Question about High Blood Pressure

[jacg89]

(I have not checked my blood pressure since I went to the doctor over a year ago, so I don't know how long I have had this....) I am female, 26 years old, I am 5'8 and weigh 175 lbs(i have gained about 20lb. in the past 6-7 months) I am not really stressed but about 6 days ago I was very upset. I usually eat fast food 1-3 times per week.

 

Yesterday I was at the supermarket and passed by the pharmacy and decided to take my blood pressure.

It said 121/82 which is high normal (prehypertension) so I started to worry and immediately started eating healthy.

 

About a half hour after dinner, I took my bp again as we had to go back to the store anyway. I had a grilled chicken salad with apples, walnuts and raspberry vinagrette.. it went up to 133/84.

This morning a half hour after I woke up I checked again & it went up again to 134/90 Stage 1 Hypertension with 94 heartbeats per minute. I did not drink or eat anything.

Breakfast I had a NutriBullet shake with lots of veggies & fruit and egg whites. I also have been taking fish oil vitamins and drinking lots of water since yesterday.

 

I am worried as my bp keeps going up every time I take it. I made a doctors appt for next week but I would really like to get my bp down before then as I am very worried and a hypercondriact. (spelling?)

 

Any tips or advice? If I keep eating clean/low sodium/low carbs & work out how many days/weeks can I expect for it to go back to normal?

 

Thank you for your advice!

Edited July 31, 2015 by jacg89

[kenmore]

Don't worry. Your BP from what you posted is not that high and certainly not alarmingly high.

 

Certainly you will want to keep eating right (especially low fat foods) and exercising.

 

To answer your question, yes getting enough exercise works wonders for BP. Heart-healthy exercises like walking or jogging, bike riding, swimming, tennis etc.

 

I have been aware of my elevated BP since my late 30s when I had an episode so bad it landed me in the hospital. If unchecked, mine can go as high as 160/100 and it affects my brain (may be mini-strokes or perhaps the pressure just affects me somehow but I have not had a problem since starting BP meds.)

 

At first, my Dr told me to keep a log of my BP, so I took it every few hours every day for a couple of months. Here's what I found:

 

It was the highest immediately after exercise. It was higher after eating. It was higher in mid-afternoon than any other time of the day. It was usually low when I woke up and low if I had any alcohol (but rebounded higher the next day.)

 

So it's very normal for it to fluctuate. It won't noticeably go higher with the passing days over the span of time you are talking about. It will likely continue to rise as the years go by, and you need to keep an eye on it, but you happened to coincidentally check it as it naturally progressed up during your day, as alarming as that is, unless you have a very serious heart condition and may drop dead tomorrow, it was just that, a coincidence.

 

I would suggest buying a good arm cuff type BP meter for yourself. I check mine around every couple of weeks, but get lax. I take my meds on time every day and until I notice a disturbing trend probably won't hype about it.

 

Also, keep in mind that when you are worried about it, that raises your BP too so it's really good advice to relax.

 

So, what were you so upset about last week?

[RoseVille]

Stress can raise BP and if you're anxious about your BP you could be throwing the results off.

[jacg89]

Don't worry. Your BP from what you posted is not that high and certainly not alarmingly high.

 

Certainly you will want to keep eating right (especially low fat foods) and exercising.

 

To answer your question, yes getting enough exercise works wonders for BP. Heart-healthy exercises like walking or jogging, bike riding, swimming, tennis etc.

 

I have been aware of my elevated BP since my late 30s when I had an episode so bad it landed me in the hospital. If unchecked, mine can go as high as 160/100 and it affects my brain (may be mini-strokes or perhaps the pressure just affects me somehow but I have not had a problem since starting BP meds.)

 

At first, my Dr told me to keep a log of my BP, so I took it every few hours every day for a couple of months. Here's what I found:

 

It was the highest immediately after exercise. It was higher after eating. It was higher in mid-afternoon than any other time of the day. It was usually low when I woke up and low if I had any alcohol (but rebounded higher the next day.)

