High blood pressure?

rainbowbow
rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone have high or pre-hypertension blood pressure?

Other than medications what ways will help lower blood pressure?

I just got back from the doctors office and my blood pressure was 128/94 and he said "hmm, that's high for your age and size" and suggested we check it again next visit.

I should also mention that I had just biked 8km to his office (could that have attributed to a higher number?).

Anyways, any advice or peeps who had high blood pressure? What's you do to help?

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    128/94 may be a bit high. 120/80 is still the textbook reading, but there are some who feel that 120 might be a little high for "normal".

    One reading is no big deal. A million reasons for one off reading. Exercise, nervousness, lazy nurse, etc. Honestly, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

    Eat right and exercise. Those are the best things you can do for yourself. :)
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    Every other time I go to the Dr I'm told my blood pressure is too high. Usually when I go to the doctor I'm sick and nervous, both of which will increase blood pressure. If it's something you're concerned about, monitor it yourself. Any pharmacy will have a blood pressure monitor. Mine is always on the low side of normal when I check it myself when I'm not sick, so I wouldn't worry about it too much unless it's consistently reading high even when you feel fine.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
    edited December 2014
    IMHO, some physicians are too gung-ho to prescribe medications. Biking to the office and a general (perhaps subconscious) feeling of anxiety about being at the appointment could be contributors. Like Amykins said, you can always check it yourself at a pharmacy or at your doctor's office. Do keep in mind that some of the pharmacy blood pressure machines are not properly calibrated, so it may be a good idea to use those readings as a baseline.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Not any more, LOL! It went down after I lost my first forty pounds. I was on medication. Diabetics have a stricter limit of acceptable blood pressure.

    Blood pressure goes up and down all day. Test yourself at different times of day. You can use the free machines at the pharmacy to get a set of readings. Take this in to the doctor to have an informed decision if you need medication or not.

    I monitored my blood pressure weekly for months and showed them the stats to convince my medical team I needed to get off the blood pressure medication.

    Activities to temporarily lower blood pressure:
    1. sleep
    2. cuddle a pet
    3. deep breathe
    4. yoga, meditation

    Activities that temporarily raise blood pressure:
    • talk during the test
    • vigorous exercise and up to ten minutes afterwards
    • fall in love
    • anger
    • frustration
    • drive to work
    • anxiety (visiting the doctor's office)
    • eat something salty

    How to lower your average blood pressure:
    • Lose weight.
    • Increase your aerobic capacity through exercise.
    • Mindful meditation and deep breathing.
  • JoseCastaneda
    JoseCastaneda Posts: 245 Member
    My experience: Beside taking my pill, this is what works/have worked for me: cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis, lose weight, and Hakuna Matata! just kidding, but yes, learning to face the daily stress and problems without making them an issue... meditation and trusting God in my life has worked wonders!
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Giant, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and other places like Rite Aid have free blood pressure machines. My advice is to take your pressure once a week and keep a journal to verify if you really have it. Losing weight while keeping to your macros would be the first step in dealing with it.
  • tberrycastle
    tberrycastle Posts: 32 Member
    I have had high BP for years. I also work in the medical field and see a lot of people with blood pressure issues. A reading of 128/94 is elevated but not alarming, and there are many reasons it could be temporarily up (Caffeine, vigorous exercise, stress, anxiety, pain, illness, etc.) High blood pressure only becomes damaging if it is sustained, an occasional high reading if it is usually normal is no cause for concern. Many people have "White coat hypertension" in which the numbers are elevated as the result of stress from having it taken. My advice is to check it once a month or so at Walmart, or at home, etc. and keep a written record of it. One thing to keep in mind is CUFF SIZE though. Using a regular sized cuff on a large arm will produce false high readings. Most adults are big enough for the "Large" cuff, and this should be requested at every visit. The readings are purely mathematical and this is an important aspect to bear in mind. In any case, after keeping a written record of your readings for a few months, preferably at different times of the day, see what the trend is. If the top number is consistently at or above130 and if the bottom number is at or above 90, I would seek medical advice. Meanwhile, eat right, exercise, lose weight, stay hydrated and reduce sodium intake. These are all beneficial ways to reduce and control BP. Good luck!
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    I think fish oil has been a plus for my blood pressure reading over the years.

    While I started coconut oil (4-12 tablespoons spread out over the day) four months ago I am not sure its effect on lowering my BP since it was manageable before. I have not checked out the numbers below but the article sounds positive for Blood Pressure.

    cocoscience.com/pdf/coconut-oil-hypertension-blood-pressure.pdf
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Does anyone have high or pre-hypertension blood pressure?

    Other than medications what ways will help lower blood pressure?

    I just got back from the doctors office and my blood pressure was 128/94 and he said "hmm, that's high for your age and size" and suggested we check it again next visit.

    I should also mention that I had just biked 8km to his office (could that have attributed to a higher number?).

