Can Dehydration Cause High Blood Pressure?

December 21, 2021

Can Dehydration Cause High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is a chronic condition where the force of your blood is higher than normal and pushes strongly against your blood vessel walls. When it’s not treated, high blood pressure can lead to other serious health problems including heart attack and stroke.

Many different factors can cause high blood pressure. It’s possible that dehydration may cause high blood pressure.

Here’s a closer look at the link between dehydration and high blood pressure, as well as signs when you should see a doctor right away.

Can Being Dehydrated Cause High Blood Pressure?

“Dehydration is a possible cause of high blood pressure,” says Dr. Jason Varghese, a family medicine physician with Healthcare Associates of Texas.

Nearly 60% of the human adult body is made up of water. Your body needs water to carry out important functions. For instance, it helps regulate body temperature and flush out waste.

Dehydration occurs when your body does not have enough fluids. It can happen after a period of heavy sweating or if you’re not drinking enough water. It can also happen if you are sick and cannot keep fluids in your body due to excessive vomiting and/or diarrhea.

How Does Dehydration Affect Blood Pressure?

Dehydration can make your blood pressure go up or down to cause high blood pressure (Hypertension) or low blood pressure (Hypotension).

Low Blood Pressure

Dehydration can cause your blood volume to decrease. Blood volume is the amount of fluid in your blood vessels. Having a normal blood volume is important because it allows your blood to reach all the tissues and organs in your body. However, a low blood volume can cause your blood pressure to drop.

If you’re dehydrated, your blood volume and blood pressure can drop too low. This can prevent your tissues and organs from getting the amount of oxygen and nutrients they need to stay healthy.

“When left untreated, low blood pressure can cause other issues, like heart and/or brain damage,” Dr. Varghese adds.

High Blood Pressure

When your body is dehydrated, it releases higher amounts of a chemical called vasopressin. Vasopressin helps your kidneys retain water, which can prevent you from losing more water through urination. At the same time, it causes your blood vessels to constrict, which then causes your blood pressure to increase. When this situation persists, you can develop high blood pressure.

What Are Other Symptoms of Dehydration?

“Dehydration has a lot of potential symptoms, including feeling extremely thirsty, dry mouth, darker-colored urine, and dizziness,” Dr. Varghese says.

Symptoms will usually occur before dehydration starts affecting your blood pressure.

Other symptoms of dehydration include:

• Less frequent urination
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Bad breath
• Dry skin
• Muscle cramps
• Cravings for junk foods

Drink some water if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms. Also, think about your recent water intake to determine whether you have been drinking enough. For example, are you having these symptoms after spending several hours in the sun? If so, it’s possible you have not been drinking enough water and may be dehydrated.

What Causes Dehydration?

Dehydration can happen for a variety of reasons. It can happen if you are sick and cannot keep fluids down for very long. It can also happen if you don’t have enough water on hand, such as during a road trip.

• Vomiting and having diarrhea, which can cause you to loose fluids
• Heavy sweating during strenuous exercising
• Fever
• Frequent urination
• Drinking beverages like coffee or alcohol, which increase urination
• Forgetting to drink water, such as when you are super busy
• Having kidney disease or uncontrolled diabetes
• Lack of access to clean drinking water

“I want to add that dehydration can occur even during cold winter months. Although you are not sweating profusely, you may become dehydrated if you don’t drink enough water which could lead to elevated or low blood pressure,” Dr. Varghese explains.

How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day?

Drinking lots of water throughout the day can prevent you from becoming dehydrated and reduce your risk of getting high blood pressure. Some doctors suggest drinking about eight glasses of water a day.

“The ‘correct’ amount of water you should be drinking every day can vary per person. It depends on numerous factors such as your weight, physical activity level, etc.,” Dr. Varghese explains.

Ask your doctor about how much water you should drink every day based on your personal health situation. Your doctor can review your medical history, talk to you about your lifestyle, and make the best recommendation based on this information.