 

So it's very normal for it to fluctuate. It won't noticeably go higher with the passing days over the span of time you are talking about. It will likely continue to rise as the years go by, and you need to keep an eye on it, but you happened to coincidentally check it as it naturally progressed up during your day, as alarming as that is, unless you have a very serious heart condition and may drop dead tomorrow, it was just that, a coincidence.

 

I would suggest buying a good arm cuff type BP meter for yourself. I check mine around every couple of weeks, but get lax. I take my meds on time every day and until I notice a disturbing trend probably won't hype about it.

 

Also, keep in mind that when you are worried about it, that raises your BP too so it's really good advice to relax.

 

So, what were you so upset about last week?

 

I appreciate your thorough response and shedding some light and being familiar with it..

however when i checked this morning it did say stage 1 hypertension.. that is NOT normal.... I will keep checking it though, and hopefully with me eating better the numbers will go down back to 'normal' range..

I also feel kinda dizzy when I stand up/walk around..

but I'll talk to my doctor about it next Thursday haha

I was upset last week because of some family problems. Unfortunately my mother is homeless and has been since she broke up with her bf of 18 years, which was a very abusive relationship. Every time I see her I get hysterical and cry and get so upset, so that was last week. She is trying to better herself though so hopefully things will turn around soon. I'm just very emotional.

[jacg89]

Just checked again.... 133/98

[RoseVille]

Are you on the BC pill? It raises BP.

[kenmore]

I appreciate your thorough response and shedding some light and being familiar with it..

however when i checked this morning it did say stage 1 hypertension.. that is NOT normal.... I will keep checking it though, and hopefully with me eating better the numbers will go down back to 'normal' range..

I also feel kinda dizzy when I stand up/walk around..

but I'll talk to my doctor about it next Thursday haha

I was upset last week because of some family problems. Unfortunately my mother is homeless and has been since she broke up with her bf of 18 years, which was a very abusive relationship. Every time I see her I get hysterical and cry and get so upset, so that was last week. She is trying to better herself though so hopefully things will turn around soon. I'm just very emotional.

 

You're very welcome.

 

I'm so sorry about your mother and yes, that is very stressful! Check her BP when you get a meter, it's probably through the roof!

 

BTW, don't think having your own meter is inaccurate, it's all the same except: Some automatic meters can be inaccurate and avoid wrist meters since they depend too much on the elevation of your wrist. If you use one, be sure to make your wrist the same elevation as your heart. I tested my old one and from all the way down by my thigh compared to all the way up by my head measured 190/120 and 50/40 respectively (from memory but it's not an exaggeration.) Obviously a huge difference caused by elevation. Make sure your feet are firmly planted levelly on the ground, your arm rested on a table and be calm. If it's too high, relax and try again LOL!!!

 

Seriously, it's "resting blood pressure" so it's fair to get a lower reading as long as you don't cheat by raising your arm! If you are stressed, just went up a flight of stairs, just ate or had sex etc. It will be high!

 

Not normal, welcome to getting old (sorry.) You are not old, in fact my "baby daughter" is just a couple of years younger than you! Basically, get used to this sh*t, but FYI, I had high cholesterol in my 30's and it's just fine now! go figure. To be honest and I know this is reckless, I'd suggest getting a GOOD BP meter, keeping track for awhile and averaging it out before bothering your Dr. Seriously, the numbers you read off are not serious. Mine is in the 135/90 range with my BP meds and my Dr gives me a high five!

 

Hugs! I hope it goes well for you but I think you should not worry too much about it. If you lose weight and maintain exercise as you mentioned, it will go down. Definitely buy a meter (I recommend a manual one with stethescope and a bulb for applying pressure, it tells you SO MUCH MORE than an automatic one and there are no batteries) and just be calm. Cut your salt intake down too, but my own observation of this is it's a short-term solution. Also, it makes your food really bland!

 

Ken

[kenmore]

Just checked again.... 133/98

 

Keep an eye on that lower number. The higher one indicates your risk of stroke ( a high peak may rupture a vessel) but a high lower number (which will raise the higher one because your pressure is higher before your heart beats) indicates a potential blockage in an artery. That's a real concern!

