High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

[SoSoCNX]

I took my friend to a hospital because his new Omron HEM-8712 pressure reading was 155/97. Hospital nurse measurement was about the same and she tested Omron too. My pressure was 125/84. 

Doctor gave him new pills and advice. I would very much appreciate it if you would share simple Healthy Thai recipes. We are 59, 71yo and please keep google it replies to yourself. 

 

[Swiss1960]

I also have high blood pressure... but the main question in regards to food is, what are your blood values, cholesterol, sugar etc. they should also be reviewed when there is high blood pressure

[ezzra]

First of all, if you ask for help, better go easy on insulting the same people you're asking, many people will be happy with 155/97 reading especially older and unfit people, so nothing to panic here, and the bottom line is not what you eat, is how much you eat...

[Laza 45]

Diet is important but exercise and weight control are important as well.. 159/97 is not good and correct medication is probably called for.. blood tests.. LDL, HDL & Triglycerides.. probably not a bad idea to have a ECG.. not expensive at hospital and gives an indication of health of his heart.  Should seek advice on exercise.. depends a lot on where he is starting from.. weight ..BMI ..general fitness level.. 

 

125/84 is not bad.. exercise, diet & weight control should keep it in this range.. 

Blood pressure varies a lot through the day depending on what you are doing and what your stress level is.. also your general state of health.. If I have a cold coming on and not feeling well mine goes up..  I try to take my bp at the same time each day under similar circumstances..  I do a bike ride for exercise early morning.. after shower and cool down and relax for a bit and then check it.. 

[Laza 45]

18 minutes ago, ezzra said:

First of all, if you ask for help, better go easy on insulting the same people you're asking, many people will be happy with 155/97 reading especially older and unfit people, so nothing to panic here, and the bottom line is not what you eat, is how much you eat...

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/ask-well-blood-pressure-over-age-70/

[metisdead]

Moving to the Health forum. 

[fishtank]

Dealing with Thai Immigration will give you high blood pressure.

Is this why you posted this in the Visa forum?

[Lungstib]

I was an adventure tour leader, walking, kayaking, played tennis, kept very active. Retired and did heavy gardening work keeping my weight down and eating healthy. And still my blood pressure went up. I tried the diet route, low fat, low dairy and lost some weight but never reduced the blood pressure. I had a decent check-up and was told I was in good condition, just take the pills. Some changes in arteries, something like that and nothing you can do about it. Recently at 69 it appears to be on its way down. 

[Curt1591]

One word - SALT.

 

Eliminate salt and MSG as much as possible. Eat more fresh, eat less prepared foods, and avoid fast food.

BTW, you can't judge blood pressure by one or two checks. You need to see a trend.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Curt1591

[saengd]

Ditch salt,, exercise on a regular basis and stop alcohol and you'll be just fine.

[mokwit]

19 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

I was an adventure tour leader, walking, kayaking, played tennis, kept very active. Retired and did heavy gardening work keeping my weight down and eating healthy. And still my blood pressure went up. I tried the diet route, low fat, low dairy and lost some weight but never reduced the blood pressure. I had a decent check-up and was told I was in good condition, just take the pills. Some changes in arteries, something like that and nothing you can do about it. Recently at 69 it appears to be on its way down. 

I have been doing everything they suggest WRT to diet and exercise for years anyway, yet when I checked for the first time in a long time it was high.

[saengd]

Just now, mokwit said:

I have been doing everything they suggest WRT to diet and exercise for years anyway, yet when I checked for the first time in a long time it was high.

Most  people are white coat phobic meaning their blood pressure increases when tested in a hospital doctors office, better to test at home when relaxed.

[mokwit]

2 minutes ago, saengd said:

Ditch salt,, exercise on a regular basis and stop alcohol and you'll be just fine.

I avoid non isotopic sources of Sodium, haven't drunk alcohol for 30 years, and exercise 5 times a week.

Edited January 9, 2020 by mokwit

[DavisH]

Take multiple blood pressure measurements during the day, over several days, to weeks, to get a proper estimate of average blood pressure. 

[saengd]

MY UK doctors nurse takes my BP about six or seven times in succession, about one minute apart each time, eventually it gets down to a decent level. In Thailand the nurse takes a reading once or twice and then tells me I have high blood pressure.

[LomSak27]

Can't help with lots of recipes ... 

 

Why not start the day with Oatmeal - toss in nuts, raisins, and fresh fruit. Now you have two left to look into low sodium, more healthy style meals. Truth is you should have complete blood work done, and then HBP medication prescribed. 

 

Hope all works out

[DavisH]

20 minutes ago, saengd said:

MY UK doctors nurse takes my BP about six or seven times in succession, about one minute apart each time, eventually it gets down to a decent level. In Thailand the nurse takes a reading once or twice and then tells me I have high blood pressure.

I get whitecoat syndrome and will get a 160/100 at the doctors office. My average at rest is 130/80 (at home or work). Not great but does not warrant medication (yet).

As others mentioned, its best to get blood work done as well, to evaluate cardiovascular risk. My ldl is high but exercise more than halved my triglycerides and increased hdl. 

Also, high blood pressure can be inherited; as can be seen in some seemingly healthy active people. 

[DavisH]

13 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

Can't help with lots of recipes ... 

 

Why not start the day with Oatmeal - toss in nuts, raisins, and fresh fruit. Now you have two left to look into low sodium, more healthy style meals. Truth is you should have complete blood work done, and then HBP medication prescribed. 

