Diet, age and genetic history are the common risk factors when it comes to high blood pressure and that's no news. While many of you might know of these common factors, a lot you might be unaware of the uncommon reasons for high blood pressure too. As much as it is important to know of the common reasons, it is also quite crucial to have some knowledge about the uncommon ones.
Here are the uncommon risk factors of high blood pressure:
- Pain: It can activate the sympathetic stress system of the body which raises the blood pressure. Hence, a lot of people with migraine issues go to emergency rooms with severe headache issues and are found to be hypertensive. Although, for most people, blood pressure returns to normal right after treating pain.
- Sleep apnea: Once we start aging, weight starts to gather around our bellies. Some heavy weight around the neck can collapse airways and obstruct the breathing process. This can in turn cause the patient to awaken frequently due to apnea altering the neurotransmitter balance increasing sympathomimetic transmitters which increases the blood pressure. Sleeping with a CPAP machine after an overnight sleep study can treat the obstructive sleep apnea and help in normalizing blood pressure too.
- Caffeine: Excessive coffee or other stimulant beverages can increase the levels of catecholamine which causes increased blood pressure and heart rate. It is thus very important to note that an occasional cup of coffee is safe but more than 3 cups of coffee a day will harm your BP.
- Herbal supplements: The herbal supplements are usually considered to be safe. But there are a few drugs that can interfere with the blood pressure mechanisms and increase BP. They can even interfere with action of other drugs.
- Sugar: High sugar intake can cause increase in BP. Even a high sugar diet for a couple of weeks can raise the blood pressure significantly. It is hence very crucial to know the causes, though lesser-known so as to be aware of them i order to avoid high blood pressure.
