Today is Medical Monday at Aortic Hope.
It's cold and flu season. Have you ever wondered if being sick could affect your blood pressure?
The article "Does Being Sick Affect Your Blood Pressure?" in HealthCentral written by Sheila M. Eldred, Sheila explains that while we all know typical symptoms of being sick with a cold or flu, we don't necessarily think of our blood pressure being affected. "Flu puts stress on your cardiovascular system and can cause your blood pressure to elevate. That’s not worrisome if you’re in good overall health, but it can be concerning if you’ve already been diagnosed with hypertension. Though it’s unclear exactly how much a bout with the flu impacts your blood pressure, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that getting the annual flu vaccine provides important protection for your heart. Findings suggest that the flu vaccine was significantly associated with reduced risks of death from cardiovascular causes, including heart attack and stroke in patients who had hypertension. Most doctor’s offices are stocked with this year’s flu vaccine."
Nicole Weinberg, M.D., a cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA mentions too that there is also a correlation between illness and lower blood pressure "For all this talk about the link between illness and high blood pressure, ironically, the opposite can also be true. If you’re vomiting or have severe diarrhea or a fever, you might become dehydrated, and dehydration sometimes causes a dip in blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. And some quite serious conditions, such as septic shock, can cause blood pressure to drop as well."
To check out this article in detail, click here.
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