Blood Pressure 159/118

Blood pressure 159/118 - what does it mean?

Your blood pressure reading of 159/118 indicates Hypertension Stage 3. It is the most severe case of high blood pressure and usually needs immediate attention by a doctor or health care professional. It is also referred to as Hypertensive Crisis.

If these values come along with symptoms such as headache, nausea, blurry vision or chest pain, seek immediate help and call 911. You might be in a life-threatening situation.

By the way: Your systolic value of 159 mmHg is better than your diastolic value and would classify as Hypertension Stage 2. But if you are getting two different types of classification for your blood pressure it is correct to choose the one that is considered worse.


What you should know about a blood pressure of 159/118

What is hypertension stage three? Very specific blood pressure guidelines have been created by The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association to help the public and medical professionals define blood pressure readings by stages of severity. These stages also help refine the treatment decision-making process and identify effective measures to control hypertension over the long-term.

Blood pressure readings less than 120/80 mmHg are considered within the normal range. Readings that rise up to 129 mmHg systolic but remain less than 80 diastolic are considered elevated. Stage one hypertension begins when readings rise to 130-139/80-89 mmHg, and stage two hypertension is classified as 140-180/90-120 mmHg. Lastly, there is stage three hypertension of readings higher than 180/120 mmHg.

Stage three hypertension is considered either a hypertensive crisis or a hypertensive emergency. With other stages of blood pressure, a diagnosis is made after at least two reliable readings on two separate occasions. With stage three hypertension readings, this isn’t the case.

Minus symptoms of organ distress, you should wait five minutes after the initial reading to recheck your hypertension stage three blood pressure. If the reading remains in the range of hypertension stage three and cardiac distress symptoms are absent, then you should immediately report to your physician for further guidance.

However, if hypertension stage three readings are accompanied by signs of organ distress, such as shortness of breath, vision loss, or chest pain, this is considered a hypertensive emergency. You should contact 911 immediately and not wait to recheck.

Once you’ve had a hypertension stage three episode, it becomes increasingly important to track your blood pressure measurements regularly and be able to list all the medications you take.

At this stage, it’s also important to determine the type of hypertension you’re experiencing, or rather what’s causing the hypertension. There are many ways to distinguish this. Primary verses secondary hypertension, for example, is attributed to either years of lifestyle factors or a specific correctable underlying disease, such as adrenal gland disease, obstructive sleep apnea, or even a side effect of a non-related medication. Isolated systolic hypertensive is often caused by age-related stiffening of the arteries, and resistant hypertension is high blood pressure measurements that remain difficult to control despite an existing medication treatment plan.

Knowing the above will be a key component in managing stage three hypertension.

What Hypertension Stage Three Does To Your Body

Hypertension is often called the silent killer because its sufferers so rarely experience physical symptoms in the early stages. Even the signs that do exist, such as tingling in the arms or legs due to decreased circulation, are often excused by other factors, such as long hours of work. Yet, left undetected/uncontrolled, hypertension is actually causing chaos to most every system in the human body.

Cardiovascular

It’s a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease, microvascular disease, and heart attack. Increased pressure from systolic and diastolic blood pressure causes the vascular system to weaken and stiffen. As the damage continues, the cell lining in the arteries deteriorates and leaves you at risk for fatty deposits, aneurysms, and decreased blood flow to the heart muscle. As the heart works harder and harder, the workload can cause it to enlarge and ultimately fail.

Brain

The brain relies upon the nourishment of the vascular system to function properly. Clogged and sluggish blood supply leaves you at risk for cognitive impairment, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. It leaves you susceptible to strokes, aneurisms, and TIAs.

Kidneys

High blood pressure takes a toll on the kidneys, and kidney damage can further raise blood pressure. Hypertension causes arteries and tiny blood vessels supplying the kidneys to harden, weaken, narrow, and scar. The kidneys depend on its vascular supply to provide the nutrients and oxygen it needs to filter excess fluids, blood, hormones, acids, salts, and waste from the body. Healthy kidneys also produce aldosterone, which is a hormone significant in regulating blood pressure. The end result can be even more difficult to manage blood pressure and kidney disease or failure.

