Archive · 19 Sep 2025
Can Stress Cause High Blood Pressure?
Imagine your body as a car, and stress as the gas pedal.
When you're stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol, which makes your heart race and blood vessels narrow.
This is like pushing the gas pedal, causing your blood pressure to rise.
A Quora user experienced this, with a blood pressure reading of 200/90.
Doctors may give relaxation medicine to help calm things down.
If the pressure stays high, they might also give medicine to lower it.
It's important to manage stress, as it can temporarily raise your blood pressure.
A Quora user's blood pressure was initially 200/90 and deemed a result of stress.
Dr. Manisha Arora confirms that stress can temporarily increase blood pressure.
The body releases cortisol during stress or panic attacks.
Cortisol increases heart rate and narrows blood vessels.
Doctors may use anti-anxiety or blood pressure medication to manage the situation.
- Who
- A Quora user and Dr. Manisha Arora.
- What
- Whether stress can cause high blood pressure.
- When
- The timeframe of the blood pressure reading was two months after the initial visit.
- Where
- Not explicitly stated.
- Why
- To understand the relationship between stress and high blood pressure.
- Blood Pressure Reading
- 200/90 (reported by a Quora user)
- Hormone released during stress
- Cortisol
- Expert Opinion
- Dr. Manisha Arora, Director of Internal Medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi
- Effect of Cortisol
- Raises heart rate, narrows blood vessels
- Immediate Treatment
- Anti-anxiety or relaxation medicine; possible antihypertensive medicine