If you’re having a hypertension headache, you can relieve it by moving to a quiet, dark room as soon as possible. Once you get to the room, lie down if you can and close your eyes. This will help to lower your blood pressure and ease your headache. If you experience any chest pain, nausea, or distorted vision, seek emergency care, since your hypertension could be impacting the blood flow to your head. If you get hypertension headaches regularly, see a doctor for prescription medication to help relieve your symptoms. You can also reduce your headaches in the long term by lowering your blood pressure. To do this, exercise regularly and take potassium and magnesium supplements. For more advice from our Medical co-author, including how to reduce your headaches through therapy, read on.
Did this summary help you?YesNo
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 118,150 times.
When you visit websites, they may store or retrieve data in your browser. This storage is often necessary for the basic functionality of the website. The storage may be used for marketing, analytics, and personalization of the site, such as storing your preferences. Privacy is important to us, so you have the option of disabling certain types of storage that may not be necessary for the basic functioning of the website. Blocking categories may impact your experience on the website.
Manage Consent Preferences by Category
These items are required to enable basic website functionality.
These items are used to deliver advertising that is more relevant to you and your interests. They may also be used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Advertising networks usually place them with the website operator’s permission.
These items allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language, or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. For example, a website may provide you with local weather reports or traffic news by storing data about your current location.
These items help the website operator understand how its website performs, how visitors interact with the site, and whether there may be technical issues. This storage type usually doesn’t collect information that identifies a visitor.
There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.
ErrorEmail field is required
ErrorInclude a valid email address
To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.
One minute, you’re going about your day feeling fine. The next minute, your head feels like it’s weighed down by a bag of rocks. Headaches are common, but they can often start to disrupt your day-to-day life.
Advertising Policy
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
So the million-dollar question is: Why do I keep getting headaches?
A wide range of lifestyle and environmental factors can cause headaches. (It could be that salami sandwich you had for lunch or the looming thunderstorm.) But if you have high blood pressure (or hypertension), you might wonder if there could be a link.
The short answer, says cardiologist Luke Laffin, MD, is not usually. Dr. Laffin explains what you need to know if you have both high blood pressure and headaches.
When does high blood pressure cause headaches?
The truth is, Dr. Laffin says, slightly elevated blood pressure doesn’t cause headaches in most people.
While your blood pressure is a good measure of your health and your risk for certain conditions, having mild (stage 1) or moderate (stage 2) hypertension isn’t likely to cause headaches.
“The vast majority of people have no symptoms whatsoever from high blood pressure,” says Dr. Laffin. But he notes that it’s likely that if your blood pressure spikes to an unusually high level, you may have symptoms including a headache.
Advertising Policy
“If you have a sudden, intense headache that’s significantly worse than usual and your blood pressure is elevated, you should seek medical attention,” stresses Dr. Laffin.
It’s important to pay close attention to any spikes in your blood pressure because it could be a sign of a bigger issue, like a stroke. So, be sure to listen to your body’s warning signs and contact your healthcare provider if your blood pressure has spiked significantly and isn’t coming down.
What does a headache caused by a spike in blood pressure feel like?
There’s no high-quality research showing that a headache from a spike in blood pressure feels any different from a regular headache, Dr. Laffin notes.
He also points out that it can sometimes be tricky to tell what’s causing what.
“Another thing to remember about headaches and blood pressure is that it’s not always the blood pressure that causes a headache,” says Dr. Laffin. “It could be the other way around. Sometimes, it’s a chicken and the egg scenario. We don’t know which comes first. Headaches can cause an elevation in blood pressure.”
Depending on how the spike in blood pressure is affecting your body, you might also have other symptoms along with a headache, including:
- Chest pain.
- Blurred vision.
- Nausea.
- Shortness of breath.
“If you notice a spike in blood pressure, that elevated number in itself doesn’t mean you need to go to a hospital,” Dr. Laffin says. “But if it’s coupled with something new, like a severe headache, severe chest pain or shortness of breath, then you should go get evaluated.”
Advertising Policy
How to treat a headache
If you have high blood pressure, you need to be mindful about which treatments you choose, especially if you’re taking high blood pressure medications.
Monitor your diet
Diet plays a role in headaches for about 1 in 5 people. But the list of potential culprits — from artificial sweeteners to pickles to red wine — is long. It’s best to keep a food diary to find out if any foods are a headache trigger.
Over-the-counter medicine
If your headache is becoming unbearable, your first instinct might be to reach for some type of pain reliever. Just know that if you’re taking high blood pressure medications, aspirin or acetaminophen are your best options, Dr. Laffin says. Talk to your doctor about other over-the-counter or prescription options to make sure they’re safe for you.
To hear more from Dr. Laffin on this topic, listen to the Health Essentials Podcast episode “Combating High Blood Pressure.” New episodes of the Health Essentials Podcast publish every Wednesday.