Blood pressure may increase or decrease just after eating.
Blood pressure refers to the amount of pressure exerted on the walls of blood vessels during the flow of blood through the vessels. Normally the value of blood pressure is not fixed and it can be affected by many factors.
After a full meal, due to the special thermodynamic effect of food, the body temperature can rise, the metabolic rate increases, the body’s blood can gather in the gastrointestinal tract to meet the digestive needs of food, the volume of blood in the body circulation is relatively small, increasing sympathetic excitability, all of the above can stimulate the blood pressure to rise.
The drop in blood pressure after a meal is called postprandial hypotension, commonly seen in the elderly, manifested as a drop in systolic blood pressure of more than 20mmHg within two hours after the meal, which may be accompanied by dizziness, drowsiness, and in severe cases, accidents such as falls may easily occur. The specific pathogenesis of postprandial hypotension has not been clarified, taking diuretics or vasodilator drugs can lead to postprandial hypotension. In addition, the older the population, the higher the risk of occurrence.
To summarize, blood pressure may rise after a meal, and postprandial hypotension may also occur in some people. Daily attention should be paid to avoid eating too full meals, and if dizziness or other discomfort occurs after a meal, blood pressure should be monitored.