Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Face Feels Warm, No Fever But Very High BP. Can I Get Back To Work?
Question: my blood pressure is 177/72 and I am 77 years old. It is making me nervous as I go back to work tomorrow teaching in college. My face feels warm but I have no fever.
Hello,
Thank you for your query.
I understand that you have hypertension and your blood pressure (BP) is 177/72 mmHg.
This type of Hypertension is known as Isolated Systolic Hypertension (ISH). Only the systolic BP (177) is elevated while the diastolic BP (72) is normal.
This is commonly seen in the elderly. It has been estimated that over 90% of people over the age of 50 years will develop this type of high BP.
It is also necessary to rule out pseudo-hypertension due to thickening of the walls of the arteries. This can be done by your treating physician.
The treatment of choice is either a calcium channel blocker like Amlodipine or a low dose thiazide diuretic.
It has been shown that treatment and control of ISH will lead to significant reduction in strokes and heart attacks.
You also need to do some investigations like ECG (Electrocardiogram), echocardiography, blood tests for sugar, cholesterol and kidney function, urine for protein, and fundus examination of the eye.
There is no need to be anxious since this can be easily controlled with a salt restricted diet, a good exercise regimen and drugs. Anxiety will only further increase the systolic BP.
I hope this answers your query. Feel free to ask me for any further clarifications that you may require.
With regards,
Dr RS Varma
Thank you for your query.
I understand that you have hypertension and your blood pressure (BP) is 177/72 mmHg.
This type of Hypertension is known as Isolated Systolic Hypertension (ISH). Only the systolic BP (177) is elevated while the diastolic BP (72) is normal.
This is commonly seen in the elderly. It has been estimated that over 90% of people over the age of 50 years will develop this type of high BP.
It is also necessary to rule out pseudo-hypertension due to thickening of the walls of the arteries. This can be done by your treating physician.
The treatment of choice is either a calcium channel blocker like Amlodipine or a low dose thiazide diuretic.
It has been shown that treatment and control of ISH will lead to significant reduction in strokes and heart attacks.
You also need to do some investigations like ECG (Electrocardiogram), echocardiography, blood tests for sugar, cholesterol and kidney function, urine for protein, and fundus examination of the eye.
There is no need to be anxious since this can be easily controlled with a salt restricted diet, a good exercise regimen and drugs. Anxiety will only further increase the systolic BP.
I hope this answers your query. Feel free to ask me for any further clarifications that you may require.
With regards,
Dr RS Varma
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
