High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): When To Call A Doctor

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When to Call a Doctor

Call 911 or other emergency services immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

• A sudden, severe headache
• Chest pain (angina)
• Other symptoms of a heart attack
• Symptoms of a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Call a doctor immediately if you have high blood pressure and:

• Your blood pressure is usually normal or well controlled, but it suddenly goes well above the normal range on more than one occasion.
• Your blood pressure is 180/110 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or higher.

Call a doctor if:

• Your blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg or higher on two or more occasions (taken at home or in a community screening program). If one blood pressure measurement is high, have another reading taken by a health professional to verify the first reading. Many doctors' offices or clinics will take blood pressure measurements without an appointment.
• You have significant side effects from any medicine you take for high blood pressure. The side effects may be so bad that you do not want to take your medicine anymore. Talk with your doctor before you stop taking your medicine.

Adults are encouraged to have their blood pressure checked regularly.

Who to See

Your blood pressure can be checked:

• At a clinic where you work or go to school.
• At health fairs, fitness centers, community centers, fire stations, and ambulance stations.
• By a nurse practitioner or physician assistant.
• By a primary care doctor.

For diagnosis and management of high blood pressure, see:

• A primary care doctor.
• An internist.
• A cardiologist (heart specialist). Generally, a cardiologist is needed only in cases of extremely high blood pressure or when the person has other serious heart problems.
• A nephrologist (kidney specialist), in extreme cases.
• A nurse practitioner.
• A physician assistant.

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Last updated:	April 24, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman