What is Hypertensive Crisis?
Chronic high blood pressure, if left untreated, can damage your organs, such as your heart, blood vessels and kidneys. However, when blood pressure spikes unusually high — more than 180/110 mmHg — the condition reaches crisis levels and demands immediate treatment. Although high blood pressure is always serious, during hypertensive crisis, the rate at which the blood pressure rises is more important than the overall blood pressure reading. The severe, sudden rise in blood pressure damages the cells lining your arteries and causes the accumulation of platelets and fibrin, which block the blood flow to your heart. Hypertensive crisis is life-threatening and may lead to stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure and kidney failure. Causes Hypertensive crisis usually occurs in people who already have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but whose blood pressure is inadequately controlled. However, only a small percentage–fewer than 1 percent of 60 million Americans with high blo
