Q: My blood pressure went up to 140/100 after too much salty seafood and champagne at a celebration. The next morning I was experiencing a headache which prompted me to take my blood pressure. Thankfully 3 days later I checked it again and it was 126/88. Was there any reason to be alarmed?
A: There was no reason to be alarmed unless you are in the habit of celebrating to this degree on a regular basis. If you took a common pain killer for your headache (Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen) the temporary increase in your blood pressure may have been caused by the drug.
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You probably had a hangover
1. The good news is that the answer is quite correct!
Too much salt or too many alcoholic drinks ARE quite harmful and increase blood pressure. But that’s if you do that every day for a bit.
2. That said, eat some veggies or nuts or NOT salted treats next time and limit the salty treats and stick to one or at most two glasses of Champagne.
Your blood pressure spike will be less and likely your headache will be less as well. (Some people get headaches from excess salt and from Champagne but not other drinks like gin etc.)
(If you drink more, drink a different kind of alcoholic drink and have someone else drive you home!)
3. 126 over 88 suggests to me that you need to upgrade what you eat and drink the rest of the time.
While way short of justifying drugs, 88 is too high for best health results.
If you drop soft drinks and packaged desserts and salty snacks from what you usually have, the 88 might go down. Try the DASH II diet or a Mediterranean Diet or a combination with extra organic vegetables. You’ll likely weigh less and will be at lower risk of stroke and heart attack.
If you don’t already, try adding some vigorous exercise you build up to for at least a few minutes a day most days of every week. That too might lower the 88 and you’ll likely and be at lower risk of stroke and heart attack.
Perhaps it was caused by the resultant dehydration that accompanies drinking alcoholic beverages. All my life, I’ve had a “headachy” reaction to any sparkling wine that is at all sweet. Try switching to clear liquor like vodka or gin, and alternate a drink with a glass of filtered water with a splash of cran or pom juice and a wedge of lemon or lime. It’ll keep your hands busy, and your body hydrated. Also try drinking dryer wines, you may find it works better. The headache may also be from the sulfites in the champagne or sparkling wine. Or even from the MSG in the food you consumed! So many possibilities — I hope these considerations bring some light to your situation.
It takes a little pre-planning and strategizing. Once you sincerely commit to that, you can develop an automatic habit of being wise and prudent; and that concern won’t even have to preoccupy your thoughts when you go out for what should be a relaxing and joy-filled time of sharing a celebration with others! Enjoy your life and be thankful for the blessings that bring cause for celebration