Blood Pressure

[grasslander]

Alright, I've been going to my doctor regularly and each time I have a routine checkup, my blood pressure is high.

I've had blood work done, urine tests, x-rays, ultrasound, and I went to a cardiologist.

Every time I go for these tests, the results are normal. When I went to the cardiologist he said it might have something to do with my anxiety. When he took my blood pressure, it was slightly high but after about 10 minutes it was taken again and it was normal. -- This was a few years ago.

Now here is the bad part. I just went to my doctor again and this time my blood pressure reading was 150/105. This is way higher than last time which was about 130-140. I am really worried now because I don't know what's wrong.

Has anyone been in this situation before? If you have please give me some advice. Being 19, my blood pressure should not be this high.

 

[JayHew]

You are correct it should not be that high. With things being checked out by cardiologist and being normal, I wouldn't get too worried just yet. BUT, it has been suggested by studies the WCS (white coat syndrome- where BP goes high when seeing the doc because of the anxiety, etc.) that people have, can be a hallmark of things to come.

First off, weight could have something to do with it. Family history of High Blood Pressure with relatives (usually first degree - brother, sister, momma, poppa) and other chronic diseases present, stresses, etc.

Next conditioning. Active? Moderate exercise helps keep things under control.

Diet - low fat? Don't worry about the salt so much. Seems it doesn't hold up that it does much to restrict how much you take in unless you are sensitive to it. Most are not.

Smoking - No/yes. If yes, try very hard to stop.

Alcohol - anything over moderate use can increase BP

Stressors- what is happening to cause anxiety, worry, upset, can they be eliminated or dealt with in a positive manner.

Finally, you might want to invest in the automatic BP cuff and take you own BP on occasion, different times of the day over a period of weeks. If it stays in the normal range the vast majority of the time, would consider that what you get at the docs office is due to the anxiety while there. If that is the case take readings in from previous days or weeks for his review. Your normal range for the top number runs on average 110 to 130 and the bottom number should range 60 to no more than 80.

Hope this helps.

 

[BiMike]

Don't worry. Blood pressure readings vary a lot especially if you are anxious. The only way of getting a true reading to to take measurements over a period of time as they do in a hospital. They can fit a recording device to your wrist if you show abnormally high readings. If you are in good health try to relax and eat a healthy diet! Unless you have a family history of heart problems just rely on a regular check-up.

 

[samn3s]

Having suffered High Blood Pressure since I was 16 (now 60...suffered major stroke 1 1/2 years ago - my pressure that night was 300/200 -, but am now doing great with left side weakness.....stroke occured because I was not taking my medication.....was my own fault) I will share what I know.

The following can inflate Blood Pressure:

Weight.........the more excess weight, the higher the blood pressure
Stress ....being gay at the induction center for military made me very stressful (I flunked the physical at 17)
'White Coat Syndrome'..again, stressing while at Doctor's office
A Full Bladder can make the reading higher than normal
An infection can raise Blood Pressure
Heredity: my grandmother died of stroke at age 39, my mom at 61
Having a likeness for and eating too many SALTY foods

Blood Pressure Pills.........Clonodine worked well at lowering pressure but left me with no stamina
After my stroke, new doctor put me on Sular................very effective and does not affect stamina

Grasslander..........there are some vitamins that can help lower Blood Pressure:

Niaciin, Magnesium, Potassium are vitamins I take to help control my blood pressure

Click Here for several websites about treating High Blood Pressure.

Grasslander.........you really will want to keep a vigilant check on your Blood Pressure..........it can affect you adversely in several areas..........your vision and your kidneys just to name two.

Please be vigilant about following through on this with your doctor!

Good Luck!

Hugs........Sam

FUN GAY STUFF.COM

 

[grasslander]

Thanks for replying guys =D

I should have given a little more information so I apologize for that. First off, there's no history of high blood pressure or heart disease in my family so this can't be genetics.

I'm not an active person but I'm not overweight either. My sleeping schedule is awful to be honest. I sleep late and wake up late so I usually miss breakfast or wake up in time for lunch. I have a lot of vegetables in my diet and meat. I'm not the one cooking but I know my mom doesn't use a lot of salt or oil. Fruits...I don't eat on a regular basis so that could be a problem.

I don't smoke, drink or do any drugs of any kind. The only drugs right now are for seasonal allergies which shouldn't be a problem.

Now stress, I'm not too sure if I am stressed out. Maybe I am stressed and I just don't realize it because I think it's normal. There's a lot of issues with my family and my self esteem, confidence, etc are pretty low. I don't have a lot of motivation and most of the time I feel like I am responsible for certain problems. Whenever I have problems, I don't let people know because I feel I can't trust them or I don't want to be judged. Basically I keep many things to myself. Instead of going into detail, I'll just say my mental health is not too good. I'll leave this for another topic.

