Blood Pressure Monitoring

[stouricks]

How often should a person take their blood pressure?

The local nurse comes round to take my wife's ONCE A YEAR!

In a recent article I read written by Dr Ian Corness, he said TWICE A YEAR.

I take mine every morning and every night and keep a record in a phone app (BP Watch) and my morning readings have varied between 116/69 and 145/86 since last September, with an average of 129/77 whereas my evening readings are between 108/62 and 139/85 averaging 121/71. The overall average is 125/74.

When one goes to the doctor or hospital, the first thing they do is take your BP, after maybe a drive or a coffee.

The NHS website suggests an accurate BP reading is more likely with an empty bladder.

If it is high ie over 130/90, the Doctor may then prescribe medication to lower it. How does he decide which of the many many available is suitable for the patient? 

 

What is the correct procedure please anyone, Sheryl?

 

 

 

 

[offset]

I do not let them take my BP at the hospital because it is always to high when taken then, I take the night before and in the morning then I take my BP machine with me and show the doctor, some doctors tell be it better that way because they get a better idea of my BP

[Swiss1960]

44 minutes ago, offset said:

I do not let them take my BP at the hospital because it is always to high when taken then, I take the night before and in the morning then I take my BP machine with me and show the doctor, some doctors tell be it better that way because they get a better idea of my BP

Well, I let them take mine so they can justify the 300 Baht nursing fee.. but my heart doc ignores that reading, takes his reading manually and that reading goes into my file. 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, stouricks said:

What is the correct procedure please anyone, Sheryl?

Take it every day and use the average the machine offers you.

Today I was 85/64, my average is 97/69.

[Lacessit]

I usually take it once a month, with my own monitor, to check if my blood pressure medication is still working. Usually 100/60, pulse 65 bpm.

 

Hospital readings can be misleading, due to (a) lack of regular calibration (b) white coat syndrome. Blood pressure increases in stressful environments.

[Sheryl]

For someone with hypertension, take it daily at the same time each day and while relaxed.

 

For someone without a problem, a check once or twice a year is fine.

 

BP normally varies all the time, this is to be expected. Only if there are 3 conseecutive high readings would one be concerned.

[billd766]

I generally take mine twice a day in the morning if I have been cutting the scrub grass or working on something else, and again about an hour later when I have relaxed. Take it 5 times in a row and use the middle numbers as the median.

 

Yesterday was 125/79/96 first and second 121/82/104.

Today no outside work 127/76/95.

[IvorBiggun2]

On going to hospitals I get 'White Coats' syndrome. I go home and my BP returns to normal. It's all b****cks'. If you have no symptoms of illness then....................

[CMoldie]

12 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

If you have no symptoms of illness then....................

........then it will come as a surprise to your relatives when you drop down dead with a stroke or one of the many other grave conditions which are associated with high blood pressure which is, in itself, completely symptomless. Checking blood pressure won't kill you, not checking it might.

[giddyup]

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Take it every day and use the average the machine offers you.

Today I was 85/64, my average is 97/69.

Those readings are pretty low aren't they? I thought 120/80 was the ideal.

[Surelynot]

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Take it every day and use the average the machine offers you.

Today I was 85/64, my average is 97/69

You urgently need a new monitor, or you must suffer from hypotension.

Edited January 15, 2020 by Surelynot
Add

[stouricks]

14 hours ago, Sheryl said:

For someone without a problem, a check once or twice a year is fine.

How would you know that you did or did not have a problem in the time between checks?

Edited January 15, 2020 by stouricks

[stouricks]

14 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Only if there are 3 conseecutive high readings would one be concerned.

That could take three years if you only check it annually.

[david555]

Blood pressure is a moment collection , as it can vary from moment to moment as I experienced already , relaxed taken ?….. well waking  up lying in my bed putting my BP meter on is higher than standing up ..!

So I think taking an average one like said up is best  & and just keep the alarming high one(s) to worry about !

Making yourself nervous about something is the best thing to putting BP up ..

