High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

[tracker]

enough good advice here. I will add my 2 cents: I measure daily, at the same time, early morning, for about 3 years in a row now. Keep a journal on the values I measure. Even if the values are not correct, they are good for comparison to other days.

 

what I noticed is, that drinking a glass or 2 red wine in the evening drastically lowers the values next morning, but drinking strong alcohol, like a whiskey increases it. secondly, eating almost anything with wheat increases the values.

 

I'm almost 60, and the values are an average of 87-115. peaks of 95-135 and lows of 79-102. I do not sport, skip dinner 3x a week (16hour fast), and being busy (outside temperature being the controller of how busy) on my farm.

 

good luck!

 

[Chris.B]

4 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Cuffs can be bought on Lazada.

Falang size 'XL' cuffs are difficult to find and when you do find they are expensive.

[Nout]

On 1/9/2020 at 5:57 AM, 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...

155 is time to panic. Its what you eat not how much you eat.

[Nout]

3 hours ago, tracker said:

enough good advice here. I will add my 2 cents: I measure daily, at the same time, early morning, for about 3 years in a row now. Keep a journal on the values I measure. Even if the values are not correct, they are good for comparison to other days.

 

what I noticed is, that drinking a glass or 2 red wine in the evening drastically lowers the values next morning, but drinking strong alcohol, like a whiskey increases it. secondly, eating almost anything with wheat increases the values.

 

I'm almost 60, and the values are an average of 87-115. peaks of 95-135 and lows of 79-102. I do not sport, skip dinner 3x a week (16hour fast), and being busy (outside temperature being the controller of how busy) on my farm.

 

good luck!

 

Lotta sense in the above

[Sheryl]

53 minutes ago, Nout said:

155 is time to panic. Its what you eat not how much you eat.

 

Actually it is both, as being obese has substantial effect on BP. Losing weight is bound to lower BP.

[IvorBiggun2]

Good news for salt lovers. Me.

 

 

Quote

 

HEALTH NOTES: This'll shake you... too LITTLE salt can be bad for us.

 

Health chiefs constantly tell us to slash our salt intake, but new research suggests that having too little also carries health risks.

Doctors at the Royal Free Hospital in London found that too little salt in the body, over a long period of time, weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of infections.

Patients with Gitelman syndrome and Bartter syndrome, which cause an excessive loss of salt through the kidneys, were more likely than others to suffer from recurrent fungal and urinary infections. 

The authors of the study, published in the medical journal Nature Communications, explain that a lack of salt halts the production of a type of white blood cell called interleukin 17, which detects and destroys infections.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8750667/HEALTH-NOTES-Thisll-shake-LITTLE-salt-bad-us.html

 

[lopburi3]

28 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Good news for salt lovers. Me.

 

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8750667/HEALTH-NOTES-Thisll-shake-LITTLE-salt-bad-us.html

 

Source is Daily Mail with no link to source or names of doctors and apparently no data other than several groups of people with low salt have immune issues - and original source is reported to be a pay to publish report in a general science journal that has gone through 4 editors in its short 10 years.

[tracker]

In a tropical country a westerner is likely to sweat more than "back home". depending on your activities during the day, you might up your salt intake if needed.

It turned out, for me personally, that a bottle of water (1ltr) and a teaspoon of (pink-himalaya)salt, keeps me going through the heat. If I drink only water, I have no energy left after 2 hours of activity. I might be different for another person, as no 2 bodies are the same. I do not have a rise in bloodpressure from this. I use the same salt on/in my food.

 

 

[Nout]

On 9/17/2020 at 12:20 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Actually it is both, as being obese has substantial effect on BP. Losing weight is bound to lower BP.

Yes indeed.

[Nout]

On 9/6/2020 at 12:06 PM, IvorBiggun2 said:

 

 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/reading-the-new-blood-pressure-guidelines

120/80 is the desired BP measurement.

[1FinickyOne]

Since you asked about food suggestions... Thai food and most street food is not that healthy.. lots of oils, fat, sugar, MSG etc... if possible and have dietary concerns, the only way to keep control is to make the food yourself. Then you know what you are eating... good luck.

[mommysboy]

It's not really about quality of food, rather how much you eat.  Thirty minutes walk every day.  It doesn't have to be outside either- one large room is enough.

Edited September 20, 2020 by mommysboy

[jojothai]

On 9/8/2020 at 8:26 AM, Skylight said:

Blood pressure fluctuate through the day by a lot.