Anxiety...I think I am a little anxious in public especially in front of people I don't know well.

And thanks again for the suggestions and links. I'll definitely be looking for solutions and trying to get my health back

 

[tccia1]

You and some of the people who replied have mentioned the fact that your b/p might be higher because of the fact you are at the doctor and nervous, but anxiety generally only raises the systolic number (the top number)... the main reason i would be concerned is that your diastolic (bottom number) is so high.. I would definately recommend starting a treatment program and start monitoring it at home.. there is nothing good about ignoring hypertension.

 

[star-warrior]

I'd stop drinking stuff like coke or coffee, as these are high in caffeine. It's a diuretic - makes you pee. Basically, you could have high blood pressure because there isn't enough liquid in your body.

Drink plenty of liquid, 2 litres a day, is what the experts say. However, the best thing is to look at the colour of your pee. If it looks like the colour of cooking oil, it may be too concentrated. Drink enough water periodically throughout the day so that over a period of days, your pee looks watery, with only a faint hint of colour.

Beware of drinking too much water, as overdoing it can also be bad.

With enough water, you need a balanced salt intake too. This should be via your food, and try not to eat no salt at all, or too much salt. Too little salt will have bad consequences, as you will get an electrolyte imbalance. Too much, and you may risk long term heart problems amongst other things.

So, to sum up, monitor your liquid intake by considering the colour of your pee, and watch what you eat and drink too.

 

[richardPB1]

My systolic pressure always jumps at the Doctor's office. I have them take it twice within just a couple of minutes, and magically it drops significantly. Get your own monitor. Be sure to take it to the Doctor for a quick calibration. Good luck guy...

 

[HOTCOP69]

HI Grasslander. I was diagnosed with excessively high blood pressure last year, up to 180/110 at one point, and have to keep going back for regular checks and have just recently been put on double doses of my BP meds. Has your doctor recommended you have regular blood tests at all? Mine did and after a short while was told I had a condition called Polycythaemia. Basically the blood, for unknown reasons, creates more red cells than it needs causing the blood to thicken and therefore work the heart that much harder.
No other resolve seems to be forthcoming and I really think I need to change my doctor, but be aware there could very well be another reason for your high blood pressure that hasn't been diagnosed yet, so I would say you should really start pestering your GP to figure out why it's happening.

Hope you can get it sorted out

 

[WYSIWYG]

I think all the advise that has been given you is good. I would also suggest an at home BP monitor, but get the upper arm kind as my doctor says the cuff ones are inaccurate. Panasonic makes some of the more accurate ones. I have one and it is usually right on the money!

Everyone is different, so having high blood pressure at your age could happen. I would pester your GP as to why, especially if the other docs have better and different readings. If you get a BP monitor like the Panasonic one, it keeps a record of your blood pressure for a month. It is small enough for you to bring to your GP to show him. Most important is to take it during your most quite time of the day, usually first thing in the morning or late at night. Take it 3x each time and see your average!

Let us know what happens mate!

 

[grasslander]

Just a little more info. My urine is normal except for rare days when I don't drink enough water. I don't drink coffee, pop, energy drinks etc. No candy, chips, etc.

I'm hoping more exercise and fruits will help. The weather is getting warmer and my allergies should stop soon.

Again thanks for the replies and I will update on my progress

 

[jockboy01]

The workup thus far sounds good. I'd say to take your BP for a few weeks and record it. Then take it in with the readings. This will help show trends and if it is really elevated. If so, since most other things have been ruled out, it would be treated as essential (unknown cause) hypertension. The other info here about stress and exercise and weight control is good too.

 

[justarg26]

The only drugs right now are for seasonal allergies which shouldn't be a problem

This might be important...which drugs are /were you taking? Some of them can cause high blood pressure (e.g pseudoephedrine)

Also, there are some Thyroid Disorders that can elevate your BP (e.g Hyperthyroidism and also Hypothyroidism) which are not rare at all. The thyroid gland makes an hormone that when its not active enough (hypothyroidism) can make you gain weight, feel fatigued and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures. If your thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs (hyperthyroidism). Too much thyroid hormone can make you lose weight, speed up your heart rate and make you very sensitive to heat, etc.

Ask your doctor about these possibilities since you are too young to develope HBP, and we all want you to be a healthy, goodlooking guy!

 

[kzza]

The diastolic RR is the one beeing more dangerous if raised. This is the elementary pressure that is always on your system. so 100 is really high for diastolic, normal would be 60. There is a really big spectrum of medicaments avaiable, but at your age I would suggest to try it a more natural way. Sports and the right food wolud be a good start. Some people also bring their RR down by drinking coffee, but in my opinion that just changes the problem, if it even works proper.

I guess you know about the risks of this problem, so if you aren't doing any sports or if you eat mcdonals's-style change that. btw this will also solve many other health-problems, or at least make them better, you might have.