What Are Other Causes of High Blood Pressure?

Dehydration is just one possible cause of high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also be caused by certain lifestyle behaviors or by other medical conditions.

Common causes and risk factors of high blood pressure include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Eating high amounts of salt
• Lack of potassium in the diet
• Heavy alcohol use
• Stress
• Thyroid disorders
• Sleep apnea
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Tumors in the adrenal gland
• Using illicit drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine
• Using certain medications, such as birth control pills, antidepressants, and corticosteroids

“Most people don’t know when they have high blood pressure because high blood pressure doesn’t usually show any symptoms,” Dr. Varghese says.

However, some people with high blood pressure may experience headaches, shortness of breath, or bloody noses.

Doctors usually check your blood pressure during routine appointments, such as annual physicals or well-check visits. Make an appointment with your doctor if you think you may be at risk for high blood pressure. Getting your blood pressure under control can reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and dementia.

When It’s Time to See a Doctor

Visit your doctor right away if you are experiencing the following symptoms:

• Diarrhea or vomiting that has lasted longer than 24 hours
• Rapid heart rate
• Extreme confusion
• Extreme exhaustion or fatigue
• Black or bloody stool
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Loss of conscious or passing out
• Cold, clammy skin
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Weak and rapid pulse

The above symptoms may indicate that you are either severely dehydrated or have low blood pressure. Your doctor can perform an evaluation and talk to you about possible treatment options.

Treating High Blood Pressure with Healthcare Associates of Texas

Healthcare Associates of Texas is home to a large team of board-certified medical professionals who can work with you to treat high blood pressure. Our doctors can talk to you in more detail about the link between dehydration and blood pressure, and what you can start doing today to improve your overall health. Click here to find your nearest location and request an appointment.

Reviewed for medical accuracy by

December 21, 2021

Dr. Jason Varghese

Dr. Varghese’s care philosophy is built around preventative medicine, patient education, and establishing a lasting relationship with his patients. He believes that every patient is special and should feel important. He wants everyone to feel part of a big family.

Dr. Varghese is a family medicine doctor in Midlothian, TX and is currently accepting new patients.

Posted in: Cardiovascular Health, Health Education

Dehydration and Blood Pressure: What’s the Connection?

Dehydration happens when your body doesn’t have enough fluids. Not drinking enough fluids or losing fluids faster than you can replace them can both result in dehydration.

Dehydration can be serious. If it’s left untreated, it can lead to life threatening complications, like heat-related emergencies and kidney problems.

Additionally, dehydration can cause potentially dangerous changes in blood pressure.

Continue reading to learn more about dehydration, its effect on blood pressure, and the symptoms to watch out for.

Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries and veins. Dehydration can affect your blood pressure, causing it to spike up or go down. Let’s take a closer look at why this happens.

Low blood pressure is when your blood pressure reading is lower than 90/60 mm Hg. Dehydration can cause low blood pressure due to a decrease in blood volume.

Blood volume is the amount of fluid that’s circulating in your blood vessels. Maintaining a normal blood volume is necessary for blood to be able to adequately reach all of the tissues of your body.

When you’re very dehydrated, your blood volume can decrease, leading to a drop in blood pressure.

When blood pressure drops too low, your organs won’t receive the oxygen and nutrients they need. You could potentially go into shock.

High blood pressure is when you have a systolic (top number) reading of 140 mm Hg or higher, or a diastolic (bottom number) reading of 90 mm Hg or higher.

Dehydration has been linked to high blood pressure. However, research into this topic is limited. Additional work is needed to investigate the connection.

Although more research is needed, it’s still worth noting that dehydration can lead to an increase in blood pressure due to the action of a hormone called vasopressin.

Vasopressin is secreted when there’s a high amount of solutes (or sodium level) in your blood, or when your blood volume is low. Both of these things can happen when you lose too much fluid.

