Why do patients with hypertension experience nausea?

Mar 21, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Feng
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, the causes of nausea in patients with hypertension include blood pressure fluctuations, side effects of medications, cerebral infarction, increased intracranial pressure, and impaired kidney function. It is important to seek medical attention promptly and follow the doctor's instructions for treatment. Patients should maintain healthy lifestyle and dietary habits, monitor blood pressure regularly, and take medications as prescribed to maintain stable blood pressure levels.

Generally, the causes of nausea in patients with hypertension include blood pressure fluctuations, side effects of medications, cerebral infarction, intracranial hypertension, and impaired kidney function. Prompt medical attention is required, and treatment should follow a doctor's instructions. The specific details are as follows:

1. Blood Pressure Fluctuations: When a hypertensive patient's blood pressure rises or drops rapidly within a short time, it can impact cerebral blood vessels, affecting blood supply and neurological functions in the brain, thereby causing nausea. Patients should rest immediately and avoid strenuous activity and emotional excitement.

2. Medication Side Effects: Some hypertensive patients may experience gastrointestinal reactions, such as nausea, after taking antihypertensive medications, primarily due to the drugs' irritating effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Patients can, under a doctor's guidance, switch to antihypertensive medications with less gastrointestinal irritation.

5. Cerebral Infarction: Long-term hypertension can lead to cerebral infarction, which causes cerebral tissue ischemia, hypoxia, or edema, thereby stimulating the vomiting center and resulting in nausea. Headache may also occur. Antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies should be administered as per medical advice, using medications such as aspirin tablets, clopidogrel bisulfate tablets, and warfarin sodium tablets.

4. Intracranial Hypertension: When a hypertensive patient's blood pressure rises sharply, intracranial hypertension can easily occur, leading to cerebral edema and elevated intracranial pressure, which stimulates the vomiting center and causes nausea. Projectile vomiting may also occur. Diuretic medications such as acetazolamide tablets, hydrochlorothiazide tablets, and furosemide tablets may be taken as directed by a physician.

3. Impaired Kidney Function: Long-term hypertension can damage small blood vessels in the kidneys, affecting the kidneys' filtration and excretion functions. When kidney function is impaired, the accumulation of metabolic waste in the body may cause gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, and may also be accompanied by edema. Under a physician's guidance, medications such as Liuwei Dihuang Pills, Yougui Pills, and Jin Kui Shen Qi Pills should be used to nourish yin and supplement kidney function or warm and invigorate kidney yang.

Patients should maintain good lifestyle and dietary habits, regularly monitor blood pressure, and take medications regularly as directed by a doctor to control stable blood pressure.

References:

[1] Ge Junbo, Xu Yongjian, Wang Chen. Internal Medicine (Ninth Edition) [M]. Beijing: People's Health Publishing House, 2018.

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