Reasons for High blood pressure

zdyb23456
zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm almost 39, normal weight, and active (workout regularly, mostly running)

Today I had a physical done and my blood pressure was high 144/88. This is unusual for me. I had a bout of high blood pressure/preeclampsia with my first baby 8 years ago, but my blood pressure has been normal since (at least any time it's been checked, which honestly hasn't been often).

So I'm wondering what could cause such a high reading... they used the machine twice then did it manually and it was the same high reading.

I have to go back every other day for a week to see if it's an anomaly or if it's consistently high. I'm nervous about it... I eat pretty healthy and have always maintained a healthy weight and exercise so what else can I do?!

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Replies

  • rjan91
    rjan91 Posts: 194 Member
    Having pregnancy induced hypertension puts you at risk to having it later on. I also have it and had this with 2 of my 3 kids.
  • arobey11
    arobey11 Posts: 87 Member
    Do you have a family history of high blood pressure?
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    arobey11 wrote: »
    Do you have a family history of high blood pressure?

    I only have 1 biological sister and she's kind of a mess as far as health goes. She's always been overweight (since we were kids) and has dealt with health issues ever since her first baby 14 years. She was a smoker and drinker and rarely exercised. She's recently quit both, but only after she had a mild stroke that ended up being her wake up call.

  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    rjan91 wrote: »
    Having pregnancy induced hypertension puts you at risk to having it later on. I also have it and had this with 2 of my 3 kids.

    Do you have to take medication? Or do you manage it with diet and exercise?
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    White coat syndrome possibly?
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    The problem with waiting a week to go to the dr office is that you will likely have another anticipatory elevated response. If you have an opportunity to have it taken under multiple times/conditions, that would be a helpful thing.

    It is possible to have high bp even at a "healthy" weight and with exercise. On both occasions when I lost weight I tracked my bp closely. As weight decreased and exercise increased, my bp normalized. After several months, with no changes in diet or exercise , it gradually increased back to the older, higher levels.

    I finally gave in and states taking a medication. It doe s not seem to bother me.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    kbmnurse wrote: »
    White coat syndrome possibly?

    I've never had the issue before. My husband does though.

    I was a little bloated this morning, my wedding rings felt tight. I also was tired from staying up late. Would that affect blood pressure?
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Any family history of kidney disease?
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Any family history of kidney disease?

    Not that I know of. I'm adopted.
  • Bentforkx
    Bentforkx Posts: 69 Member
    Any idea of your sodium intake??
    Has been linked to hypertension...
    An "average" amount would be around 2300mg/day
    A Cardiac diet would probably be around 1300mg/day
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    rjan91 wrote: »
    Having pregnancy induced hypertension puts you at risk to having it later on. I also have it and had this with 2 of my 3 kids.

    This is what I was thinking as well. Mine is borderline high now and I had pre-e with my first pregnancy. I'm 37.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    edited February 2017
    Bentforkx wrote: »
    Any idea of your sodium intake??
    Has been linked to hypertension...
    An "average" amount would be around 2300mg/day
    A Cardiac diet would probably be around 1300mg/day

    I'm pretty sure it's high :(
    Even eating fairly healthy I'm pretty sure I go over on sodium regularly.
    It's definitely something I'm going to start watching from now on.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    I had a very high blood pressure reading taken recently that was an anomaly. Either it was machine malfunction or that fact it was the day after the election, I don't know. Back to normal, now,
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Where are you with peri-menopause/menopause? I know you're young for menopause but.... just checking. It's very common for BP to spike (up and down) during "the change"
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    Where are you with peri-menopause/menopause? I know you're young for menopause but.... just checking. It's very common for BP to spike (up and down) during "the change"

    I don't think I am going there yet. My periods are very regular. Unless there are other symptoms of menopause?
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Hormonal contraceptives, including oral pills and implanon.

    I have had issues with the automated cuffs--they freak me out because they squeeze my arm so tight--I try to think happy thoughts, but the readings are inevitably borderline. When an actual person takes my bp it's usually normal.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    The high reading could be because you have hypertension lol. Typically diagnosed after a few visits though- it's not exactly uncommon. As a nurse it's always interesting to hear the excuses people come up with for their hypertension besides just having hypertension. If you hear hooves, there's a better chance it's horse than a unicorn lol.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It could just be an anomaly. Hypertension is also something that is very much hereditary, and it just shows up one day...that's what happened to me. I have to take meds despite regular exercise and a pretty solid diet...though those things allow me to take less medication than I otherwise would have to.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    hekla90 wrote: »
    The high reading could be because you have hypertension lol. Typically diagnosed after a few visits though- it's not exactly uncommon. As a nurse it's always interesting to hear the excuses people come up with for their hypertension besides just having hypertension. If you hear hooves, there's a better chance it's horse than a unicorn lol.

    I'm just trying to see if there could be a reason since I haven't had it before other than at the end of my first pregnancy 8 years ago. I'm not a dr or a nurse to know the answers. Is it common in someone who is at a healthy weight and exercises regularly?
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    It could just be an anomaly. Hypertension is also something that is very much hereditary, and it just shows up one day...that's what happened to me. I have to take meds despite regular exercise and a pretty solid diet...though those things allow me to take less medication than I otherwise would have to.

