Episode.. Kinda Scared. Vision Blurred & High Bp

[gdomaracki]

So, I was at an elementary school yesterday all day and in the afternoon I was sitting at a table when my one eye got all blurry. I thought maybe I got something in it so I blinked a few times but it continued. Then my other eye got fuzzy and I started to feel hot and dizzy like I was going to pass out. I put my head down between my legs for like 10 mins but it just kept on going so I headed to the nurse. She took my stats and my heart rate wasnt high but my bp was 160/100, so she had me lay down for 15 mins. And then my symptoms went away and my bp went to 118/80. I felt tired and had a mild headache afterwards.

Has anyone had an episode like this? I've never had my vision change before so im kind of worried.

[Freaked]

Afaik 160/100 wouldn't *normally* be enough to cause blurred vision. You might have just had a presyncope episode and an adrenaline surge. Or maybe it was higher before the nurse took it.

[Katybug]

If this is new to you, you should have it checked out by a doctor. It may just be dysautonomia or the onset of a migraine but it could be something more serious. Best to be safe and get checked out so you know what's happening should it occur again.

[lfreem02]

I experienced blurred vision in my left eye for the first few months of having Dysautonomia symptoms. I finally saw in the mirror that my left pupil was dilated, and wouldn't change regardless of the amount of light. I read that the ANS controls pupil dilation, which I am guessing is why it happened. I have other vision issues, but the pupil issue resolved itself.

[JuneFlower]

Blondie- In my opinion- you should be checked at an urgent care clinic as soon as possible or your doctor. Or an ER. That blood pressure is dangerously high and can and frequently does cause blurred vision. It can also cause a stroke. The fact that it fluctuated does not mean that it is okay. I hope all goes well and they can monitor it and treat this problem for you.

June

[gdomaracki]

Thank you everyone for commenting on this! Its always more scary the first time you experience symptoms like this. I did call my heart doctor and they werent too concerned about it because it went away and my blood pressure has been fine ever since. Im hoping it never happens again lol

[JuneFlower]

that's good. I suppose if it never happens again, it might have been a fluke. But I would keep an eye on it. And I generally would be uncomfortable without a medical follow up.

June

[gdomaracki]

Yeah, I still am feeling nervous about it. How can they test you to see if you had a stroke.

[kayjay]

Hoping to make you feel better- your blood pressure is nothing to worry about unless it is sustained for a long period of time.

You'd be amazed at the high blood pressure spikes professional weight lifters and other athletes experience. At this point a spike of 160/100 doesn't worry me a bit but the first few times it happened I was very scared.

I have experienced exactly what you described. I also have had vision issues and Bp with migraines. Could you have had a "silent" migraine.

I don't mean to sound as if I'm belittling your experience. It is scary but resting was the right thing to do. If your blood pressure stays high for a prolonged period when you are resting, you should call your doctor.

Also your numbers are no where near "stoke level". It might be a good idea to talk with your cardiologists. I've had bps over 200/170+. Talking to my doctor about it really comforted me.

[kayjay]

Also -June just in case you might also want to get parameters from your doctor to make sure you have a comfort zone. Just incase you ever have a spike. It's completely normal to have Bp spikes- it's just not normal for it to happen without exertion.... Unless you have POTS.

I just realized your children have pots. My teen son just had a Bp reading of 146/90 at the doctors. They waited about 15 min and retook it. Totally normal (actually low) with the second reading.

[JuneFlower]

well i am only going by professional and personal experience. I see a lot of high blood pressure in my work and we don't blow it off. You are probably right that a one time spike for a short time is not harmful. However a prolonged high pressure is very dangerous. In my opinion. Better safe than sorry.

Blondie- if you are still walking and talking, most likely you did not have a stroke of course in my opinion. It's usually fairly obvious with a neurological exam. They can do brain scans as well. I doubt you would have a stroke from one high B/P spike. But obviously I would follow this B/P to make sure it goes down and stays down.

kJay- what any individual's acceptable blood pressure levels are will vary and what may be ok for you may not be ok for someone else. I would be hesitant to say anything conclusive about another persons health.

June

[Tachy Phlegming]

When I was in the ER and had it, the doctors totally didn't care. They just kept taking it until it went down (guess that works just as well as any med).

And a cardiologist years later who told me my blood pressure was high told me at the end of the appt. he'd give me a beta blocker through his receptionist. Five minutes later, the receptionist told me he refused to give me any meds for either that or tachycardia -- just because he didn't want to, no other reason.

I know the theory but I walked out only imagining that in practice even daily high bp doesn't need to be treated if, if ... you're like me? unless you have a certain gleam in your eye?

Yes, I had used the scary word dysautonomia and asked to be referred to a specialist after the appt. and was happy with the specialist that many months later.