So take measurement throughout the day.  Relax when you are taking BP.  Don't cross your legs. 

If you can't get it to 120/130 any time during the day, stop salt intake and smoking.  You need to be on medication.

Too much caffeine is not good either.

With respect to the original post. One medical web site says
"The patient should sit or lie comfortably. The arm should be fully supported on a flat surface at heart level."
So as Sheryl points out there is probably not much difference provided the reading is being taken at about heart level. That's most important.

As well as that i add some Harvard medical school tips below

Being relaxed is also very important.
One of the hospitals I go to is very difficult for traffic and I often use MRT and then a motorbike taxi. Always such an amazing or frightening experience. ????????????☠️
The hospital staff always try to do the BP reading fairly promptly and I have to tell them to wait. I need to get fully relaxed first.
To prove the point sometimes i have let them take the reading and then requested a repeat 10 minutes later.
They seem to be so surprised that there can be such a big difference in a short time.

The following is from search on a Harvard medical school webpage, and may also be helpful guidance.

"Don't drink a caffeinated beverage or smoke during the 30 minutes before the test.

Sit quietly for five minutes before the test begins.

During the measurement, sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and your arm supported so your elbow is at about heart level.

The inflatable part of the cuff should completely cover at least 80% of your upper arm, and the cuff should be placed on bare skin, not over a shirt.

Don't talk during the measurement.

Have your blood pressure measured twice, with a brief break in between. If the readings are different by 5 points or more, have it done a third time."

Edited September 20, 2020 by jojothai
word missing

[stouricks]

7 minutes ago, jojothai said:

Have your blood pressure measured twice, with a brief break in between. If the readings are different by 5 points or more, have it done a third time

And use which one as the real thing, upper, lower or average?

[jojothai]

1 hour ago, stouricks said:

And use which one as the real thing, upper, lower or average?

More than one reading i record them and would normally average. 

Very big differences is  a matter for judgement and repeat readings as you think appropriate.
It don't happen a lot, but they do, and when they do then i personally take one or two more readings until stable. 
My own approach is mainly as below.

If I have initial high readings then I always take another reading.

If the first and second readings are fairly consistent then the average.

For 3 readings If the second and third reading are very close i take the average of them, that's a more normal occurrence in my experience.
if the first and third are close and second has a big difference then i take another reading and judge from there.

Also, The article said 5 points difference, IMHO 5 or 10 points is not a lot. especially on the systolic. 10 points on the diastolic is a lot and I would repeat a third time, but not on 5.

Edited September 20, 2020 by jojothai
add info

[IvorBiggun2]

11 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Daily Mail with no link to source or names of doctors

Hows about  "too little salt can be harmful". Christ some people can be hard going if it doesn't fit their narrative.

 

https://www.cardiosmart.org/news/2016/7/too-much-and-too-little-salt-is-associated-with-increased-heart-risks#:~:text=However%2C high sodium intake (more,adults with and without hypertension.

 

Quote

Then we have Dr James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist who wrote a book called The Salt Fix: Why the Experts Got It All Wrong – and How Eating More Could Save Your Life. Too little salt, he says, can lead to weight gain, chronic kidney disease, elevated bad cholesterol and increased blood pressure and heart rate.

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2123109/why-eating-too-little-salt-bad-your-health-and-how-salt-took

Edited September 20, 2020 by IvorBiggun2

[grin]

Being somewhat anal about monitoring my blood pressure I asked my doctor exactly where is heart level. His answer was if in a sitting position it is mid sternal or mid chest or generally at nipple level. The point is that the cuff should be centered at this level whether it's on the upper arm or the wrist. Usually if you are sitting and your elbow is resting on a table then your upper arm will naturally be at heart level. If using a wrist monitor while sitting then your wrist should be supported at mid upper arm level.

 

As far as taking multiple readings he said that it was important to rest in the same position that you will be doing the readings for 10 minutes before starting. Waiting less time will mean you have to take more readings before the readings settle down. He suggested waiting 2 minutes between readings and that the same arm and same position be used each time. His answer on which reading to use was to use the last one. So, the longer you rest the more likely your first two readings will be nearly identical.

 

I asked if this assumed that the readings were going down and not more or less random. I.e. what if the monitor itself is not consistent or some body factor is fluctuating. He said that in this case he would average the readings.

 

This simple advice was given to me about 10 years ago and it works for me.

