‘Blood pressure’ is a measure of the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, according to the CDC. It's important to try and maintain a healthy blood pressure, because high blood pressure (hypertension) and low blood pressure (hypotension) can lead to a range of medical problems.
If you have seizures, it can be helpful to know about the relationship between epilepsy and high blood pressure (as well as low blood pressure).
The connection between epilepsy and high blood pressure/low blood pressure
There are potential health risks related to blood pressure and seizures, so speak with your doctor about this.
Scientists are still learning about the relationship between blood pressure and epilepsy, and the relationship between the two is not fully understood. Most research has looked at how blood pressure changes when people have seizures.
- High blood pressure and seizures
Some scientific research has found that when people with epilepsy have seizures, their blood pressure usually increases significantly above their normal levels. For example, in a study of people with focal epilepsy, their blood pressure increased by a mean of 33% during their seizures (although for some people it was much higher or lower). People’s blood pressure then came back down to their normal level within a few minutes of the seizure ending.
- Low blood pressure and seizures
The same research also found that, five minutes after their seizures ended, people had a slightly lower blood pressure than before they began.
- Blood pressure and seizure type
Some research also showed that different kinds of seizures affect people’s blood pressure in different ways. For example, people who had focal unaware seizures had a much greater increase in blood pressure during their seizures compared to people with focal aware seizures.
Living with epilepsy and high blood pressure
Speak to your doctor about epilepsy and high blood pressure. They can check your blood pressure. If it’s too high or low, they can advise you on how to get it to a healthy range.
