Unexpected High Blood Pressure

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everydayupsanddowns

everydayupsanddowns

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Yesterday Mrs edu&d bought one of those blood pressure monitors that fits on your wrist. She has had high BP in the past and wanted to check hers as she'd been feeling a bit off colour recently.

The last time I had my annual review my BP was noted to be a little high, but since I'd just walked the 2 miles to my appointment in double quick time it was felt not to be too much of a concern. In the past my BP has always been in the 'ideal' range...

So anyway, yesterday lunchtime I thought I'd check mine and see how marvellous it was. I was slightly shocked when it came out as moderate-severely high :(

I tested again at breakfast today and it came out in the 'ideal' range, but by lunchtime it was reading moderately high again.

The thing is, I've been going to the gym a few times a week for about a year and a half now... More recently I've been going 5-days a week, partly because it helps iron out post-breakfast spikes. I feel much fitter, and my resting heart rate has dropped from 80-something to mid 50s.

I have been really busy at work which might have something to do with it, but I'm a bit annoyed that one of the checks that always used to come out perfectly fine is now looking decidedly rubbish.

I'll carry on keeping an eye on it for a week or so and if it doesn't get better when work has calmed down I s'pose I'll have to go and see the doc about it.

:confused:
 
HI Mike

When I looked into these meters a few years ago, there was a BHF (british heart foundation) list of tested and approved meters which gave reasonably accurate readings. It was quite a short list.

The rest were found to give fairly wild readings for some and inconsistent for most of the others. Unless you know it's one of the good ones, don't be too disheartened by it.

Rob
 
Robster65 said:
It was quite a short list...
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Ah yes... Lloyds the chemist, but not one of the ones mentioned in that clinically validated list.

Let's just hope it's meter inaccuracy then 🙂
 
Makes you wonder how they cn be alowed to sell a meter in a box that says 'Accurately monitor your blood pressure at home' when it, er, may well not.
 
The best way of getting the most accurrate BP reading is the old fashioned pressure cuff and steroscope, doc/nurse listen's to the beat change..

Hospital clinic always reads my BP pressure higher than the GP who uses the old fashioned method (the don't like the eletronic cuffs)..

The hospital decided that with there reading they decided to put me on BP medication, so I tried and guess who ended up coming of the BP medication because I was having dizzy spelling where my BP was dropping too much!

Also there are a lot of things that can alter your blood pressure reading, like hot drinks, caffine a smoke etc.. You really need to avoid these for at least 15-10 minutes before taking a reading, and it's wise to take two reading second one after 10 minutes of rest to see if any difference in the two..
 
Part of my problem is that the surgery is halfway up a very steep hill so I'm always puffing a bit (despite my athletic prowess!) by the time the reading is taken. My GP does use the stethoscope method if she is alarmed at the automatic one! She's also gorgeous, which probably doesn't help!
 
Northerner said:
She's also gorgeous, which probably doesn't help!
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That's the true meaning of white coat effect...😱
All medical professionals should be ugly to avoid unnecessary effects on BP!
 
Northerner said:
Part of my problem is that the surgery is halfway up a very steep hill so I'm always puffing a bit (despite my athletic prowess!) by the time the reading is taken.
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It would be interesting to see whether GP surgeries at the top of hills prescribe more BP lowering medication that those at the bottom of hills. :confused:

Northerner said:
She's also gorgeous, which probably doesn't help!
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And indeed whether more such medicine is prescribed by good looking GPs (of both sexes!) than their less gorgeous counterparts. 🙄

But Northerner, your GP is a babe and on a different thread you are complaining that your diabetic care is being transferred to your GP practice? There is no satisfying some men! 😛
 
rossoneri said:
...But Northerner, your GP is a babe and on a different thread you are complaining that your diabetic care is being transferred to your GP practice? There is no satisfying some men! 😛
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At my age, a man can only cope with so much gorgeousness! 😉
 
my FiL recently had high Blood pressure ( he blames buying a new TV abd the stress of getting it set up to work ) his chiropractor told him to take a glass og apple juice with a spoonful of apple cider vingear ...his bp AFTER 2 WEEKS IS NOW 130/80 ...(or is it 80/130) hes very happy !!
 
i know katie....and im not promoting snake oil here ...just reporting the very happy findings of a 82yr old very intelligent FiL ... but correct me if im wrong but hasnt the ole apple cider vingear been discussed here before ...
 
The upper arm bp monitors are far more accurate than the wrist versions, you will never see a gp practice or hospital clinic or ward use a wrist bp monitor. I was told that the best time to test is first thing in the morning on waking, like monitoring your bg keep a record of your readings and take these along to any gp or clinic appointments, usually a doctor or consultant will use these as a true reflection of your bp, but a locum gp I seen recently says that they normally add 10% to the top figure (Systolic) and 5% to the lower (Diastolic) of home monitor readings. Just remember also to stay perfectly still when taking a reading as this can cause abnormal readings. Toby.
 
am64 said:
i know katie....and im not promoting snake oil here ...just reporting the very happy findings of a 82yr old very intelligent FiL ... but correct me if im wrong but hasnt the ole apple cider vingear been discussed here before ...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I never believed it until you revealed your trusted source :D
 
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