Elevated blood pressure can result from everyday activities that cause stress, the foods you eat and genetics. In many cases, multiple factors contribute to elevated blood pressure, which can be either acute or chronic. Chronic elevated blood pressure damages the heart and blood vessels over time. The cumulative effects of acute rises in blood pressure consistently have the same effect as chronic high blood pressure.
Smoking
According to the Cleveland Clinic, smoking causes a decrease in oxygen availability to the heart. Smokers have a lower capacity for oxygen in the lungs. The blood that returns from the lungs to the heart contains lower oxygen than a non-smoker. The heart must pump more blood out to the tissues of the body to make up for the lower oxygen saturation, which raises blood pressure.
Medication
According to the Mayo Clinic, birth control pills raise blood pressure by narrowing blood vessels in the body. The heart has to pump harder to push blood through those vessels to reach all tissues in the body. Acetaminophen can help relieve head and muscle aches, but can also cause elevation in blood pressure. Other common medications that cause an increase in blood pressure include: antidepressant medication, nasal decongestants, caffeine, immunosuppressant medication, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, stimulants and a variety of herbal supplements. If you suspect high blood pressure, check with your doctor before taking any medication which could further elevate blood pressure.
Diet
A large amount of sodium in your diet causes an increase in blood pressure by increasing the volume of blood in your body. With too much sodium, the kidneys excrete sodium into the blood. Sodium in the blood results in water retention in the blood which increases the pressure in blood vessels, due to the increased pumping action of the heart.
Obesity
Doctors aren't sure why obesity causes blood pressure elevation, but a decrease in body weight helps to lower blood pressure in an obese person with high blood pressure. For overweight people, many doctors recommend a 10 percent decrease in body weight to observe a decrease in blood pressure.
Genetics
Research done at the University of Michigan has found a link between a specific gene, DRD4, and high blood pressure. The fact that variations in the gene can cause high blood pressure means that parents with the gene can pass it on to their offspring. Unfortunately, this form of elevated blood pressure can't be avoided or easily controlled like many of the other factors that increase blood pressure.
