Can High Blood Pressure Make You Have Chills and Make You Cold?
Though chills and heightened sensitivity to cold are not typical symptoms of hypertension, high blood pressure has many effects on the body, and it can even be completely asymptomatic. According to WebMD, hypertension and chills are both associated with 19 conditions, so they are sometimes found in the same patient.
WebMD gives a list of conditions that can cause both high blood pressure and either chills or increased sensitivity to the external temperature. They range from endocrine disorders affecting the thyroid and pituitary glands to adverse drug interactions. The general nature of these three symptoms makes them likely to be found together across a range of conditions.
One reason hypertension can sometimes be found co-occurring with chills and cold sensitivity is that some medications intended to control a patient’s blood pressure can induce chills and sensitivity to the temperature as side effects. According to About.com, ACE inhibitors are a class of hypertension drugs that work by gradually dilating small blood vessels called arterioles. This action is accomplished by blocking the functioning of a certain protein in the body that causes blood vessels to contract. The drugs in this group sometimes cause fever and chills, as well as headache, dry cough and an upset stomach.