 

[ignis]

3 different Dr in 3 years at different Hospital Emergency rooms and still no answer as to why. or what I could do to stop it happening

 

just got back from 3 nights in Hospital...  the morning as any other my BS was 105 + my BP was 130/72, about 1 pm felt strange, took BP 127/67..  then odd flashes next was in a Emergency room shaking with cold, next 100% came conscious  was 4 pm in a ward.  

 

Yesterday the Dr said when I came in my BP was 44/23 + BS was 289 and unconscious ..

 

What I call my normal Hospital is 2 hours away = this time Local Sai Noi Village Government Hospital, registered there when it was built years ago..  last time was Bang bua Thong registered there for years, time before my Hospital [Chulalongkorn] Red Cross BKK registered there since 2015

 

AS a PS:  had my yearly blood urine work done on 11th = 7 x A4 sheet reports my Dr Diabetic Professor was pleased + all a bit better that the year before and nothing to worry about 

 

Anyone had similar ? Advise Please   ....  I don't see my Professor Dr until mid Jan so 4 months away.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, ignis said:

Anyone had similar ? Advise Please   ....  I don't see my Professor Dr until mid Jan so 4 months away.

At a guess ...... you need a pacemaker to regulate your heart rate.

[Sheryl]

5 hours ago, ignis said:

3 different Dr in 3 years at different Hospital Emergency rooms and still no answer as to why. or what I could do to stop it happening

 

just got back from 3 nights in Hospital...  the morning as any other my BS was 105 + my BP was 130/72, about 1 pm felt strange, took BP 127/67..  then odd flashes next was in a Emergency room shaking with cold, next 100% came conscious  was 4 pm in a ward.  

 

Yesterday the Dr said when I came in my BP was 44/23 + BS was 289 and unconscious ..

 

What I call my normal Hospital is 2 hours away = this time Local Sai Noi Village Government Hospital, registered there when it was built years ago..  last time was Bang bua Thong registered there for years, time before my Hospital [Chulalongkorn] Red Cross BKK registered there since 2015

 

AS a PS:  had my yearly blood urine work done on 11th = 7 x A4 sheet reports my Dr Diabetic Professor was pleased + all a bit better that the year before and nothing to worry about 

 

Anyone had similar ? Advise Please   ....  I don't see my Professor Dr until mid Jan so 4 months away.

 

The elevated glucose may just have been a stress response and would certainly not explain the low BP. The  loss of consciousness was due to the low BP, you were in shock.this is serious. It is impossible for me to say the cause based on the limited information provided but assuming no internal bleeding (blood count would show this), cardiac is most likely. 

 

You need to go see a cardiologist at a tertiary level hospital at once bringing the records from this hospitalization with you. Do not wait for your next appointment.

[ignis]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

The elevated glucose may just have been a stress response and would certainly not explain the low BP. The  loss of consciousness was due to the low BP, you were in shock.this is serious. It is impossible for me to say the cause based on the limited information provided but assuming no internal bleeding (blood count would show this), cardiac is most likely. 

 

You need to go see a cardiologist at a tertiary level hospital at once bringing the records from this hospitalization with you. Do not wait for your next appointment.

Many thanks

 

Did have a ECG last week as ordered by my Dr Professor every year, all was fine,  [had a small stroke in 2016]  my blood test last week showed the Red cell count as 4.18 = low .... the only other item to be address was the high protein in the urine [told to stop eating red meat]

 

Red Cross Hospital was last wednesday re above report.

Edited September 23, 2020 by ignis

[Sheryl]

42 minutes ago, ignis said:

Many thanks

 

Did have a ECG last week as ordered by my Dr Professor every year, all was fine,  [had a small stroke in 2016]  my blood test last week showed the Red cell count as 4.18 = low .... the only other item to be address was the high protein in the urine [told to stop eating red meat]

 

Red Cross Hospital was last wednesday re above report.

ECG will not  show many possible causes of this. You likely need a 24 - 72 hour Holter monitor (continuous monitoring of heart rhythm) to figure out what is going on.

[ignis]

Sheryl, many thanks, I do have a question or 2.

 

Did not think of it before also forgot, last week I had Part 1 of the 'pneumococcal vaccine' could this have been a side effect ? allege ?  severe reaction

 

I keep a day to day log, going back over the years I find that twice before I had this sudden loss of BP was a few days after my yearly 'flu vaccine'  ?

 

In January will have the 'Shingles vaccine' or is this not a good idea ?

 

Over the years Medication has had to be changed because of side effects/alleges bad reaction to me taking them...

one reason mostly use the Red Cross Hospital as is the same older DR [Professor of Diabetics] for past 5 years...  not so good when is an emergency as takes near on 2 hours to get there.