Eyes

The eyes also have a vast vascular system, including the arteries and veins that supply and drain the optic nerve. Retinal microvascular changes, or hypertensive retinopathy, can lead to nicking, hemorrhage, macular deterioration and edema, and micro-aneurysms. All of these can cause partial to total vision loss and distortion that may not even be able to be corrected.

Vascular

High blood pressure’s limiting blood supply nature can reach almost any part of the body. Sexual function and libido, for example, is often a symptom. PAD, or peripheral artery disease, is another common issue; the narrowed arteries cause fatigue, pain, and pins and needles sensations in the arms, legs, head, or even stomach.

What To Do If You Have Hypertension Stage Three?

The first and most important treatment measure is monitoring. Your physician will likely instruct you to take your blood pressure in both arms multiple times per day to log your measurements following a stage three hypertension reading. These readings need to be consistent and accurate to evaluate your safety and the effectiveness of other treatment decisions.

While lifestyle changes are a proactive measure and/or treatment focus for the early stages of hypertension, particularly when cardiovascular disease isn’t a risk factor, lifestyle changes alone will not be sufficient treatment for stage two and stage three hypertension. Medication will usually be necessary.

In a hypertensive emergency, you will likely be given multiple anti-hypertensive medications at the hospital to immediately lower your blood pressure. Otherwise, your doctor will likely order a series of tests to help identify the cause and damage of stage three hypertension, including an EKG, kidney function labs, chest X-rays, and so forth, and refer you to an ophthalmologist for a full exam of your eyes. Combined with a health history to factor in existing diseases, such as diabetes, your doctor will use the collected information to decide on a prescription medication type and dose. Potential medications include:

  • Thiazide diuretics
  • ACE inhibitors
  • Calcium channel blockers
  • ARBs
  • Alpha blockers
  • Beta blockers
  • Vasodilators

Modification will also be a long-term treatment approach. This includes changing certain lifestyle choices to help give the medications a helping hand and lower your blood pressure over the long-term. These include:

  • Low salt DASH diet - high fiber, fruits, low-fat diary, and veggies.
  • Choose lean meats and avoid processed foods to help manage cholesterol levels.
  • 150 minutes per week of regular aerobic exercise.
  • Avoid stimulants like caffeine and energy drinks.
  • Limit alcohol.
  • Establish and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Complete a tobacco, drug, and/or alcohol cessation program if applicable.
  • Avoid chemical substances that contribute to high blood pressure, including acetaminophen and OTC cold/cough/decongestant medications. Some prescription medications, such as antidepressants, can cause blood pressure elevations.

What Can Help Bring Down Blood Pressure Quickly?

For non-emergency stage three hypertension, you can expect that recommended lifestyle changes and even a prescription drug plan to take days to weeks to make a big impact on your blood pressure measurements, and medications for blood pressure readings this high often require a trail and error period to get the right combinations and dosages. In the meantime, there are several choices you can make that have an immediate impact on your blood pressure, including:

  • Get at least eight hours of quality sleep each night.
  • Expose yourself to green and blue space as much as possible, even if that’s just opening the windows. Exposure to green and blue spaces has extensive research supporting its ability to lower blood pressure.
  • Calm yourself from stressors. Meditate, join a yoga class, or find a hobby. The important element is that the activity is relaxing.
  • Add natural vasodilation foods to your daily diet. Bananas, garlic, dark chocolate, cayenne pepper, fish oil, hibiscus tea, turmeric, tomatoes, walnuts, leafy greens, cinnamon, salmon, and citrus are great to increase blood flow efficiency.
  • Pick a therapy. Many therapies, including art, recreational, and pet therapy, have been shown to have an immediate impact on blood pressure measurements.
Scroll to Top