anxiety changed my blood pressure to 140/60

[Sabhyakhera]

hi, i'm a 17 year old male, 6ft. 88kg wt....All this started a month back, when i worked out a little harder,my throat felt dry and chest felt a little heavy while breathing.I got scared and thought that I have corona virus. I started searching online about the symptoms.i was always worrying. Then i started to get jerky motions while i was at rest.Again I got scared.So, i started checking my blood pressure again and again.3-4 times a day. My parents also started to worry.Now i feel those jerks all the time, while sitting,standing, sleeping...when i'm busy..my mind does not divert to think about it..but i still know its there. Its difficult to fall asleep now.when i went to the doctor,they said either not to think about it or take meds for sometime...I do not want to get hooked on any meds...please help me... whenever i check my blood pressure...its around 140 systolic and 60 dystolic...i would not be that worried if it was 140/90 which is regular hypertension...but it is different which freaks me out.the dystolic is too low always.. and my heart beats so HARD ,so forcefully...like when i'm resting, i can literally feel every beat...through my chest,stomach area,arms, wrist....and its constant..its been around a month now...i can't stay as still as i used to.

i just need details why this is happening and how can i stop it

i have some questions:

1. can i recover naturally with exercise, diet,meditation etc?if yes ,then how long will it take?

2.is this anxiety or a heart condition?

3. how to ignore those hard heart beats?

4.can i do heavy exercises..because when i try to do those, my heart feels like it may explode.

please help,thanks.

[Hidden]

A persistent BP reading such as this needs a doctor diagnosis. If I understand, your doctor prescribed meds (for anxiety, blood pressure?) and if these are supposed to help your symptoms, you should follow your doctors advice.

We are not doctors nor qualified to advise what you are cleared to do as far as exercise, ignoring your symptoms, changing your diet, etc. Since you are so young, take care with the help of your parents and doctors.

[BlueMama4]

I’m a nurse and agree you should follow your doctors instructions. But what you’re describing sounds like it COULD be anxiety related. Anxiety can definitely increase your blood pressure and your heart rate. Think of the fight or flight response of your nervous system that kicks in when witnessing a traumatic event. Well when you have anxiety the same fight or flight response occurs. This can bring on the symptoms you’re describing. It can be a viscous circle because the more you worry about it, the more anxious you become. You should talk to a doctor about your symptoms. Also a diastolic BP of 60 isn’t too low for an otherwise healthy adult. And everyone’s BP varies throughout the day. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it. And just a few years ago a systolic BP of 130-140 was considered pre-hypertensive. It’s definitely something that needs to be addressed but it’s not emergent. Maybe take should your BP while you’re laying in bed before you get up in the morning. You may find that it’s normal but as your anxiety increases throughout the day, it goes up proportionately. Regardless, I would see a cardiologist and get an EKG and maybe an echocardiogram just to make sure your heart is healthy. These are just some suggestions coming from a RN who used to have panic attacks but has been rid of them for at least 6-7 years. Good luck and I hope you start feeling better soon!

[BlueMama4 in reply to BlueMama4]

Oh, and some people report that anxiety can be lessened through daily meditation, yoga and gentle exercise. A lower-sodium, anti-inflammatory diet may make a little difference.