 

PS: the only other change was to take Vitamin B12 - every day

 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by ignis

[Sheryl]

An allergic reaction to a vaccine would happen within hours and would also usually feature trouble breathing and often a rash. Would not explain a severe drop in BP after an interval of several days later. I think unrelated.

 

Are you on BP or cardiac meds? And do you monitor your BP at home?

[cjinchiangrai]

On 9/20/2020 at 8:30 PM, IvorBiggun2 said:

Hows about  "too little salt can be harmful". Christ some people can be hard going if it doesn't fit their narrative.

 

https://www.cardiosmart.org/news/2016/7/too-much-and-too-little-salt-is-associated-with-increased-heart-risks#:~:text=However%2C high sodium intake (more,adults with and without hypertension.

 

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2123109/why-eating-too-little-salt-bad-your-health-and-how-salt-took

There is no such thing as low salt in LOS. The fish sauce alone sees to that. Why they need fish sauce and salt is beyond me though.

[ignis]

42 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

An allergic reaction to a vaccine would happen within hours and would also usually feature trouble breathing and often a rash. Would not explain a severe drop in BP after an interval of several days later. I think unrelated.

 

Are you on BP or cardiac meds? And do you monitor your BP at home?

Yes   Madiplot® (manidipine) 10 mg  =  every am + pm alternate days  +  Enail 20 mg  every evening

Yes   monitor  BP at home mornings + evenings

 

That morning BP was normal 130/72.. and at 1pm BP 127/67... by 2pm was in Hospital and a reading of 44/23 they told me

[ignis]

12 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

There is no such thing as low salt in LOS. The fish sauce alone sees to that. Why they need fish sauce and salt is beyond me though.

yes was told NO fish sauce + No Soy sauce = Dr says Salt and Sodium must be reduced Diet Soft drinks also bad = 2016 was Stage 5 CKD, = cut as much as possible out for 4 years = last week was down again = Stage 2.9 now

Edited September 24, 2020 by ignis

[Sheryl]

34 minutes ago, ignis said:

Yes   Madiplot® (manidipine) 10 mg  =  every am + pm alternate days  +  Enail 20 mg  every evening

Yes   monitor  BP at home mornings + evenings

 

That morning BP was normal 130/72.. and at 1pm BP 127/67... by 2pm was in Hospital and a reading of 44/23 they told me

Doesn't sound like the meds (though ypu should take your BP before your meds and don't take them if beliw 10p systolic).

 

My guess is a cardiac arrythmia. Which could recur at any time. See cardioligist urgently.

[rahi]

I guess I could chime in with my BP stuff. 42yo and merely few kg's over the limit of healthy weight (181cm/86kg), so the statistical limit to healty weight is about 82kg with my height. I've always had almost perfect 120/80 BP but I had few years when not measuring at all since old device broke down, so about a year ago I bought new and readings were 160/110 at highest, had dizziness and felt "hot".

 

I've had all the blood works done, including liver, pancreas, cholesterol +more, also two ECG and 24hours Holter ECG, Ultrasound of organs since sometimes I feel bloated and heart skips a beat and immediately burp after. Only things what comes up in ECG is LAFB which means that one of six wires/nerves in heart is not functioning, which itself is not big issue but with high BP its more complicated... From the blood works the LDL cholesterol is 3.5 mmol/l which is over the limit of 3.0 which combined with HDL 1.6 pushes the total cholesterol over the limit of 5, to 5.6. Also the mineral balance is bit off but within the limits, meaning that potassium is perfect but natrium is bit higher but still within the limits (this imbalance should not exist since they are almost every time in sync).

 

I am currently on third different BP meds (first ACE2 blocker gave cough, second ARB did not lower enough) which is Candesartan/Hydrochlorothiazide combinations which means that it's ARB/Diuretic and with that I get readings of 115-120/85-90. That means IDH, Isolated diastolic hypertension. 

 

What my plan is now is to cut down drinking (now 1-3 a day, couple off days weekly, only beer or wine, no hard liquors), drop the few kg's and reduce salt. It wont fix the heart defect but cardiologists say that it should not affect the BP I have. Still the anomaly of IDH worries me.

 

Edit: just did few measurements and average of those were 126/90 and HR67

Edited September 27, 2020 by rahi
added BP

[BobBKK]

I used to be 140/95 +  lost 15 kilo and walk 10,000 steps a day now I'm 125/85 and I measure daily.