Edited January 15, 2020 by david555

[thasoss]

am always being urged to buy a home monitor kit,last time i had one i found i ended up paranoid taking my blood pressure multiple times a day,i dont want to go there again.Usually know when blood pressure gets high,usually down to stress or too much black coffee and cigarettes.I'm 70 and feel ok at 145/85,yes 120/80 would be great but i'm realistic..............blood pressure as everyone knows goes up and down accordingly...........main thing is not to stress out about it.Drinking  plenty of water helps alot too to bring BP down.

[david555]

14 hours ago, billd766 said:

I generally take mine twice a day in the morning if I have been cutting the scrub grass or working on something else, and again about an hour later when I have relaxed. Take it 5 times in a row and use the middle numbers as the median.

 

Yesterday was 125/79/96 first and second 121/82/104.

Today no outside work 127/76/95.

Probably yours go up and down with GBP ratings …..????  (joooooking ..! )

[billd766]

1 hour ago, david555 said:

Probably yours go up and down with GBP ratings …..????  (joooooking ..! )

The problem works in reverse.

 

The GBP goes up and my blood pressure goes down and vice versa.

 

I did some plumbing work this morning which failed miserably (luckily my Thai neighbour came by and finished it off for me) and I took my bp about 10 times and each time it said I should be in hospital or dead. I had a shower and took a late breakfast then tried again about an hour later and I was OK.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

The problem works in reverse.

 

The GBP goes up and my blood pressure goes down and vice versa.

 

I did some plumbing work this morning which failed miserably (luckily my Thai neighbour came by and finished it off for me) and I took my bp about 10 times and each time it said I should be in hospital or dead. I had a shower and took a late breakfast then tried again about an hour later and I was OK.

At 75 with a bad back and 2 wonky kneecaps I can no longer do what I could at 65, 55 or even 45 any more. The spirit is still willing but the body over rules it.

[tutsiwarrior]

my understanding is that once you're diagnosed with high BP it doesn't just go away and that it's important to monitor frequently and adjust the medication accordingly...I started with a daily dose 10 years ago and now dose it enough to keep things within 135 - 155/70 - 85 (about twice per week...) it's a toss up between yer BP and the extra load you put on yer liver and kidneys ingesting the meds...

 

 

[Speedo1968]

4 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

my understanding is that once you're diagnosed with high BP it doesn't just go away and that it's important to monitor frequently and adjust the medication accordingly...I started with a daily dose 10 years ago and now dose it enough to keep things within 135 - 155/70 - 85 (about twice per week...) it's a toss up between yer BP and the extra load you put on yer liver and kidneys ingesting the meds...

 

 

No, it doesn't just go away but you can adjust your lifestyle especially diet ( by that I mean the foods you eat as well as the way you eat them ).   Sufficient plain water intake is essential.     Exercise can be as easy and simple as you like as long as you benefit from it.    If you are still working try not to burn out too often that certainly catches up with you.    Having had multiple TIA's and a stroke with complications ( almost total muscle loss ) I am fitter now than before.    My heart rate is very low but I look at this in a twisted logic way that it may reduce the risk of blowing a fuse.
Good luck with whatever treatment you use.

[IvorBiggun2]

11 hours ago, CMoldie said:

high blood pressure which is, in itself, completely symptomless.

But having high blood pressure isn't necessary a sign of a problem. The jury seems to be out on what's what. And CMoldie high blood pressure can come with symptoms. Google is your friend. 

 

 

Quote

 

symptoms to look out for,including:

• Severe headache.
• Fatigue or confusion.
• Vision problems.
• Chest pain.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• Blood in the urine.
• Pounding in your chest, neck, or ears.

 

 

Quote

Now, however, a study that researchers at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany carried out suggests that some older people may not face other health problems if they have high blood pressure.