 

Hope all works out

The high fiber in fruits/veg/grains are very good at reducing insulin spikes, so is good for diabetics. The OP should also have fasting blood sugar and HBA1c checked, as these conditions often come together. 

[lopburi3]

8 minutes ago, DavisH said:

I get whitecoat syndrome and will get a 160/100 at the doctors office. My average at rest is 130/80 (at home or work). Not great but does not warrant medication (yet).

As others mentioned, its best to get blood work done as well, to evaluate cardiovascular risk. My ldl is high but exercise more than halved my triglycerides and increased hdl. 

Also, high blood pressure can be inherited; as can be seen in some seemingly healthy active people. 

This can not be stated enough - pressure check outside of home can be very erratic for many of us.  I have the same high readings at a doctors office but about 110/70 at home - and even readings at supermarkets (USA normal procedure) were high but at home low normal range.  For too many years doctors had me on hypertension medications not believing anything but their own readings.  I have owned so many blood pressure monitors over the years believing they must be defective.  Don't let a one time reading be taken as the need for medication.

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, Curt1591 said:

One word - SALT.

 

Eliminate salt and MSG as much as possible. Eat more fresh, eat less prepared foods, and avoid fast food.

BTW, you can't judge blood pressure by one or two checks. You need to see a trend.

As above. Which for Thai food mostly means preparing your own.

 

Fish sauce and soy sauce also need to be avoided or get low sodium brand of soy sauce and use sparingly.

[PPMMUU]

avoid salt and MSG (ผงชูรส, ผงนัว)

[VocalNeal]

When I go to the hospital my blood pressure is "E2"????

 

If I stop posting you'll know why.

[tutsiwarrior]

22 hours ago, Sheryl said:

As above. Which for Thai food mostly means preparing your own.

 

Fish sauce and soy sauce also need to be avoided or get low sodium brand of soy sauce and use sparingly.

very true...a lot of common asian cooking sauces (what would asian food be without sauces?) are very high sodium...soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, etc...

 

 

[stephenterry]

8 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

very true...a lot of common asian cooking sauces (what would asian food be without sauces?) are very high sodium...soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, etc...

 

 

I would also suggest junking added sugar processed products - and Thai cooked products where I have to request no sugar, please. 

[tutsiwarrior]

1 minute ago, stephenterry said:

I would also suggest junking added sugar processed products - and Thai cooked products where I have to request no sugar, please. 

a sprinkle of sugar is OK but a lot of thais like to high dose it with the kweiteo which is no good...I add a small bit to my muu daeng usually...

 

'the falang wants kweiteo...hold the sauces and the sugar...' 'tell that fat bastid to hold it between his knees...' (famous Jack Nicholsen line from the film '5 easy pieces')

 

 

[todlad]

On 1/9/2020 at 7:46 AM, saengd said:

MY UK doctors nurse takes my BP about six or seven times in succession, about one minute apart each time, eventually it gets down to a decent level. In Thailand the nurse takes a reading once or twice and then tells me I have high blood pressure.

I also recommend that method. When my BP was diagnosed as prehypertensive, I bought a BP monitor and check myself regularly. I have a BP profile now covering a two year period, a total of almost 400 readings. Anyway, I noticed that my BP reading was always higher than I wanted or it should have been so I started the habit of taking three readings at a time: one minute apart. Generally I find reading one is high, reading two is lower and reading three the lowest: of course, there are exceptions. I keep all readings in a spreadsheet and share the data with my doctor every time I see him.

 

I don't take my readings at the same time every day because I do like to see the variation over a 24 hour period. I have so many readings at most times, though, to give me good insight into the trend of my BP.

 

I have followed a vegetarian diet for three decades, tending to vegan more and more these days. I exercise regularly and keep the stress low! As with others of you, I have always been active. In my 40s I was told that I had the BP of an astronaut (!) so it came as a shock to find age does things to us like worsening BP. 

[offset]

22 minutes ago, todlad said:

I also recommend that method. When my BP was diagnosed as prehypertensive, I bought a BP monitor and check myself regularly. I have a BP profile now covering a two year period, a total of almost 400 readings. Anyway, I noticed that my BP reading was always higher than I wanted or it should have been so I started the habit of taking three readings at a time: one minute apart. Generally I find reading one is high, reading two is lower and reading three the lowest: of course, there are exceptions. I keep all readings in a spreadsheet and share the data with my doctor every time I see him.

 

I don't take my readings at the same time every day because I do like to see the variation over a 24 hour period. I have so many readings at most times, though, to give me good insight into the trend of my BP.

 

I have followed a vegetarian diet for three decades, tending to vegan more and more these days. I exercise regularly and keep the stress low! As with others of you, I have always been active. In my 40s I was told that I had the BP of an astronaut (!) so it came as a shock to find age does things to us like worsening BP. 

I found my pressure to be high on the first reading so now I give 10 minutes of relaxing with the cuff already on before I take the first reading and now I find the readings are more equal 

[ravip]

Just a small clarification.

When taking the blood pressure at home, is there any significant difference in the reading, depending on your position?

Mainly between sitting vs laying down flat on the bed.

[madmen]

Cracks me up they take blood pressure at all dentist. To high and they won't do that filling, and since most are nervous to begin with its all rather pointless 

[Olmate]

Does use of ED medication with hypertension medication cause problems.