Dangerous blood pressure, could she have a stroke?

my friend who is 16 was taking her blood pressure and it was 220/150. her normal bp is a little high but not that much, somewhere around 133 to 148 over 85 to 95 something. anyways it went from that range to in the 200s and in less than a week. like two days. seriously how could you bp get THAT high in like two days. the reading was right, it wasn't a false one or whatever. anyways if someones bp is that high and they are 16 is that serious enough to where you should call an ambulance or something? or should you just take her to the doctor. i know either way she needs to get checked, but like should you be calling 911 or can it wait cause she has an appt this weekend with her doc. the only thing i know that could of possible rise it THAT much, is she eats a ton of salt, a lot of the time plain, doesnt eat healthy, doesn't exercise, and is under a ton of stress. could that raise it that much in such a short time? also she's underweight, real skinny with that high bp?

YES! Very serious. It could be a lot of things. High blood pressure is indiscriminate. ANYONE can get it. In that range it's LIFE THREATENING! Untreated high bp can lead to kidney failure and heart problems, as well as stroke or aneurysms. She needs to go to the doctor now.

This is extremely dangerous. Wait till the doctors appointment on the weekend, but no longer.

To begin if she hasn't been seen by even an entry level medical person such as an EMT or a MA then where did you get those BP readings. I have a pretty good idea there is an outside influence here and drugs comes to mind first. They can really cause BP problems in addition to leading to cardiac dysrythmias and even death. Something is a little fishy with this question.

Elevated BP above 180/100 is an EMERGENCY. If untreated, it could lead to body organ damage. Please take her to the nearest ER if it continues to rise, she experiences other symptoms like chest pain, difficulty breathing, headache, visual problems, nausea, vomiting, numbness/weakness of the legs, arms, face.
Possible causes include:
* Renal parenchymal disease - Chronic pyelonephritis, primary glomerulonephritis, tubulointerstitial nephritis (accounts for 80% of all secondary causes)
* Systemic disorders with renal involvement - Systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, vasculitides
* Renovascular disease - Atherosclerotic disease, fibromuscular dysplasia, polyarteritis nodosa
* Endocrine - Pheochromocytoma, Cushing syndrome, primary hyperaldosteronism
* Drugs - Cocaine, amphetamines, cyclosporin, clonidine withdrawal, phencyclidine, diet pills, oral contraceptive pills
* Drug interactions - Monoamine oxidase inhibitors with tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, or tyramine-containing food
* Coarctation of the aorta
The doctor will do a complete physical exam and run some tests to find out the underlying cause. It's not normal for a skinny 16 yo female to have severely high BP. Seek medical help ASAP.

It's time for a very rapid trip to the nearest emergency room.

Eat less cheeseburgers, fries & milkshakes.

There are so many variables when you take a blood pressure that this reading may not be accurate. She should have been sitting quietly for at least 10 minutes, not talking when you take a blood pressure. Any type of activity just prior to taking it would affect how high it is going to be. Also, if she normally runs closer to the normal range, I would guess this reading is a fluke. When she has her appointment with her doctor, he is probably going to give her some advice about her diet and salt intake.