Hypertensive emergency

A hypertensive emergency is very high blood pressure that damages the body. A person's blood pressure may be 180/120 or higher. It can cause damage to the brain, heart, eyes, or kidneys. A hypertensive emergency needs immediate care.

The symptoms of a hypertensive emergency include headache, chest pain, trouble breathing, numbness, blurry vision, and confusion.

Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your past health, including other health problems and any medicines you're taking. You may have tests to check for problems caused by high blood pressure. These tests may include an electrocardiogram (EKG), a chest X-ray, a urine test, blood tests, or imaging tests.

To treat a hypertensive emergency, doctors and nurses will carefully monitor your blood pressure and give you medicine intravenously (through a needle inserted in one of your veins). The immediate goal is to lower your blood pressure enough so that your organs are no longer in immediate danger. But it must be lowered slowly so that your body has enough time to adjust to the change in blood pressure. If blood pressure is lowered too quickly, your body may have a hard time getting blood to your brain.

The other goal of treatment is to treat organ complications. For example, your doctor may give you a diuretic if you have fluid buildup in your lungs. Or your doctor may give a beta-blocker and nitrates if you have myocardial ischemia (not enough blood is reaching your heart). After your doctor has lowered your blood pressure to a safe level and treated your complications, he or she will try to identify the cause of the acute episode. Your doctor will then work with you to create a treatment regimen that can help prevent future attacks.