 

As I said before it's all b****X

Edited January 15, 2020 by IvorBiggun2

[tutsiwarrior]

12 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said:

No, it doesn't just go away but you can adjust your lifestyle especially diet ( by that I mean the foods you eat as well as the way you eat them ).   Sufficient plain water intake is essential.     Exercise can be as easy and simple as you like as long as you benefit from it.    If you are still working try not to burn out too often that certainly catches up with you.    Having had multiple TIA's and a stroke with complications ( almost total muscle loss ) I am fitter now than before.    My heart rate is very low but I look at this in a twisted logic way that it may reduce the risk of blowing a fuse.
Good luck with whatever treatment you use.

I had a stroke about 10 years ago and lost the use of my right side for about 6mos, finally gave up work altogether about 3 years ago and went home and got into bed for about a month to recuperate...the work was easy, the traffic on the roads in the middle east and associated stress kicked my <deleted>...lost about 6kgs along the way by tweaking my diet...I usually check the BP about once per day and take the same meds as 10 years ago but only as needed (using a BP monitor) instead of daily...

 

 

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

But having high blood pressure isn't necessary a sign of a problem. The jury seems to be out on what's what. And CMoldie high blood pressure can come with symptoms. Google is your friend. 

 

 

 

 

As I said before it's all b****X

 

The jury is not remotely out on the fact that untreated/uncontrolled hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, kidney damage and  and other serious conditions. 

 

It is highly irresponsible -- and untrue -- to suggest otherwise.

 

And the type of stroke it can cause is the catastrophic hemorrhagic kind, not the thrombiotic type.

 

Some people have symptoms from hypertension, some do not.

[Jingthing]

7 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

my understanding is that once you're diagnosed with high BP it doesn't just go away and that it's important to monitor frequently and adjust the medication accordingly...I started with a daily dose 10 years ago and now dose it enough to keep things within 135 - 155/70 - 85 (about twice per week...) it's a toss up between yer BP and the extra load you put on yer liver and kidneys ingesting the meds...

 

 

Well actually the typical medical protocol with diagnosis of high BP (severe might be different) is to work with the patient on things like changing stress factors, diet, exercise, etc. and see if it can be controlled that way. Typically it can't but I think  better doctors will at least present the option to try and see. 

[tutsiwarrior]

5 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

No, it doesn't just go away but you can adjust your lifestyle especially diet ( by that I mean the foods you eat as well as the way you eat them ).   Sufficient plain water intake is essential.     Exercise can be as easy and simple as you like as long as you benefit from it.    If you are still working try not to burn out too often that certainly catches up with you.    Having had multiple TIA's and a stroke with complications ( almost total muscle loss ) I am fitter now than before.    My heart rate is very low but I look at this in a twisted logic way that it may reduce the risk of blowing a fuse.
Good luck with whatever treatment you use.

I had a stroke about 10 years ago and lost the use of my right side for about 6mos, finally gave up work altogether about 3 years ago and went home and got into bed for about a month to recuperate...the work was easy, the traffic on the roads in the middle east and associated stress kicked my <deleted>...lost about 6kgs along the way by tweaking my diet...I usually check the BP about once per day and take the same meds as 10 years ago but only as needed (using a BP monitor) instead of daily...

 

a lot of us don't realise that we have high BP until a medical emergency arises like a stroke in my own case (combined with badly controlled diabetes)...the doc in Hanoi just pushed some meds at me and said to come and see him later on to see if they worked...I was healthy otherwise except fer drinkin' too much...a friend sat with me and said 'all that vodka can't be good fer ye, ye oughta slow down a bit' and she was right...

 

'and start eatin' yer breakfast in the mornin'' 'not until ye get some noodles...' 'stinkin' noodles are fer tourists in Hanoi...' 'at least some fresh baguettes would be nice...get the cook to learn how to make some...' the mundane assumes a greater significance on the remote north central coast of Vietnam...