In response, when you’re dehydrated, your kidneys reabsorb water as opposed to passing it in urine. High concentrations of vasopressin can also cause your blood vessels to constrict. This can lead to an increase in blood pressure.

In addition to changes in blood pressure, there are other dehydration symptoms to look out for.

Oftentimes, you’ll feel these symptoms before you know that you’ve had a change in blood pressure. These symptoms include:

• thirst
• dry mouth
• urinating less often
• urine that’s dark in color
• feeling tired or fatigued
• lightheadedness or dizziness
• confusion

Additionally, children who are dehydrated may have the following symptoms:

• no wet diapers for several hours
• absence of tears when crying
• irritability
• sunken cheeks, eyes, or soft spot on the skull (fontanel)
• listlessness

Other than not drinking enough fluids, there are other possible causes of dehydration. They can include:

• Illness. A high fever can lead to dehydration. Additionally, vomiting and diarrhea can lead to a significant loss of fluids and electrolytes.
• Increased sweating. Water is lost when you sweat. An increase in sweating can occur in hot weather, during exercise, and if you’re sick with a fever.
• Frequent urination. You can also lose fluids through urination. Medications like diuretics, underlying conditions such as diabetes, and alcohol consumption can all cause more frequent urination.

It’s important to seek prompt medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms:

• diarrhea that’s lasted longer than 24 hours
• inability to keep fluids down
• a rapid heartbeat
• extreme exhaustion, disorientation, or confusion
• stool that’s black or bloody

For low blood pressure

A lower than normal blood pressure reading, without other symptoms, may not be a cause for concern.

However, if you have low blood pressure readings along with other symptoms, it’s important to get medical care.

Symptoms to look out for include:

• feelings of lightheadedness or dizziness
• nausea
• feeling tired or fatigued
• blurry vision

Shock is a medical emergency that needs immediate care. Dial 911 if you have lower than usual blood pressure and symptoms like:

• skin that’s cold or clammy
• quick, shallow breathing
• a pulse that’s rapid and weak
• confusion

For high blood pressure

High blood pressure doesn’t usually cause symptoms. Most people find out about it during a routine checkup with their doctor.

If you regularly take your blood pressure and find that your readings are consistently high, see your doctor.

The key to preventing dehydration is to make sure you take in enough fluid each day. But how much water or other fluids should you drink in a day?

Daily fluid recommendations can depend on several factors, including things like:

• age
• sex
• weight
• your overall health
• weather conditions
• activity level
• pregnancy or breastfeeding

According to the Mayo Clinic, a good goal to aim for is to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

If you find it hard to drink plain water, you can also stay hydrated by drinking:

• water infused with slices of fruit, like lemon or cucumber
• sugar-free sparkling water
• smoothies made with fruits and vegetables
• decaffeinated herbal tea
• milk
• low sodium soups

Also remember that you can get water from some food sources, particularly fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, follow the tips below to help yourself stay hydrated:

• Always drink when you feel thirsty. Feeling thirsty is your body’s way of telling you that you need more fluids.
• Remember to drink more water when you’re being physically active, in a hot climate, or ill with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Carry a water bottle with you as you go about your daily activities. That way you’ll always have water on hand.
• Choose water instead of sugary sodas, energy drinks, sweetened beverages, or alcoholic drinks.

Changes in blood pressure can occur due to dehydration.

A drop in blood volume can lead to a potentially dangerous drop in blood pressure and even shock.

High blood pressure has also been linked to dehydration. More research is needed to fully understand the connection.

You can prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids. This is especially important if you’re ill, in a warm environment, or being physically active.

Renin direct (EDTA plasma) – to be tested in St. Petersburg and other regions

Medical center at Bogatyrsky pr., 4Laboratory terminal at Aleksandrovskaya Fermy avenue, 8Laboratory terminal at Nastavnikov avenue, 36k2Laboratory terminal at ul. Budapestskaya, 6Medical center on Pulkovskoye shosse, 28A Medical center on Kondratievsky prospect, 62k3Medical center on Prosveshcheniya avenue, 14k4Medical center on Moiseenko, 5Laboratory terminal on the street. Oleko Dundicha, 8, room 2Laboratory terminal on the street. Pestelya, 25AMedical center on Leninsky prospect, 88Medical center on Okhtinskaya alley, 4 (Murino, Leningrad region)Laboratory terminal on the street.

