Can post concussion syndrome cause an acute blood pressure rise?!


Question:

Can post concussion syndrome cause an acute blood pressure rise?

Concussion caused the blood pressure to rise to 168/106 and two weeks later this fell to 158/101. Is this post concussion syndrome (as the junior doctor said)? Permanent headaches.

I am terrified of hospitals though. More terrified of hospitals than being attacked.


Answers:

A minor head injury can cause blood pressure to acutely rise. But if it remains high or there are any other concerning symptoms (severe headache, vomiting, loss of consciousness, seizures, differing pupil sizes), then that is an indication for a CT scan of the head to ensure that there isn't a bleed in the brain.

Postconcussion syndrome is not associated with an elevated blood pressure. It is a syndrome that is associated with:
Headaches, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, insomina, difficulty concentrating, noise sensitvity, and anxiety.

The worst of this occurs in the first 7-10 days after the injury, improve greatly or resolve within the first month for many, and the vast majority of people are symptom free within 3 months. A very small percentage may have symptoms for over a year, but this is debateble (especially for minor head injuries).

"Permanent" headaches are not a part of concussions or post-concussive syndrome.

A blood pressure of 158/101 is high, but not dangerously high. It could definitely explain the headaches, and should be treated. If BP was definitely known to be normal (120/80) before the injury and the "permanent headaches" are new and severe, then a head CT is definitely worthwhile.

Hope this helps.




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