But even despite saying that word, I still thought I should have been allowed to try whatever that cardio was giving out that day to any of the rest of patients for high bp and tachycardia. (I had said I wanted to try something else but that I was very willing to try the beta blocker). I am perfectly conventional and look just like someone without any disease by the way -- I assume it was the bare mention of that word ....

I look at what kJay wrote and just think, wow, that's so far off from conventional medical wisdom. But I've got to say, I've ended up having to come to around the same conclusion she has because I've been treated so terribly (and yes, the meds I have work well on a lot of symptoms but imperfectly on bp). I don't like it -- but what choice do I have?

Mostly, most of the people on forums will advise going to the doctor just because we're supposed to be attuned to not knowing if perhaps someone has something else etc. -- but if my experience is typical, again, not by any choice I've made, I've ended up having to do things and think the way kJay suggested.

I think I've seen a total of one stroke reported on this forum by the way, I think during a pregnancy (if someone has kept count and heard more reports, maybe chime in ...)

[JuneFlower]

Tachy- I think you described my concerns accurately when you said..:if perhaps someone has something else etc.." That is just it. We don't know. And any responsible doctor would take high blood pressure seriously. There are many quacks out there. Also there is such thing as white coat hypertension or high blood pressure caused by stress. It is somewhat easy to spot. (after all other avenues are explored). And I could see a dr not treating that.

Yes I doubt many people here have strokes. We seem to be on the young side. But I see other issues from high blood pressure. It is not benign.

[kayjay]

No June- but for those of us with Dysautonomia, episodic high blood pressure is par for the course. POTS can be very scary and I'm sure none of us want to scare other people needlessly.

It's very important to realize that no one's blood pressure remains the same thought the day. Stress, activity, and many other factors cause blood pressure spikes in completely healthy people. I used the examples of athletes spiking 400/250+ blood pressures as an example to show it's not deadly. Our bodies are made to handle the fluctuations. I've no doubt that if a person was being chased by a tiger they would spike high blood pressures. We can have that physical response without the tiger and without running . Episodic high blood pressure isn't what causes strokes.

I am blessed with doctors who are experts in dysautonomia and blood pressure. Most of us lay people don't really have a good understanding of appropriate blood pressure fluctuations.

Iwould encourage anyone with high blood pressure to speak to a doctor well versed in autonomic dysfunction. It can be very comforting. According to most of what's online I should have had a stroke at some point in the past 15 years I've had hyper pots.

Sustained high blood pressure is a completely different animal than the spikes many of us deal with. Conventional medical blanket statements often do not apply to us.

[writerlymom]

Completely agree with KJay- important not to scare people. Anxiety makes POTS worse. And POTS absolutely has one freaky thing after another happen. Sounds like blondie appropriately was checked out at the nurse and touched base with cardiologist. Hard to imagine a cardiologist dismissing something potentially serious. Blondie, if you're still worried about it- go get checked out - and if you're not comfortable with your doc find a new one as soon as you can. No one on here knows your situation as well as you and your doctors.

[kayjay]

Also- tachy, I wouldn't want you to think that my opinion is biased on MY opinion if you know what I mean. I continue to be a mayo clinic patient and have local doctors who are experts in blood pressure. I'm just repeating what my neurologist(s) cardiologist(s) and general internist have told me. It's always wise to rest and retake in 15 mins if you've had an unusually high blood pressure reading.

Also know the signs of a stroke. F.A.S.T.

Face drooping. Is one side of the face numb? Can the person smile?

Arm weakness. Ask the person to raise their arms. Does one arm drift downward or feel numb

Speech difficulty. Is speech slurred? Is it hard to understand the person or are they unable to speak?

Time to call 911. If any of these symptoms are present get the person to a hospital.

[kayjay]

I should clarify- yes it is normal for ALL people to have blood pressure spikes. Not just hyper pots people. It's not healthy to have 24 hour a day high blood pressure. It essentially wears out organs and can damage vessels.

We all are designed (human beings, not just pots people) to have fluctuations in our blood pressure. It's pretty Interesting actually to see 24hour ambulatory blood pressure results graphed. In a person (like me) who doesn't have a high blood pressure problem just hyper pots, my BP drops nice and low when I'm sleeping.

If a person has high blood pressure from renal artery stenosis or something that causes essential hypertension, they will also have high blood pressure when they are resting.

So I'm beating a dead horse I suppose, I just don't want anyone to have needless anxiety and fear. I'm sure we all have lots of other things to worry about

[corina]

Okay everyone, I'm sorry to let you know that this topic is now closed. Some posts have been removed due to arguing. Please keep in mind that arguing and giving medical advice aren't allowed at our forums.