Turku, 5/13 St. Petersburg, Exit serviceMedical center on the street. Savushkina, 14

Price:

1 315 ₽

Add to cart
Renin is an enzyme that regulates blood pressure. It is secreted by the arterioles of the renal glomeruli in response to a drop in blood pressure. The kidneys respond to changes in the concentration of sodium and potassium. Renin acts on angiotensinogens (oligopeptide hormones), converting them to type I angiotensin, which is then converted to type II. Hormones of the second type have a strong vasoconstrictive effect. As a result, renin increases blood pressure, helps maintain potassium and sodium levels within the normal range.

Testing is prescribed for the medical diagnosis of diseases associated with drops, a decrease or increase in blood pressure:

• hypertensive conditions;

• renal vascular pathology;

• primary aldosteronism and hyperaldosteronism.

Assign a renin test to identify the causes of low potassium levels or high blood pressure. It is also carried out in conjunction with a study on aldosterone, when drug therapy for hypertension does not bring a positive result.

A referral for the test can be obtained from a general practitioner, family doctor, cardiologist, endocrinologist, oncologist, nephrologist and gynecologist. Important! Correctly interpreting the results of the analysis for renin is possible only with test data on the level of cortisol and aldosterone.

Therefore, testing is carried out in a complex way, calculating the results of studies on aldosterone, cortisol, and sometimes drenocorticotropic hormone.

1. Low renin – high aldosterone.

This may indicate primary hyperaldosteronism, a tumor of the adrenal gland. This condition is also accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of potassium, which is expressed in muscle weakness.

2. High levels of renin and aldosterone.

These indicators may indicate the presence of secondary aldosteronism caused by a decrease in blood pressure and a drop in sodium concentration. In this condition, blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow to the kidneys. The response of the body is an uncontrolled increase in pressure. Symptoms can occur against the background of heart failure, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, cirrhosis.

3. High renin – low aldosterone.

It indicates chronic insufficiency of the adrenal cortex (hypocorticism), which in turn causes autoimmune aggression, hypoplasia, tumors and metastases in the adrenal glands and other conditions. Symptoms include low blood pressure, weight loss, dehydration, lack of sodium and potassium, chronic fatigue, and depression.

How to prepare for analysis

Influence of diet. Renin levels change with excessive salt intake, so salty foods should be limited.

Medicines. Some medications have an effect: aspirin, corticosteroids, estrogenic and diuretic drugs. Therefore, after agreeing with the doctor, stop taking medication for a day, and taking inhibitors for a week.

Body position. Before donating blood, you need to sit or lie down, staying in this position for about 2 hours. Stress and physical exertion change the concentration of the enzyme. The rate is higher in the morning. Therefore, the analysis for renin is carried out in the morning in a calm state, they give up alcohol in a day, do not smoke at 2-3 hours.

Synonyms: blood test for renin / Renin

Equipment: LiasonXL / DiaSorin

8 (812) 600-42-00

It is recommended to donate blood on an empty stomach (at least 8 hours and not more than 12 hours of fasting). Drinking – water, as usual. On the eve of the study, exclude: food, physical and emotional overload, alcohol and energy drinks. Stop smoking 1 hour before the study. For 2-4 weeks, in agreement with the attending physician, you should stop taking drugs that may affect the results of the study (diuretics, antihypertensive drugs, oral contraceptives, licorice preparations). It is recommended to take blood from the patient in the “sitting” position – after 30 minutes. standing and in the “lying” position – after 30 minutes. lying.

