Is it normal to have spikes in your blood pressure?

Illness, stress and certain medications can result in elevated BP. Diet affects BP as well, especially salt content.

I don’t add any salt to any of my food, I think it tastes nasty, so I avoid it at all costs.

Heredity can determine hypertension also. If your family members have it, there’s a good possibility you are developing high blood pressure. It could also be stress of going to the doctor, it could be their cuff was working incorrectly. There are a number of factors that could contribute to this, so having it checked several times will determine if this was a true reading or not.

I think that if a person’s blood pressure is checked three times, once every ten minutes, that it would not be unusual for the reading to vary considerably.

Yes. You could have been having a stressful day, you could have not slept well, and there is a condition called white-coat hypertension. White-coat hypertension is when you’re so anxious about being at the doctors, often because you are worried about having high blood pressure, that you actually give yourself high blood pressure while they are measuring it. Go to your local pharmacy and they probably have a blood pressure machine – you slide your arm in, it pumps the cuff, and 40 seconds later gives you your blood pressure. You can repeat it a few times so you know what it really is. A lot have print-outs that you can take to your doctor. When you get to the doctor again, take 3 or 4 deep, calming breaths as they’re putting the cuff on you to counteract white-coat hypertension.

You don’t have to add salt to food to get too much salt in your diet. Eating processed foods or fast foods can add a lot of salt without you knowing it.

@PandoraBoxx most the food I eat is grown in my backyard, and if I can’t grow it, I’m at the farmers market.
I have lost a lot of weight, and I avoid any foods that could make me go back to how I was.

It could go up that many points just worrying a little bit about something (for me anyway).

Just one comment… if you’re smoking, or drinking a lot of soft-drinks… stop. As soon as possible .. forever!

A single 139/87 value is no reason to be concerned. Some people get excited or concerned when the blood pressure is taken.

Have you taken blood-pressure medication in the past? If so, how long ago did you stop using it? It’s normal to have a bit of a rebound. If it persists, then taking the meds again should be considered.

Do you get stressed when you have your BP checked? As @mattbrowne said, that happens to some people. It’s called white coat hypertension. Amélie had it!

I have never taken blood pressure medication. Plus I don’t think I get nervous, or If I do, I don’t notice.

Have you checked it again since then?

Did you have coffee or did you eat before you went in?
That can alter it as well, I suffer white coat syndrome which makes it high.
But as everyone says a single reading doesn’t tell you anything, you need to take more – 140/90 is considered high – your borderline I do believe for that moment in time!