that is in the normal range, it can be very alarming to see high blood pressure readings during the recovery period aftersurgery.
Joseph Rene Briscoe / Getty Images
While this can be alarming, be aware that changes in blood pressure—often high readings but sometimes low—are not uncommonafter having surgery.
The reasons for these changes may have everything to do with surgery, or the instructions you were given prior to surgery, but in some cases have little or nothing to do with the procedure.
Hypertension
Pain and High Blood Pressure
Pain is one of the easiest ways to increase your blood pressure, and experiencing pain is quite common after many surgeries.
While severe pain is not common after surgery, it would be normal to have a higher blood pressure when experiencing moderate to severe pain than when pain-free. For some individuals, even minor pain can lead to elevated blood pressure readings.
Your increased blood pressure may be the result of the fact that it is painful to sit in the waiting room of your healthcare provider’s office after surgery, or it may be painful for you to walk to the examination room before your blood pressure is taken.
Perhaps you experienced mild to moderate pain most of the day during your first few days of recovery, which can certainly cause an increase in blood pressure.
Not in pain? There are other reasons why your blood pressure could be increased after surgery. Most people feel like they have extra fluid in their body after surgery, which may show up as edema (swelling) in the hands, feet, and legs.
Were you asked to skip your blood pressure medications the morning of surgery? Did you miss any doses during your recovery or have your dosages been changed? That will also change your level of control over your blood pressure.
Having a salty meal or radically changing your diet can also make noticeable changes in your blood pressure and some medications increase blood pressure.
Stage 1hypertensionis defined as blood pressure that is 130-109/80-89; stage 2 is greater than 140/90. Primary hypertension means that an unrelated disease or problem is not responsible for the problem. For example, someone with kidney disease that causes high blood pressure does not have primary hypertension.
Causes of Secondary Hypertension
What Causes High Blood Pressure (HBP)?
White coat hypertension is the term for high blood pressure that is elevated during medical visits but is normal at home.
Monitoring blood pressure at home or elsewhere outside of the clinical environment may provide more accurate readings in patients who have anxiety regarding medical care.
Some people who believe they have white coat hypertension actually have real hypertension, so testing blood pressure at home on a regular basis is important to determine your blood pressure reading.
The cause of hypertension is not as important as making sure it either goes away on its own or you seek treatment. Hypertension can lead to astrokeand other serious complications. Many people do not have symptoms when they have high blood pressure, which is why it is called “a silent killer.”
If you haven’t talked to your surgeon, they need to be made aware of this issue. Your primary care
Your primary healthcare provider can also be a source of guidance if it continues.
8 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.Meng L, Yu W, Wang T, Zhang L, Heerdt PM, Gelb AW.Blood pressure targets in perioperative care.Hypertension. 2018;72(4):806-817. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11688Saccò M, Meschi M, Regolisti G, et al.The relationship between blood pressure and pain.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013;15(8):600-5. doi:10.1111/jch.12145Trayes KP, Studdiford JS, Pickle S, Tully AS.Edema: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2013;88(2):102-110.US National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Hypertension.Gupte S, Wagh G.Preeclampsia-eclampsia.J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2014;64(1):4–13. doi:10.1007/s13224-014-0502-yPuar TH, Mok Y, Debajyoti R, Khoo J, How CH, Ng AK.Secondary hypertension in adults.Singapore Med J.2016;57(5):228-32. doi:10.11622/smedj.2016087Aronow WS.Drug-induced causes of secondary hypertension.Ann Transl Med.2017;5(17):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2017.06.16Cobos B, Haskard-zolnierek K, Howard K.White coat hypertension: improving the patient-health care practitioner relationship.Psychol Res Behav Manag.2015;8:133-41. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S61192
8 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.Meng L, Yu W, Wang T, Zhang L, Heerdt PM, Gelb AW.Blood pressure targets in perioperative care.Hypertension. 2018;72(4):806-817. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11688Saccò M, Meschi M, Regolisti G, et al.The relationship between blood pressure and pain.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013;15(8):600-5. doi:10.1111/jch.12145Trayes KP, Studdiford JS, Pickle S, Tully AS.Edema: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2013;88(2):102-110.US National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Hypertension.Gupte S, Wagh G.Preeclampsia-eclampsia.J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2014;64(1):4–13. doi:10.1007/s13224-014-0502-yPuar TH, Mok Y, Debajyoti R, Khoo J, How CH, Ng AK.Secondary hypertension in adults.Singapore Med J.2016;57(5):228-32. doi:10.11622/smedj.2016087Aronow WS.Drug-induced causes of secondary hypertension.Ann Transl Med.2017;5(17):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2017.06.16Cobos B, Haskard-zolnierek K, Howard K.White coat hypertension: improving the patient-health care practitioner relationship.Psychol Res Behav Manag.2015;8:133-41. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S61192
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.
Meng L, Yu W, Wang T, Zhang L, Heerdt PM, Gelb AW.Blood pressure targets in perioperative care.Hypertension. 2018;72(4):806-817. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11688Saccò M, Meschi M, Regolisti G, et al.The relationship between blood pressure and pain.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013;15(8):600-5. doi:10.1111/jch.12145Trayes KP, Studdiford JS, Pickle S, Tully AS.Edema: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2013;88(2):102-110.US National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Hypertension.Gupte S, Wagh G.Preeclampsia-eclampsia.J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2014;64(1):4–13. doi:10.1007/s13224-014-0502-yPuar TH, Mok Y, Debajyoti R, Khoo J, How CH, Ng AK.Secondary hypertension in adults.Singapore Med J.2016;57(5):228-32. doi:10.11622/smedj.2016087Aronow WS.Drug-induced causes of secondary hypertension.Ann Transl Med.2017;5(17):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2017.06.16Cobos B, Haskard-zolnierek K, Howard K.White coat hypertension: improving the patient-health care practitioner relationship.Psychol Res Behav Manag.2015;8:133-41. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S61192
Meng L, Yu W, Wang T, Zhang L, Heerdt PM, Gelb AW.Blood pressure targets in perioperative care.Hypertension. 2018;72(4):806-817. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11688
Saccò M, Meschi M, Regolisti G, et al.The relationship between blood pressure and pain.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013;15(8):600-5. doi:10.1111/jch.12145
Trayes KP, Studdiford JS, Pickle S, Tully AS.Edema: Diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.2013;88(2):102-110.
US National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Hypertension.
Gupte S, Wagh G.Preeclampsia-eclampsia.J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2014;64(1):4–13. doi:10.1007/s13224-014-0502-y
Puar TH, Mok Y, Debajyoti R, Khoo J, How CH, Ng AK.Secondary hypertension in adults.Singapore Med J.2016;57(5):228-32. doi:10.11622/smedj.2016087
Aronow WS.Drug-induced causes of secondary hypertension.Ann Transl Med.2017;5(17):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2017.06.16
Cobos B, Haskard-zolnierek K, Howard K.White coat hypertension: improving the patient-health care practitioner relationship.Psychol Res Behav Manag.2015;8:133-41. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S61192
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