Coincidence? Wearing mask brings on Afib & high blood pressure?

Yep! Same thing happened to me. It took me several visits to my dentist and clinic to recognize that my high blood pressure wasn't really a hypertensive crisis! At home, my readings averaged 135/80 (I'm 65 so that's not too bad). When wearing a KN95 mask for 20 minutes at the dentist or doctor's office my blood pressure was over 170/100 +/-. I went home and took my blood pressure and it was 138/82 without the mask. I wondered if there was something wrong with my bp monitor so took it to the drug store that had a bp monitor there. It was nearly identical but much higher than it was at home. Of course I was wearing my KN95!
I decided to do an experiment at home; taking my bp without the mask and then wearing the mask for 15 minutes. My blood pressure increased by 30 points while wearing the mask.

I think there's likely a big difference between surgical masks and KN95 masks. I've worn both and surgical masks are much easier to breath through (and less protective against viruses). Thinking I was being "safer" if I wore a KN95 mask I discovered wearing it for 15 minutes increased my blood pressure by 25-35 points. From 135/80 to 170/100. My PCP insisted I have all kinds of tests and I resisted saying at home it averages 132/80. So it goes...I'm a difficult patient 🙁
I went home and tested my BP and hour later and it was 135/81. While I'm all for being careful in contracting Covid - staying home will be my default.

Thanks for informing me. I will be interested in hearing what your doctor says.

Melissa Sharpley

I have asthma, my pulmonary doctor told me not to wear masks. But at my primary care doctors office they require masks. I've never had high BP but for these last two years while at my yearly physical my BP is always high. At first I thought maybe because I'm dis-ABLE-d and I walk with the use of crutches and when we check my BP a second time at the end of my appointment my BP comes down a little but is still high. This last appointment my primary care doctor told me I should get a BP monitor and check my BP once a week and come back in 3 months with the results. I checked my BP at home and of course without a mask (besides my primary cares office I never wear them) and my BP was normal. I'll continue too record my results and show them when I go back in 3 months. From what I see, being advised not too wear masks by my pulmonary doctor and having to walk on crutches I can see where the increase in BP is coming from but I'm not a doctor.

Please see clinical study abstract: Effects of Face Masks on Pulse Rate and Blood Pressure Components During Stairs Climbing
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36550734/
Please see this link: Common surgical masks and unattended blood pressure changes in treated hypertensive patients.
nature.com/articles/s41440-022-00886-4
The first study shows a statistically signifcant difference in young healthy people when climbing stairs. The second doesn't show a statistical difference in hypertensive patients. The issue with this second study is that they wore the mask for a short period of time, only 10 minutes. When visiting a doctor's office with strict masking policies, a patient will be wearing that mask much longer. With these studies in mind and limited available studies, I would not advise anyone to get a blood pressure reading done while wearing a mask.

I just want to comment about your high b/p at Dr,s.. my b/p hits the roof at the thought of Dr taking it. Its hilarious really. It's perfect all along. As soon as I enter Dr,s office I can feel it rising. Its called white coat syndrome . A few hours after I leave its perfect again. I wonder is that the case with you and nothing to do with the mask?

I experience the same thing. From as far back as I can remember. At home I’m consistently in the 110 / 65 or lower range (took a long time to get to that but I’m now on a good mix of meds) At pretty much every doctor visit it hits 140 / 90 or higher. And I know my home device is correct because I have brought it with me on my doctor visits and it gets the same readings there as their office device does.

I mostly just stay home, but when I go out I wear a p100 respirator, And always in the (many) doctor's offices, Even though not all the doctors here require it any more : (
These are actually a lot easier to breathe in; Big in valves and big out valves; still some mixing of old and new air, but not as much feeling of obstruction of the breath.
I favor a 3M 6100 (small: 6200 is M, 6300 isL) It takes #2091 filters and I use a #604 filter for the out breath in the doctor's office. In stores I can take that filter off for a small improvement in breathing; I feel no obligation to protect people who aren't wearing masks themselves. P100 means it takes better than 99% of virus size things out of the air. They were developed for industrial use where people wear them all day in really nasty environments. In normal environments the filters are good for a year or so, So your initial outlay is the whole thing.
It looks a little startling, but I have some fuchsia pants that match the color of the filters, and I feel like making a statement these days anyway.
There are a bunch of other interesting non-disposable masks that might suit you better. My husband (and his cardiologist) favor the Envomask; only an N95 but extremely comfortable (they make sleep apnea masks also) . And I think not so much space for mixing of breath, Not so much resistance. The cardiologist wears a surgical mask over it, so he can use the built-in outbreathing hole. That means the air is only going in through the filter. (They also provide a plug for the hole, But then you're breathing both ways through the filter.) Proprietary filters in a permanent harness, have to be replaced more often than the 3Ms. Does not look weird at all.
Many more choices out there, if you do some internet searching.
I feel like masking for a variety of diseases is likely to be with us from now on, so it's not unreasonable to make an investment and get something that works for you. Too bad there aren't shops where you can go and try masks on.
(My son and his fiancee are fanatic about this; she has immunodeficiencies and has caught COVID twice in (different) doctor's offices, And is now suffering long COVID symptoms. She knows it was the doctor's offices because she has been in contact with exactly zero other people. He's been providing us with the research and masks.)

Google white coat syndrome, it happens to me too. Many doctors are now using the Remote care partners to get accurate BP readings. A BP device with transmitting capabilities over internet is sent for your use paid for by Medicare to your home. Home readings are lower as they are taken in a relaxed familiar environment. It gives instructions on proper BP taking.

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