Can High Blood Pressure Cause Seizure-Like Symptoms?

Can High Blood Pressure Cause Seizure-Like Symptoms?

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Though often asymptomatic, untreated high blood pressure can lead to serious health complications over time, including stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. However, high blood pressure has also been linked to some acute symptoms that may resemble seizures in some cases.

What is High Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure refers to the force exerted by blood against the walls of the arteries as it is pumped through the circulatory system by the heart. Blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day but when it stays elevated over time, this is referred to as high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is typically defined as having a systolic (top number) blood pressure of 130 mmHg or higher and/or a diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure of 80 mmHg or higher. However, normal blood pressure is considered 120/80 mmHg.

Hypertension is often caused by lifestyle factors like poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, excess alcohol intake, and stress. However, it can also be caused by underlying health conditions, genetics, or a combination of factors.

How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Seizure-Like Symptoms

In most cases, high blood pressure does not cause any noticeable symptoms. That's why it's often called the "silent killer." However, some people with hypertension do experience non-specific symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds, fatigue, vision changes, and difficulty breathing.

In rare cases, severely elevated blood pressure can trigger seizure-like episodes. This is because extremely high blood pressure can temporarily reduce the blood supply to the brain. When parts of the brain are deprived of oxygen and nutrients, it can cause abnormal electrical activity that presents as seizure-like manifestations.

Symptoms of Hypertensive Seizures

Seizure-like symptoms that may occur with high blood pressure include:

• Confusion, agitation
• Jerking movements of the arms and legs
• Loss of consciousness
• Muscle twitching or stiffness
• Abnormal tongue or cheek movements
• Impaired vision
• Drooling or frothing at the mouth
• Loss of bladder control

However, true epileptic seizures usually last 1-3 minutes while hypertensive seizures typically only last for seconds or up to a minute. The episodes also resolve quickly once blood pressure is lowered.

When To Seek Emergency Care

Experiencing seizure-like symptoms along with extremely high blood pressure constitutes a hypertensive emergency. This is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical treatment.

Emergency care should be sought right away if blood pressure is 180/120 mmHg or greater along with seizure-like symptoms like:

• Sudden confusion
• Loss of consciousness
• Uncontrolled jerking
• Facial twitching
• Vision changes

Rapid treatment is vital to prevent complications like stroke, kidney failure, heart attack, and even death in cases of malignant hypertension.

Causes of Hypertensive Emergencies

Some potential causes of hypertensive crises with neurological symptoms include:

• Undiagnosed chronic high blood pressure
• Non-adherence to blood pressure medications
• Blood pressure spike from pain, stress, or panic
• Underlying kidney disorders
• Pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor)
• Recreational drug use
• Eclampsia in pregnant women

Diagnosing the Cause

To diagnose the underlying cause of seizure-like activity with high blood pressure, the doctor will take a full medical history and conduct a thorough physical exam. They may order tests like:

• Blood tests to evaluate kidney function, electrolytes, and hormones
• Urine tests for protein, blood, and waste products
• CT scan or MRI of the brain
• Ultrasound of the kidneys
• EKG to check heart rhythm and function

These tests can help identify any health conditions, like kidney disease, that may be contributing to the hypertensive emergency.

Treatment for Hypertensive Emergencies

The main treatment for hypertensive emergency in the hospital involves rapidly lowering the blood pressure to prevent organ damage. This is carefully done through IV medications like:

• Sodium nitroprusside
• Labetalol
• Nicardipine
• Hydralazine
• Enalaprilat

Seizure medications may also be used to control neurological symptoms. Once stable, oral blood pressure medications are started to maintain normal blood pressure.

Preventing Future Hypertensive Emergencies

After a hypertensive crisis, steps to prevent future episodes usually include:

• Continued blood pressure monitoring
• Lifestyle changes - Losing weight, reducing sodium intake, exercising, avoiding stimulants
• Taking blood pressure medications exactly as prescribed
• Follow-up testing to monitor for organ damage from hypertension
• Treating any underlying conditions contributing to high blood pressure

With proper management of hypertension, seizure-like activity caused by high blood pressure can often be avoided.

Key Takeaways

• Though rare, very high blood pressure can sometimes trigger seizure-like symptoms when it reduces blood flow to the brain.
• This hypertensive emergency requires rapid treatment to lower blood pressure and prevent organ damage or death.
• Seizure-like activity due to hypertension may manifest as confusion, twitching, visual changes, or loss of consciousness.
• Underlying health conditions, non-adherence to medication, or uncontrolled hypertension may lead to hypertensive crises.
• Ongoing blood pressure management is key to preventing future episodes of severely elevated blood pressure.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.