    I'm afraid that I might be on this path. How old were you when it showed up?
  • SueMom22
    SueMom22 Posts: 5 Member


    I'm just trying to see if there could be a reason since I haven't had it before other than at the end of my first pregnancy 8 years ago. I'm not a dr or a nurse to know the answers. Is it common in someone who is at a healthy weight and exercises regularly?[/quote]

    This was the case for me. I play tennis several times a week and have been in a "healthy" range of weight all my life. Had my kids in my late 30's and developed pre-e with the second. Have been on 2 medications for 3 years and my oldest is 12--so, similar timeline. For reference, I'm 5'4" range from 124 lbs to a recent high of 140lbs, CW 134
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    zdyb23456 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    It could just be an anomaly. Hypertension is also something that is very much hereditary, and it just shows up one day...that's what happened to me. I have to take meds despite regular exercise and a pretty solid diet...though those things allow me to take less medication than I otherwise would have to.

    I'm afraid that I might be on this path. How old were you when it showed up?

    I was 35...
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    Bentforkx wrote: »
    Any idea of your sodium intake??
    Has been linked to hypertension...
    An "average" amount would be around 2300mg/day
    A Cardiac diet would probably be around 1300mg/day

    Actually a HBP diet starts at 2000 mg of sodium, but can be less if it doesn't work or there are other factors.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    hekla90 wrote: »
    The high reading could be because you have hypertension lol. Typically diagnosed after a few visits though- it's not exactly uncommon. As a nurse it's always interesting to hear the excuses people come up with for their hypertension besides just having hypertension. If you hear hooves, there's a better chance it's horse than a unicorn lol.

    Mine is genetic and because I noticed it at prehypertension my doctors weren't worried. With my grandparents history I was, and when I went to a nephrologist for stones, he finally looked at it.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    Today I went to Harris teeter and discovered they have one of those machines that take your blood pressure. I took it twice, my average was 108/70. So it's normal.

    I'm a bit relieved, but still wondering what caused the high reading yesterday. I'm still going for the next week (every other day) to get it tested per the doctor's instructions. In the meantime I'll keep checking it every time I go grocery shopping :)

  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    zdyb23456 wrote: »
    hekla90 wrote: »
    The high reading could be because you have hypertension lol. Typically diagnosed after a few visits though- it's not exactly uncommon. As a nurse it's always interesting to hear the excuses people come up with for their hypertension besides just having hypertension. If you hear hooves, there's a better chance it's horse than a unicorn lol.

    I'm just trying to see if there could be a reason since I haven't had it before other than at the end of my first pregnancy 8 years ago. I'm not a dr or a nurse to know the answers. Is it common in someone who is at a healthy weight and exercises regularly?

    A lot of it is genetics. Some people do everything right and still have high blood pressure.

    I have the opposite problem--genetic very low BP. The only time that I have had a high reading (well, very high for me, still in the normal range) was when something very stressful happened in the waiting room before an appointment. Sometimes these things are a one-off.

    If you continue to have high readings, you might want to get your own cuff and monitor it at home for a while. Certainly follow up with your PCP if it continues to be an issue, just in case.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    zdyb23456 wrote: »
    Today I went to Harris teeter and discovered they have one of those machines that take your blood pressure. I took it twice, my average was 108/70. So it's normal.

    I'm a bit relieved, but still wondering what caused the high reading yesterday. I'm still going for the next week (every other day) to get it tested per the doctor's instructions. In the meantime I'll keep checking it every time I go grocery shopping :)

    It could be anything really...blood pressure is one of those things that fluctuates a ton...I take multiple readings daily and it can range anywhere from 135/90 and higher to 110/15
  • medic2038
    medic2038 Posts: 434 Member
    zdyb23456 wrote: »
    Today I went to Harris teeter and discovered they have one of those machines that take your blood pressure. I took it twice, my average was 108/70. So it's normal.

    I'm a bit relieved, but still wondering what caused the high reading yesterday. I'm still going for the next week (every other day) to get it tested per the doctor's instructions. In the meantime I'll keep checking it every time I go grocery shopping :)

    Not sure where that was that you'd taken it (assuming a chain store of some sort), but you should be somewhat cautious of those "take your blood pressure here" machines; typically they're not calibrated very often and can be off by quite a bit.

    If you're really THAT concerned about tracking your BP, most drug stores now sell autocuffs relatively cheaply. They work pretty well.

    As to your original question.... A lot of things can definitely have an effect on your blood pressure. Sodium intake is a big and common one. Also your physical and mental state can have an effect on it as well. If you're angry, stressed, worried, nervous, in pain,etc all of those can definitely cause it to go outside of your "normal".

    Medications you take can also play a part in that too, which I would imagine your MD would have considered in causes (but maybe not).
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    Here is some basic information about blood pressure and causes of hypertension.

    https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/know-your-risks/blood-pressure
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    I went in for my bp check with the nurse at the doctor's office. She went over my blood work and everything is good as far as thyroid, cholesterol, blood sugar... she took my bp 4 times and each time was normal 110/70 and 110/60.

    I'm going to watch my sodium intake and cut back on caffeine - those are two things she said that can really help. I definitely have too much of both.

    On that note I'm discovering that limiting sodium is hard! I'm going to have to do a lot more cooking from scratch... and limiting hot sauce - there's so much salt in hot sauce! It's sad cause I like to put hot sauce on everything!
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