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Although high blood pressure after eating is not typical, it can be caused by consuming certain food and drink.

This article discusses symptoms, potential causes, diagnosis, and treatment of high blood pressure after eating.

In most cases, high blood pressure does not have any symptoms. Despite popular belief, high blood pressure does not cause headaches or nosebleeds unless blood pressure is so high that it is a medical emergency.

The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is by having it measured by a healthcare provider or at home using a blood pressure monitoring device.

Certain foods and drinks can cause blood pressure to rise after consuming them. They include:

Smoking also causes an immediate rise in blood pressure. If you have a cigarette after meals, the increase in blood pressure could be from smoking rather than eating.

If your blood pressure is high after eating, you should limit foods or drinks known to raise blood pressure. Limiting sodium intake if you already have high blood pressure or prehypertension (elevated blood pressure that isn't yet high enough to be hypertension) is important, as too much sodium can further increase blood pressure.

It’s recommended that adults consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. If you have hypertension, healthcare providers recommend an even lower sodium intake, somewhere around 1,500 milligrams per day. Most people’s sodium intake comes from processed foods and food from restaurants.

Foods that are typically high in sodium include:

If your blood pressure continues to be high after eating despite eliminating foods and drinks that typically raise blood pressure, you should contact a healthcare provider.

If high blood pressure is left uncontrolled, it can lead to complications, including:

Because high blood pressure doesn’t have symptoms, the only way to know if you have it is by having your blood pressure measured using a blood pressure cuff. This can be done by a healthcare provider or by using an at-home device for blood pressure monitoring.

Your healthcare provider can discuss ways to manage your blood pressure, including lifestyle changes, keeping a healthy weight, and, in some cases, medications.

It is important that you do not attempt to diagnose yourself with high blood pressure. Contact a healthcare provider if:

If your blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or higher and you have any of the following symptoms, call 911, as these are signs of a hypertensive crisis:

Call 911 or your healthcare provider immediately if you are pregnant and have a systolic (upper number) blood pressure reading of 160 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic (lower number) reading of 110 mm Hg or higher. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.

If you have high blood pressure after eating, it’s important to evaluate whether your diet consists of foods or drinks that cause blood pressure to go up after consuming them. Try eliminating or cutting back on these foods and beverages to see if your blood pressure improves. Contact your healthcare provider if your blood pressure continues to be high despite making these changes.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to major complications, including heart attack and stroke. Poor diet is a major contributor to high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high after eating, it could be from certain foods and drinks.

It's normal for your blood pressure to rise and fall. Research shows that blood pressure has short-term fluctuations throughout the day and long-term fluctuations over time.¹ Your blood pressure can fluctuate with every heartbeat. Thus, they can change every minute, day, week, month, year, and depending on the season.

For this reason, most doctors consider the results of several blood pressure readings before making a diagnosis. Typically, your doctor will average two or more readings from several visits before determining if your blood pressure could be an issue. In some cases, they may also ask that you track your blood pressure at home to ensure the most accurate results.

Several factors can affect your blood pressure, including the anxiety of visiting a doctor. However, in a healthy person, blood pressure always stays within a normal range. For most adults, normal blood pressure is a systolic pressure of less than 120 with a diastolic pressure of less than 80, or 120/80. Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, is a reading lower than 90/60, while high blood pressure, or hypertension, is defined as a reading higher than 130/80.

Older adults sometimes develop an issue known as isolated systolic hypertension, where their systolic pressure is 130 or higher, while their diastolic pressure remains below 80. This common blood pressure issue is age-related and caused by stiffening of the major arteries.

If your blood pressure readings are outside of the normal range, your doctor will work to identify and treat the cause of your condition. They will likely take a comprehensive history and perform a complete physical examination,  and request various blood tests. They may also utilize various other diagnostic tools such as:

Ambulatory blood pressure measurement

Ambulatory blood pressure measurement is a common tool used to monitor and diagnose high blood pressure. The device is attached to a strap or belt and automatically inflates and takes a measurement, typically every half hour for a 24-hour period. The data is collected and later transferred to a computer.

Electrocardiogram