Exertional Hypertension Treatment in India

Ishaan Reddy, a 28-year-old software engineer,...

Ishaan Reddy, a 28-year-old software engineer, was an avid runner training for his first marathon. He noticed that during his most intense training sessions, he would get debilitating headaches and feel dizzy. His smartwatch occasionally showed alarmingly high heart rates. Initially dismissing it as overexertion, he grew concerned when the symptoms persisted. His primary care physician, after noting Ishaan's excellent resting blood pressure, referred him to a cardiologist. The cardiologist suspected exertional hypertension and recommended a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill to monitor his blood pressure and heart function under maximum physical stress. Ishaan was nervous but found the test challenging yet straightforward, with a team closely monitoring him. The test confirmed his blood pressure spiked dangerously high during peak exercise. The outcome was a diagnosis of exercise-induced hypertension. His emotional journey shifted from anxiety and frustration over his derailed training to relief at having a clear answer. With a new, carefully graded training plan and medication, he successfully completed a half-marathon, feeling empowered and in control of his health.