How do I find out if my mother has high blood pressure or low blood pressure?

Question

She's lying in bed right now, unable to get up because if she does her head will spin and she will be so dizzy and nauseous that she will want to lie back down. She's only 51 years old, and I'm quite worried about her.
These are her symptoms:
-dizziness
-nausea
-from time to time head hurts; it's the kind of hurting like your skull's too small and is tight on your brain
-a little congestion
-head spins

She says that it's only in the head; nothing is wrong with her other parts. Please say if it is low blood pressure or high blood pressure. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, DON'T SAY ANYTHING. I DON'T WANT MY MOTHER TO SUFFER BECAUSE SOMEONE GUESSED.
Only people who know what they're talking about answer, PLEASE. Thank you very much

Yes she smiles plenty and when she speaks she sounds like she has a cold or she had a bad night =)

Yes she smiles plenty and when she speaks she sounds like she has a cold or she had a bad night =)

P.S. She's walking around now and making tea. Her smile is crooked but she said it's always been crooked, and she's not weak, but her heart is beating rapidly.

Answer 1

I'd consider calling the hospital...it's possible that it could be either, but I'd err on the side of caution and say high blood pressure. If that's the case, could she be slurring her speach? get her to smile and make sure that it's even on both sides (if one side is not smiling, call an ambulance)...this will check if she's having any signs of a stroke or TIA (aka mini-stroke)

the other possibility is that she could have a sinus infection (which is MUCH LESS serious)....if that is the case, she needs to see her doctor anyways as sinus infections can get worse and cause complications. I won't go into them as they may scare the poopy out of you :) But if it is a sinus infection (which probably it is) then it is easily treatable with antibiotics.

But seriously, check the smiling, check her strenght in both hands (get her to squeeze your index fingers), listen to her speech and call the hospital if you're in doubt...call the ER if you have to.

Merlin the Cat

Answer 2

What about fever? Is there any fever? How does her heart feel? Is it beating very rapidly? When you are that sick your BP can skyrocket anyway, so even if she had her BP taken now it could be high because she is ill. If she has high BP and is this ill it can rise even higher and be dangerous...maybe that could be why the headaches too.

If you just suddenly came down with it it could be a flu bug. But flus can make you very sick and are dangerous too and if you are this sick you should get a doc to come to the house or go to the hospital.

The danger is you can become very dehydrated which could be why your head is pounding so much too. Take little sips every 10 minutes or so if you can't keep things down.

You could have vertigo which is what makes you so dizzy you can't even turn over...that would be from an infection to your inner ears and surrounding glands.

It could even be much more serious than all this however...maybe you need a CT scan done on your head to see what is going on if the doc rules out any of the above. The worst scenario is an aneurism or stroke or something else happening...but don't think the worst at this point because more than likely it's a flu bug.

Do get checked out. When someone is that sick you shouldn't be having to guess what it is.

Hope your mom is better real soon! :~)

Answer 3

From your description it sounds like your heart is reacting to some physical abnormality rather than causing it. Heart disease of any sort is extremely rare starting at age 17. If any heart problem is present at that age it is most likely a congenital defect present since birth and just starting to present symptoms. If it is present, from your description of symptoms, it may be an electrical conduction disorder within the heart. I say this assuming you are of normal weight. Since it has been happening since you were 17 I suspect that having a baby is not part of the cause. I seriously doubt that becoming sexually active is the cause. The first step is to find what blood pressure and heart rate is normal for you. A normal blood pressure for you may be abnormal for someone else. It can be anywhere from 100/60 to 120/80. A "normal" pulse rate can be anywhere from the high 30's to the low 100's. When you detect a fast pulse it must make you anxious, which can contribute to high blood pressure. Your blood pressure readings of 150/100 and 141/91 are high, but not alarmingly so considering how anxious you must become when you are experiencing one of these episodes. I suspect that your blood pressure is high due to both the fast pulse rate and your anxiety. If this is the case then maybe you should be looking for the cause of only the fast pulse. The nausea and dizziness along with the fast pulse could indicate an endocrine disorder. There can be several sources of such a problem such as the hypothalamus, adrenal glands or the thyroid gland. Any solution must start with a comprehensive medical history. The best source of that is you. Organize your thoughts on what ails you. Write down your own medical history, even it you think it has nothing to do with your present symptoms. Put it in chronological order by date. When you get to your present condition, be as specific as you can as to the onset of symptoms and the exact nature of those symptoms. Collect the test results from any doctor or hospital you have been to. Once you have done this then any doctor you go to has all this Information to start with. Once he/she knows what has been done to find the cause, the doctor may not have to waste time going over something that has already been done. Of course any doctor will want to examine you and draw their own conclusions, but at least you will be able to bring him/her up to date. I offer these as suggestions only. I can imagine your frustration and I wish you the best in finding a solution.

Answer 4

It sounds like she has a virus, flu or a sinus infection. The best thing to do is take her to the doctor. He can tell you everything you need to know. Now some store at their pharmacy has a blood pressure monitor where you can check your blodd pressure, but it doesn't sound like this is the time to use it. She sounds too sick and she could be contagious. Don't endanger other people health by taking her around them. You can call a hospital and speak to a nurse in the emergency area. Help her get in the car and if nothing else take her to the emergency room if she hasn't improved yet..

Answer 5

she should go to a hospital soon. the symptoms of high blood pressure and low blood pressure are almos the same -- except that with high blood pressure -- patients complain that they feel some "pressurized pain" in their head, or as my mother would describe it -- she said she feels some pain at the back of her neck. when you describe the pain as "like your skull's too small" -- it looks like high blood pressure. it's hard to be 100% sure because nobody can see your mom right now.

sometimes, these symptoms can be visible among people with a cold. my mother has many times thought she had high blood pressure, when it turns out she doesn't. the only way to tell is to take her blood pressure using a sphygnomanometer -- i suggest you buy a digital one because it's easier to use.

Answer 6

Well you should just take her to the doctor. Why take a chance on your mother's health? The symptoms could be a variety of things so it's best to have her checked out.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL!!!!!!!! SHE MIGHT HAVE HAD A STROKE OR ANEURYSM!
I can't believe you would trust your Mom's health to an ask-answer website. I love !Yahoo Answers, but good grief....this could be a life or death situation.

CALL 911..........and may God bless you both!

Answer 9

Have her check it at the store if you dont want to go to the doctor. If you dont understand the results, ask the pharmacist. They can help. It really sounds like you better get her to a doctor tho, if you dont want to lose her. That can be serious.

Answer 10

does it really matter if its high right now or low...what would u do if its high..and what would u do if its really low...she needs to go to the emergency room..where they can exam in her...