Similar tests

Aldosterone-renin ratio

5 days

from 1,670 ₽

Add to cart 5 days

from 1 315 ₽

Add to cart

Aldosterone

up to 5 days

from 755 ₽

Add to cart

Analysis available in these centers:

Medical center on Bogatyrsky pr., 4

Medical center on the street. Moiseenko, 5

Medical center on Prosveshcheniya avenue, 14k4

Medical center on the street. Savushkina, 14

Laboratory terminal on the street. Turku, 5/13

Medical center on Okhtinskaya alley, 4 (Murino, Leningrad region)

Laboratory terminal on the street. Pestelya, 25A

Laboratory terminal on the street. Oleko Dundicha, 8, building 2

Laboratory terminal on the street. Budapestskaya, 6

Medical center at Pulkovskoe shosse, 28A

Laboratory terminal at Nastavnikov Ave., 36k2

Laboratory terminal at Aleksandrovskaya Ferma avenue, 8

Medical center on Leninsky pr., 88

Medical center on Kondratievsky prospect, 62k3

ORTOKROSS clinic on the 5th line of V. O., 8A (official partner)

Laboratory terminal at Kronverksky pr., 31 (official partner)

Clinic “PulkovoStom” on Pulkovskoye shosse, 26, building 6. (official partner)

Laboratory terminal on the street. Savushkina, 124 (official partner)

Laboratory terminal on Bolshoy pr. V.O., 5 (official partner)

Functional diagnostics doctor

Functional diagnostics – examination of the respiratory, cardiovascular and central nervous systems using specialized medical equipment. A functional diagnostician (FD) doctor studies pathologies in the functioning of organs. The FD doctor also interprets the data obtained, controls the success of the therapy prescribed by the attending physician.

As a rule, the study by FD methods is prescribed by general practitioners, neurologists, cardiologists and vascular surgeons. Also, functional diagnostics is prescribed during the passage to undertake the treatment of heart, vascular diseases, respiratory disorders and neurological problems to doctors of narrow specialties.

Blood pressure measurement (BP monitoring)

Measurement of blood pressure for some patients is a daily routine. Often, devices for measuring blood pressure are stored at home. What is the difference between single measurement and daily monitoring? Carried out on a wearable monitor, blood pressure measurement gives a chance to perform the procedure during active physical activity, while sleeping, while taking medication, etc. The device itself will build a daily schedule that reflects not only the increase and decrease in pressure, but also the body’s reaction to changing weather conditions, stress, stress, and will also give a forecast of damage to organs that are more affected by high blood pressure (heart, brain). During therapy, monitoring of blood pressure will allow taking into account the favorable hours of taking drugs, based on the features of the identified circadian rhythm of blood pressure. Most of all, BP monitoring is aimed at predicting, i.e. it is an essential part of health screening and an important preventive measure.

Electrocardiography (ECG)

Electrocardiography is a method for diagnosing disorders of the heart and obtaining information about the conduction of the heart rhythm. 24-hour ECG monitoring shows the effectiveness of drug therapy, helps the doctor adjust the dosage and frequency of medication. It is carried out during sleep and wakefulness. In athletes, the use of an EEG monitor serves to determine the resource and exercise tolerance. Detects pathologies of the cardiovascular system that are not determined by single EEG. EEG monitoring is justified to detect latent myocardial ischemia, without complaints of malaise on the part of the patient, in the conditions of a habitual lifestyle.

Bicycle ergometry (VEM)

Bicycle ergometry is a common and affordable way to diagnose IHD (coronary heart disease). It consists in simulating cycling (bicycle ergometer). There is an increase in coronary blood flow, and the load on the heart increases. Measurement electrodes are attached to the chest. At rest, readings of blood pressure and electrocardiography are taken, then the stress test begins. During the test, there is a gradual increase in the load, and the recording of ECG and blood pressure data. Bicycle ergometry reveals violations (including hidden ones) in the work of the cardiovascular system.

Electroencephalography

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method of studying the brain, which is based on the registration of electrical activity.