    Anyways, any advice or peeps who had high blood pressure? What's you do to help?

    I've been on crutches for the past 6 weeks and my normally low bp has been tracking borderline high because it takes so much effort to get around. I've started showing up early at dr. appts so my bp can go back down while I wait.

  • hamoncan
    hamoncan Posts: 148 Member
    edited December 2014
    I've always been borderline high blood pressure, but last time in the Doc pushed it a bit that it would be really beneficial for my BP if I lost at least 10 or 15 lbs (he's so mild mannered) - hopefully he's impressed next time I'm in and it's significantly more than that (35 is my goal, almost halfway there)
  • hamoncan
    hamoncan Posts: 148 Member
    edited December 2014
    hamoncan wrote: »
    I've always been borderline high blood pressure, but last time in the Doc pushed it a bit that it would be really beneficial for my BP if I lost at least 10 or 15 lbs (he's so mild mannered) - hopefully he's impressed next time I'm in and it's significantly more than that (35 is my goal, almost halfway there)

    Oh yeah, SALT - wean yourself off that junk - slowly you'll actually start to dislike it
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    My GP told me to "lose weight" and prescribed the DASH diet to lower my BP. 3 years later, my BP is still high (around 135/90 as an average). I've yet to be prescribed medication. I've had HBP for 30ish years and the other GPs never made a big deal about it because it was stable (usually around 135/90).

    Losing weight, exercise, and eating a lower sodium diet are what I've been told to lower my BP. IMO, having my BP taken with a cuff that doesn't feel like a heroin user's tourniquet and going back to the old way of taking BP (once, not 3 times in a row) would lower it much faster.

    As for biking to your GP, did he know that? Do you bike there for every visit?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Does anyone have high or pre-hypertension blood pressure?

    Other than medications what ways will help lower blood pressure?

    I just got back from the doctors office and my blood pressure was 128/94 and he said "hmm, that's high for your age and size" and suggested we check it again next visit.

    I should also mention that I had just biked 8km to his office (could that have attributed to a higher number?).

    Anyways, any advice or peeps who had high blood pressure? What's you do to help?

    Blood pressure goes up during exercise. How long did you "cool down" before the reading?
  • wamydia
    wamydia Posts: 259 Member
    The bottom number is probably what your doc is the most concerned about as a 94 is fairly high there. My blood pressure tends to read in the same range and I can say that exercise, caffeine, or stress before a doctor visit definitely drives it up. Controlling my sodium intake and getting enough exercise helps mine overall, however I do take a water pill to help keep it under control. Unfortunately, my doc says that mine is mostly due to heredity and probably a bit due to my PCOS, so the meds are a necessity in order to control it. That became pretty obvious when losing 100lbs brought it down to almost normal and then it crept back up slowly over the course of 2 years without me gaining any weight back or changing my diet/ exercise plan. It's just that way with some people.

    My suggestion is to make your next appointment for the morning and don't exercise or drink any caffeine before you get there. If you do decide to ride your bike again, plan to arrive 1/2hour early so that you have plenty of time to just sit and let your BP return to normal before they check it. And don't stress out about what the reading will say because that can elevate it a bit due to stress. If the reading is still high, I would say to follow whatever instructions your doctor gives you and start watching your sodium.

    Also, I second the suggestion above to try to monitor BP yourself at home. Do you happen to know anyone who is a dr/ paramedic/ nurse/ etc? I've found that when I'm trying to monitor it on my own, having a friend who is a professional take it for me is the best choice. The thing at Walmart or the automatic cuffs have always been pretty inconsistent for me.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    tberrycastle wrote: »
    One thing to keep in mind is CUFF SIZE though. Using a regular sized cuff on a large arm will produce false high readings. Most adults are big enough for the "Large" cuff, and this should be requested at every visit.

    I did not realize this, thanks! I have lost a lot of weight but when I was much fatter I would occasionally have issues with having my BP taken by a nurse where it /hurt/ because the cuff was so constricting, and when I complained the nurse would generally just purse her lips disapprovingly (i.e., attitude = "well don't be so fat, then.") The thing was I didn't have that experience every time, and now I suspect that sometimes they didn't bother to get out an appropriately-sized cuff. And from what you say they REALLY should have to get accurate readings. Good to know.

    Not a problem anymore for me; now that I've lost weight my BP is super-healthy.

    To the OP: chances are your doctor was just saying essentially "Hmm, BP slightly elevated, in itself nothing to worry about urgently and could be a one-time blip, but we should keep an eye on that in future to see if there's a trend." As others have said, those numbers are just a leetle bit above the healthy zone, but not really in the danger zone. Yes, if you biked to the doctor's office and got your BP taken within a few minutes of arriving that could have contributed to the high reading. Next time, just be sure to show up 10-15 minutes early so you can sit quietly and calm down before your reading.

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