 

[PhunkSpunk]

When he took my blood pressure, it was slightly high but after about 10 minutes it was taken again and it was normal. -- This was a few years ago.

'White Coat Hypertension' is a fairly well described phenomenon.

Now here is the bad part. I just went to my doctor again and this time my blood pressure reading was 150/105. This is way higher than last time which was about 130-140. I am really worried now because I don't know what's wrong.

Has anyone been in this situation before? If you have please give me some advice. Being 19, my blood pressure should not be this high.

Those kind of readings @ 19 could indicate 'essential hypertension'. However, before I'd make that dx, I'd have to know a few things.

BTW, what was your resting pulse? If you don't know, take it yourself. Put your fingers on your neck and find the spot where you feel the pusle (real easy). Watching a clock, see how many beats you get in 15 sec, and multiply by 4.

As hypertension (HTN) is usually symptomless, have you noticed any changes? Headaches? Dizziness? etc. Also, what's your sleep like? Do you awake suddenly in the middle of the night? Do you experience daytime sleepiness/drowsiness? Have you been told you snore?

Medical history: Do you have any other medical conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, or ADHD?

Are you taking any medications on a regular basis?

Health Habits: Are you overweight? Do you exercise regularly? If so, please describe. Do you smoke? Do you drink a lot of coffee?

Do you have any 1st degree relatives (i.e. parent or sib) with a history of: High Blood pressure, Heart Attack (MI), Stroke (CVA), Type 2 (adult onset) Diabetes.

The first line of treatment for HTN is 'Lifestyle modification', i.e. Diet and exercise. The cardiovascular system is remarkably responsive to sustained, aerobic exercise: homo sapiens was built to be a long distance runner, after all. The current recs are 60-70% of maximum heart rate, 45-60 min, 4-5x/wk. That '60-70%' stuff is pretty meaningless to most people, so what I say instead is to find that level where you are sweating vigourously, but are not so winded that you can't carry on a short conversation. That's your 'zone'.

On the diet side, loosing weight usually helps reduce blood pressure. Also, keeping salt to a minimum. Become a label reader. Lot's of 'occult sodium' in processed foods!

 

[PhunkSpunk]

I'd stop drinking stuff like coke or coffee, as these are high in caffeine. It's a diuretic - makes you pee. Basically, you could have high blood pressure because there isn't enough liquid in your body.

Wrong: any agent that reduces vascular volume and cardiac afterload will improve hypertension. Think about it: the vascular space is a limited one, and fluids, like blood, are incompressible. Reduce the volume, reduce the pressure of the system. Thiazide diuretics ('water pills') are still the first line pharmacological treatment.

Drink plenty of liquid, 2 litres a day, is what the experts say.

WHAAAT!!!! Telling somebody with HTN to drink excessive amounts of water is like giving a bottle of bourbon to a cirrhotic! While it's always a good idea to stay well hydrated, hypertensives are often well advised to practice fluid restriction. The reason for this should be obvious. Your kidneys may very well be very efficient at re-absorbing water from the filtrate, which will reduce your daily requirement for fluid.

BTW, what race are you? Super-efficient kidneys have been hypothesized as being one of the factors in the epidemic of idiopathic HTN among African-Americans: their kidney's haven't figured out that they are no longer living in equatorial Africa.

 

[grasslander]

1. Resting pulse - 92 (23x4)

2. No headaches, dizziness (unless sometimes when I get up too fast I sort of get dizzy).

3. Usually I don't wake up in the middle of the night unless something in my dream woke me up. I have trouble going to sleep though. I can't get myself to stop thinking which keeps me awake. I sometimes listen to music to make myself go to sleep. Now during the day I only experience drowsiness if I am really bored and if I am in the sun, it makes me want to sleep even more.

4. No medical conditions.

5. I am not overweight bu I don't exercise regularly though. My height is 5ft 6in and I weigh about 140lbs. My weight usually hovers around 130-140lbs but a few months ago I weighed 150lbs. I don't smoke or drink any alcohol, coffee, pop etc. Mainly juice, water and milk.

6. No history of this in my family.

7. For my allergies, I use a nose spray (Nasonex, corticosteroid) and eye drops (Patanol)

8. I am chinese, don't know if that will help though.

9. Stress...I was depressed for a while (about 2-3 years) and that elevated my stress in school. Now I only go to night school so the stress should have reduced. But again, I don't talk to anyone about my problems so maybe I am stressed in ways that I am not aware of.

Hope that answers the recent questions. I will update after my next visit to my doctor.

 

[grasslander]

Good news =D

I went back for another checkup and this time my BP is 130/80

I was completely surprised and when my doctor asked me what I did different this time, I had no answer.

Now that I think about it, I did get a job and I lost about 20 lbs since May 2007.

I just hope that I can keep this up and I am definitely thinking about starting a regular exercise routine.

Anyways, thanks for the support everyone!