What should you know about intradialytic hypertension?

Blood pressure can change as fluid is removed and medicines, salt balance, blood-vessel tone and the dialysis prescription interact. A repeated rise may prompt review of fluid status, the timing of blood-pressure medicines, the target weight and the dialysate plan. It does not necessarily mean that one cause is responsible. Conditions such as [Chronic Kidney Disease](/conditions/chronic-kidney-disease/), [Heart Failure](/conditions/heart-failure/) or [Obstructive Sleep Apnoea](/conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnoea/) may affect the wider assessment. The team compares readings before, during and after treatment rather than relying on one measurement.

Tell the dialysis nurses about headache, chest discomfort, breathlessness, cramps or feeling unwell during treatment. Keep a record of home readings if your clinician has asked you to monitor them, and bring every medicine or an updated list to review. Take medicines exactly as prescribed; do not add a dose or stop treatment because a single reading is high. Ask whether salt and fluid guidance, the target weight or medication timing needs adjustment.

Alert staff immediately for chest pain, severe breathlessness, new weakness or numbness, confusion, fainting, a severe headache or vision change. These symptoms can signal an emergency such as [Angina](/conditions/angina/) or [Stroke](/conditions/stroke/), and should not wait until the dialysis session ends. Outside the unit, use emergency services for sudden neurological symptoms or serious breathing difficulty.

Ask what pattern has been seen in your readings, whether fluid removal or target weight needs review, when to take each blood-pressure medicine, and which home readings or symptoms should trigger a call.