You're taking a diuretic and at least two other blood pressure medicines. But your blood pressure still isn't budging. This is called resistant hypertension. Simply put, it means that your high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is hard to treat and may also have an underlying (secondary) cause.
If you have high blood pressure that isn't responding to medication, your doctor may refer you to a hypertension specialist recognized by the American Society of Hypertension, Dr. Thomas says, as these cases often require in-depth testing and highly tailored treatment.
Put another way: If you have high blood pressure, and you're taking the maximum dose of three different blood pressure medications including a water pill (diuretic), and your blood pressure still isn't at safe levels, you may have resistant hypertension. And you'll need to do more to control it.
Call 911 or emergency medical services if your blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or greater and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms of stroke. Stroke symptoms include numbness or tingling, trouble speaking, or changes in vision.
Seek emergency care if your blood pressure reading is 180/120 or higher AND you have any of the following symptoms, which may be signs of organ damage: Chest pain. Shortness of breath. Numbness or weakness.
Your blood pressure is considered high (stage 1) if it reads 130/80. Stage 2 high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If you get a blood pressure reading of 180/110 or higher more than once, seek medical treatment right away. A reading this high is considered “hypertensive crisis.”
Lower blood pressure while lying down makes sense when you think of your heart as a pump. When you're lying down, most parts of your body are at the same level as your heart. Because of this, your heart doesn't have to work as hard to circulate blood throughout your body.
While both numbers in a blood pressure reading are essential for diagnosing and treating high blood pressure, doctors primarily focus on the top number, also known as systolic pressure.
Call 9-1-1 immediately if any of these signs of stroke appear: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; Trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Trouble walking, dizziness, or problems with balance; severe headache with no known cause.
Compared to people with systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg without treatment, hypertensive individuals on three or more blood pressure medications had a stroke risk of 2.5 times higher. The harder hypertension is to control, the higher the risk for stroke, even if the treatment is successful.
Health conditions
The risk of a stroke begins to increase at blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Your health care provider will help you decide on a target blood pressure based on your age, whether you have diabetes and other factors.