Blood pressure question please help

[Weasley123]

Im.38 female on birth control pills normal weight in till last year, after I started bcp I had normal blood press. Then last year I started getting pre hypertension readings. The Dr didn't seen too concerned but I bought a home monitor and began checking. I got mostly pre hypertension readingd in three 120s over 80s. After good readings I stopped checking The last few days of checked again and got several stage 1 readings 140 over 80s. What really confused me is if I check again 20 minutes or 30 minutes later it's much lower like 122 over 74. Should I average both readings or is one more accurate

[smiles]

Most home kits are fairly unrealible, the only way to find out is my taking yours at the same time at one by your GP!!
Or maybe stop taking your BP?

[Weasley123]

I checked it 3 times today which is better first it was 137 over like 85 then 20 min later 123 over like 82 then one more time it was 130 over 80 I'm glad they weren't in the 140s buy I don't get why the second reading is alway,lower

[Nzxt27]

You have to be careful because checking it all the time can just make your anxeity worse.

[dale12345]

You have to be careful because checking it all the time can just make your anxeity worse.
Which can raise your blood pressure.

[Mermaid16]

Hi! The normal readings are between 60 and 90 and 90 and 140. All of the readings you have said are within the normal range. Although they are at the higher end of the normal range. They are still normal. If it was consistently above this range, then it may be worth letting your doctor know. I also have one of those home blood pressure kits and yes you can take them 5mins apart and get a totally different reading. I found that you also get different readings if for instance you were laying down, it might be lower. Then if you got up to go to the toilet and come back and lay down again it would be a bit higher because you have got up and moved. I would think that pre hypertension would be outside of these normal ranges, not within what is considered 'normal ranges'. Do you have any symptoms of hypertension?

Sometimes people with markedly elevated blood pressure may develop:


headache,
dizziness,
blurred vision,
nausea and vomiting, and.
chest pain and shortness of breath.



I think you will be fine, but if you are concerned, it's best to have some reassurance from your doctor.

Tracy

[Mugs]

Hi
You should always sit quietly for at least 2 minutes before you check you blood pressure.
Then put your arm up on a table so it is close to the same level as your heart.
Take a reading, rest again for 2 minutes and check it again.
You can repeat this a third time if you like and then take an average.
Use the same arm for each reading.:)

---------- Post added at 02:18 ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 ----------

Doctors are usually more concerned with the bottom number because that number shows the force that your heart is exerting on your blood vessels when it is resting.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Good advice on here above. It shows why you need to be quite informed to monitor blood pressure.

My mum has to monitor hers at certain times and the surgery give out their own. According to the nurse, home test kits are fine and since these are calibrated, that's going to be the case or the manufacturer would be in trouble. They even tell patients to buy their own to save on loaning their limited ones. But getting back to the actual testing, even talking alters the result and the nurses instructions ask to refrain from this. Something as simple as talking!

It takes someone trained to understand the factors. I bet my BP is all over the place with my anxiety. Yet I had a BP check with my asthma clinic check a couple of years ago and it was fine. This surprised me.

My mum doesn't suffer from any mental health issues but has mentioned feeling tense in the surgery. She thought it could be a problem with her BP checks. The sister replied that it is a very common issue and that they take it into consideration.

Think about it from a blood sugar angle. If you monitor this can you imagine how it goes up & down? Hence it's all about tolerance and range. As long as you are within it, fluctuations may not mean anything as they could point to natural changes.

[Weasley123]

Thank you all so much it's really helpful I definitely have some stage 1 readings cause my machine says stage 1. For example, I woke up this morning sat 2 min took it and it was 144 over 97 first thing in morning. I was feeling anxious and had had a bad dream I then took care of my 5 dogs and got dressed and put on make up. Half an hour later I took it again same arm 123 over 77 so good. I ate breakfast watched TV and 20 min later it was 111 over 82 and that was after coffee! I'm very pleased with those readings but I'm still scared with the first. This happens every time. It's high for the first reading then half an hour later low. Am I having white coat effect on myself with my first reading?

[Fishmanpa]

First off... BP readings fluctuate day to day, hour to hour and minute to minute. What's normal for one person can be different for another. The ideal 120/80 is just a baseline.

That being said, unless ordered by your doctor, there's no need to self monitor your BP. All this is doing (as evidenced by this thread) is causing you to obsessively self check and feeding your anxiety. I suggest you throw it away and just get on with life. Your readings are normal!

Positive thoughts

[Mugs]

Fishmanpa is right. You are fine.:)