{"id":3244,"date":"2022-11-28T19:45:16","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T19:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/health.theemtspot.com\/?p=3244"},"modified":"2026-04-11T19:54:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T19:54:17","slug":"can-anxiety-cause-high-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/can-anxiety-cause-high-blood-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Anxiety Cause High Blood Pressure?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-larger-font-size\"><strong>Quick Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"--ek-bullet-color:#ea4474\" class=\"is-style-connected has-list-bullet-color wp-block-list\">\n<li>Anxiety attacks temporarily raise blood pressure; however, this seldom develops into a chronic condition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regular spikes in blood pressure or anxiety-related coping mechanisms contribute significantly to long-term hypertension due to vascular damage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Specific anxiety medication also raises blood pressure, but lifestyle management can significantly help reduce risks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people wonder, &#8220;can anxiety cause high blood pressure?&#8221; After all, your heart rate and blood pressure increase temporarily when you feel upset, stressed, or anxious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although there is a connection between <strong>hypertension and anxiety<\/strong>, the belief that one can lead to the other is not as simple to explain. Unfortunately, most people don\u2019t realize the <strong>complex interaction<\/strong> between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports <em>approximately 40 million adults in the USA alone to suffer from anxiety<\/em> disorders. A rise in blood pressure is just one of several <strong>physiological symptoms<\/strong> that anxiety can have on your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll look at the relationship between anxiety and high blood pressure, possible treatment options, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">So, Does Anxiety Cause High Blood Pressure?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/diagnosing-and-treating-chronic-hypertension\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Chronic hypertension is a significant health risk<\/a> that can damage various body parts. However, while anxiety and panic attacks can temporarily increase blood pressure, there is <strong>insufficient evidence<\/strong> that anxiety disorders cause long-term hypertension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem is there are <em>no obvious physical signs of high blood pressure<\/em>. Instead, the symptoms connected with hypertension are also associated with rapid blood pressure and pulse bursts brought on by anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These might include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"--ek-bullet-color:#ea4474\" class=\"has-list-bullet-color wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lightheadedness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dizziness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Headaches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Racing heartbeat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When anxiety levels are at their peak, all of these <strong>symptoms become more noticeable<\/strong>. These are also indicators of <em>hyperventilation<\/em>, which frequently occurs with anxiety and panic episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, while your hypertension may be causing some of these symptoms, it is doubtful, and <em>high blood pressure merely follows anxiety<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are you in the clear?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the lack of research, it is not to say you are in the clear from <strong>further investigation<\/strong>. It is crucial to remember <em>anxiety attacks can cause rapid increases in blood pressure<\/em>, especially when you haven\u2019t had an episode for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A high blood reading on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/chart\/\" class=\"ek-link\">blood pressure chart<\/a> is <strong>usually harmless.<\/strong> But it can pose a health risk if left <em>untreated<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When anxiety-induced blood pressure spikes occur frequently, it strains your heart and kidneys, damaging blood vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are various lifestyle changes and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/supplements\/\" class=\"ek-link\">supplements that can help lower blood pressure<\/a>. Likewise, <em>anxiety\u2019s long-term effects<\/em> may impact blood pressure in the long run, but it is hard to differentiate them from those caused by <strong>genetics or nutrition factors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way anxiety might contribute to hypertension is through <em>poor coping mechanisms<\/em>. Experts suggest<em>:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;<em>Because patients find it difficult to comply with lifestyle modifications (often because of a decreased understanding of the changes required), adherence to medication regimens may be less of a limiting factor than doctors believe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>These include <strong>lifestyle choices that increase<\/strong> <strong>blood pressure<\/strong>, like smoking, vaping, drinking too much alcohol or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/caffeine\/\" class=\"ek-link\">caffeine<\/a>, eating junk food, lack of exercise, and sleep deprivation. These are all <em>contradictory<\/em> to the requirements for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/how-to-lower\/\" class=\"ek-link\">lowering blood pressure.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/how-to-take\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Monitoring blood pressure<\/a> and mental health is essential. Furthermore, remember anxiety is not the root cause of hypertension in all cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The effect of anxiety medication on blood pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some <strong>anxiety drugs<\/strong> can raise blood pressure to dangerous levels. Examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"--ek-bullet-color:#ea4474\" class=\"has-list-bullet-color wp-block-list\">\n<li>SNRIs (Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake inhibitors)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>MAOIs (Monoamine oxidase inhibitors)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NDRIs (Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake inhibitors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A meta-analysis revealed that while SSRIs (Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) do not affect blood pressure, <em>SNRIs raise it slightly<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your doctor will <strong>regularly <\/strong>check your blood pressure after prescribing medication from the list above for any notable changes. But, many options like selective SSRIs, beta-blockers, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/is-xanax-effective-in-lowering-blood-pressure\/\" class=\"ek-link\">benzodiazepines like Xanax are safe<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember that you have options like maintaining a healthy diet, deep breathing, simplifying your daily routine, and exercising to <em>reduce anxiety levels<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">But, Can Blood Pressure Cause Anxiety?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Any pre-existing, <strong>chronic condition<\/strong> like heart disease or high blood pressure contributes to anxiety and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to (NIMH) National Institute of Mental Health, patients with any long-term illness have a higher tendency to have mental health problems like anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another study suggests <strong>that up to 51% of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension suffer from panic or anxiety<\/strong> episodes. Most of these cases go undiagnosed and untreated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the contrary, anxiety is a <em>rare side-effect of most blood pressure drugs<\/em>. Clonidine and beta blockers are effective blood pressure medications in treating anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">In Short<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is not enough proof that anxiety causes hypertension; nonetheless, there is a known link between the two, as anxiety produces short-term rises in blood pressure. Anxiety can also <strong>harm overall health<\/strong> due to frequent increases in pressure and heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are concerned about your mental and physical health, your doctor can help determine a safe treatment plan that works for you. You can also refer to some of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/home-remedies-for-high-blood-pressure\/\" class=\"ek-link\">our tips and tricks to lower blood pressure<\/a> that also reduces stress effectively.<\/p>\n\r\n\t\t\t<div id=\"daexthefu-container\"\r\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"daexthefu-container daexthefu-layout-side-by-side daexthefu-alignment-left\"\r\n\t\t\t\tdata-post-id=\"3244\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-feedback\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-text\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"daexthefu-title\">Was this helpful?<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-buttons-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-buttons\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-yes daexthefu-button daexthefu-button-type-text\" data-value=\"1\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-button-text\">Yes<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-no daexthefu-button daexthefu-button-type-text\" data-value=\"0\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-button-text\">No<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-top-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<label id=\"daexthefu-comment-label\" class=\"daexthefu-comment-label\"><\/label>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-number\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-number\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-text\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<textarea id=\"daexthefu-comment-textarea\" class=\"daexthefu-comment-textarea\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Type your message\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmaxlength=\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t400\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"><\/textarea>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-buttons-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"daexthefu-comment-submit daexthefu-button\">Submit<\/button>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"daexthefu-comment-cancel daexthefu-button\">Cancel<\/button>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-successful-submission-text\">Thanks for your feedback!<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Although anxiety is not a leading cause of high blood pressure, there is a strong link between the two. Discover the connection between your symptoms in this article. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_helpful_status":1,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blood-pressure"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3244"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":538612,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3244\/revisions\/538612"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}