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Thread: bp test

  1. #11
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    391

    Re: bp test

    Hi i am 32 year old male, and considered myself to be reasonably fit and healthy, drink very little dont smoke and not over weight, yet when i went to get my blood pressure checked it was 160-95 and i got but on a 24hr monitor which showed my pb was high during the 24hr monitoring period, there is heart problems in my family, and i am concerned, yet my GP doesn't want to give me medication to treat it, he said we will just see how things go and check it regular....mmmmm,


    What do you think??? shoul i be concerned?

    Cheers

  2. #12

    Re: bp test

    Like others on here, I’m also confused about the bp readings I get.

    I know I have white coat anxiety, so inevitably my readings are very high at the doc’s. These are aggravated by the conditions under which the readings are taken – no privacy in the consulting room (doors left open to rooms next door so they can hear my consultation with the nurse and I can hear other people’s) and the nurse who takes the readings doesn’t inspire confidence. Last time I was there she was boiling a kettle to make herself a cuppa during my consultation and to make matters worse her long, dirty fingernails make me cringe, but that’s the NHS these days. I sent a letter of complaint and got a lukewarm apology, but effectively the reply was ‘tough, it’s the best we can do.’

    Anyway, I have a wrist monitor and I get readings which vary widely, from a good 120/80 to a bad 180/110 and all points in between. At the hospital a few months ago my reading was 200/119. This was during a panicky visit to the emergency room for the palpitations. I’ve taken several readings today and they’re all high, between 153/84 to 179/110. Sometimes though, I find that the systolic pressure is very low – 54 on one occasion.

    If I take readings when I feel calm, they’re often high, and sometimes when I know I’m anxious, they are lower . I use a Braun monitor, which is about 5 years old. I’ve tried using it when sitting in different positions or having my arm at different angles, including the one shown on the gadget itself, or when standing. The batteries are replaced often. The readings do differ, though not consistently. To further confuse matters, my last blood pressure taken by the doc (again, not the nurse) came in about 153/90 and she didn’t feel it was so high as to be of concern. I told her that I often get normal readings at home, so she felt that putting me on meds would cause problems when my pressure came down to normal. Conversely, the doc at the hospital (a different visit – not the emergency room) said that even if my high bp was caused by anxiety, I must go on meds.

    Later this week I’m off to the doc’s – not the practice nurse – and I’ll ask her to take my pressure with her old pump-type (which I know she uses and I think prefers) and I’ll take my monitor along and do a reading as well. That way I’ll get an idea of how accurate or not my home readings have been.

    I also find it’s difficult to find any consistent info on the accuracy of these home monitors. Dr Google throws up results which say they read too high, too low, are useless or wonderful. Neither is there any consistency about which are the best type, either by brand or style, ie, wrist or arm sleeve.

    Needless to say, the readings I’ve had from the monitor today have only increased my anxiety …

  3. #13

    Re: bp test

    The best way to meassure your bp is sitting down. Ive had high bp since i was 20 im now 35! To lower your bp when feeling stressed is to lie on your left hand side but continuisly taken your bp will only keep it raised! Even though home monitering is good it can be bad also as we tend to keep takinh it only to make it raise as we become anxious. Bp is up and down all day and night, exercise eating and even havingg a hot bath will cause it to raise. if the doc says you need pills then its wise to take atleast it will be under control.

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