 

 

[jayboy]

23 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

my understanding is that once you're diagnosed with high BP it doesn't just go away and that it's important to monitor frequently and adjust the medication accordingly...I started with a daily dose 10 years ago and now dose it enough to keep things within 135 - 155/70 - 85 (about twice per week...) it's a toss up between yer BP and the extra load you put on yer liver and kidneys ingesting the meds...

 

 

Actually it can just go away if you are significantly overweight and then lose that weight preferably under medical supervision.Sensible diet and exercise will also help - but losing the weight is by far the most important thing.

[JerseytoBKK]

On 1/16/2020 at 1:42 PM, jayboy said:

Actually it can just go away if you are significantly overweight and then lose that weight preferably under medical supervision.Sensible diet and exercise will also help - but losing the weight is by far the most important thing.

I agree it can go away and I did it. Without losing a lot of weight (still overweight by 10 kilo instead of 18 kilo). All it took was a change in diet. Also a slight increase in activity.

 

In the US, I regularly enjoyed 300-400 grams of cold cuts (AKA charcuterie) like salami or ham loaded with salt and nitrates, along with 200-300 grams of cheese, again lots of salt, washed down by a bottle of pinot noir. Love salty snacks and used to eat too many carb laden processed foods. Here I eat mostly freshly prepared foods and I've cut my alcohol intake by more than 50%. The latter is an important part to why I don't need BP meds anymore because I still like to have an occasional bag of chips and still use some salt on my food. I monitor my BP at least 2x/wk and it's stays in the 125-130/80-85 range.

[jvs]

I check my bp usually once a month and it was always around 130/85.

Checked it a few days ago and it is a lot higher now,140/90.

Not sure what to think of this.I use 10 mg of Bestatin for nearly a year.

My cholesterol readings are now a lot better and in the medium range.

I am not overweight,i don't smoke or drink.

Exercise by doing garden work and try to eat healthy.

Should i be taking meds to help lower my bp?

[lopburi3]

7 hours ago, jvs said:

I check my bp usually once a month and it was always around 130/85.

Checked it a few days ago and it is a lot higher now,140/90.

Not sure what to think of this.I use 10 mg of Bestatin for nearly a year.

My cholesterol readings are now a lot better and in the medium range.

I am not overweight,i don't smoke or drink.

Exercise by doing garden work and try to eat healthy.

Should i be taking meds to help lower my bp?

Your BP normally varies (greatly) during the day so one time checks mean nothing.  Measure daily and perhaps several time each day for an average reading and be sure to site down for five minutes before taking any reading.  Save a record of readings as if needing treatment they will help doctor.

[IvorBiggun2]

On 1/15/2020 at 9:36 PM, Sheryl said:

It is highly irresponsible -- and untrue -- to suggest otherwise.

 

Quote

 

Blood Pressure 100 Plus Your Age

Medical research shows that as we age blood pressure rises slightly to accommodate an increased demand of oxygen and nutrients. It is completely natural for the first number (systolic) to be 100 plus your age. A recent study by a group of UCLA researchers came very close to corroborating Dr. Piette's guide for blood pressure of 100 plus your age for men, subtracting 10 for women, and this is after this rule had been in use for five or more decades. Are we now being taught that Dr. Piette's guide for blood pressure is wrong merely for drug company profit?

 

Quote

The goal of maintaining a blood pressure at or near 140/80 (now 115/75) is based on drug company hype, not science. These numbers are designed to sell drugs by converting healthy people into patients.

 

https://www.disabled-world.com/calculators-charts/bloodpressurechart.php

 

Quote

To lower blood pressure readings just 5 points on the blood pressure scale can mean billions of dollars. Among the top ten drugs prescribed in the U.S, blood pressure (hypertension) medications ensnare millions into the prescription drug trap.

Quote

If high blood pressure were dangerous, then lowering it with hypertension drugs would surely result in an increase in lifespan? Yet, clinical trials involving hypertension medication show NO increased lifespan among users when compared to non-users...

 

https://www.disabled-world.com/health/cardiovascular/hypertension/bp-100-plus-age.php

Edited January 23, 2020 by IvorBiggun2