 

Ken

[MidwestUSA]

(I have not checked my blood pressure since I went to the doctor over a year ago, so I don't know how long I have had this....) I am female, 26 years old, I am 5'8 and weigh 175 lbs(i have gained about 20lb. in the past 6-7 months) I am not really stressed but about 6 days ago I was very upset. I usually eat fast food 1-3 times per week.

 

Yesterday I was at the supermarket and passed by the pharmacy and decided to take my blood pressure.

It said 121/82 which is high normal (prehypertension) so I started to worry and immediately started eating healthy.

 

About a half hour after dinner, I took my bp again as we had to go back to the store anyway. I had a grilled chicken salad with apples, walnuts and raspberry vinagrette.. it went up to 133/84.

This morning a half hour after I woke up I checked again & it went up again to 134/90 Stage 1 Hypertension with 94 heartbeats per minute. I did not drink or eat anything.

Breakfast I had a NutriBullet shake with lots of veggies & fruit and egg whites. I also have been taking fish oil vitamins and drinking lots of water since yesterday.

 

I am worried as my bp keeps going up every time I take it. I made a doctors appt for next week but I would really like to get my bp down before then as I am very worried and a hypercondriact. (spelling?)

 

Any tips or advice? If I keep eating clean/low sodium/low carbs & work out how many days/weeks can I expect for it to go back to normal?

 

Thank you for your advice!

 

The hypochondriasis is a bigger problem than your BP. You don't get your BP down immediately by changing your next meal. Nor is it going to be different when you see the doctor next week.

 

My guess is that your readings weren't accurate, and you're driving your number up just thinking about it. Don't trust the supermarket machines.

 

And 121/82 is hardly high normal. It's perfectly normal. Get a grip on your anxiety, it's oozing out of your posts!

[Hope Shimmers]

It's hard to tell from your numbers but you are trending towards this being a concern. Especially that last reading, but please understand that ONE reading really means nothing and you need to look at a series of readings over a period of time.

 

First let me tell you to please stop worrying. Your readings aren't high enough that you have risk of stroking out. Hypertension causes damage, but over time (much more time than a couple of weeks). So don't panic, okay?

 

Do you have a family history of hypertension? You are young.

 

Glad you made an appointment with your physician. If he/she can document that most of your readings around in the range of the last one you posted, then you will be put on medication. The diastolic reading (last number) in particular is too high. But with current guidelines, both numbers are too high with most of the results you noted in your posts.

 

The automatic BP machines have questionable accuracy. Get yourself a GOOD blood pressure monitor that you can use at home. NOT a wrist one; they are not accurate.

 

Your blood pressure won't change based on your diet on a day-to-day basis. A better diet and exercise, over time, leads to weight loss and cardiovascular fitness so it is much more of a long-term process. At your weight and height, I am guessing your physician will encourage some weight loss too.

 

Bottom line is that you are doing the right thing by taking active measures now, but don't worry too much - it is the long haul that matters.

[Clarence_Boddicker]

You have to be consistent & in a relaxed state. Use the same machine & take your bp at the same time periods of the day. Your bp naturally raises as the day goes on. How's your family history? What meds are you on? What's your BMI range? What's your cholesterol numbers?

[Hope Shimmers]

Her BMI is around 27 which is in the overweight range (she gave her height and weight in the original post), and her cholesterol values have absolutely nothing to do with this post regarding her blood pressure.

[jacg89]

Thank you all for your replies and advice I really appreciate it.

 

I am not as freaked out about it today because after my crazy reading at the supermarket, i went to a different machine and tried again... like 3x. the numbers were not normal, but they were not crazy numbers like my previous test just a few minutes before that. One of those machines is inaccurate. lol.

 

Day 3 of eating reallllllyyy healthy. like egg whites, grilled chicken/veggies, low sodium, etc I really need to lose a few pounds too so I hope this works out.

[kenmore]

The hypochondriasis is a bigger problem than your BP. You don't get your BP down immediately by changing your next meal. Nor is it going to be different when you see the doctor next week.

 

My guess is that your readings weren't accurate, and you're driving your number up just thinking about it. Don't trust the supermarket machines.

 

And 121/82 is hardly high normal. It's perfectly normal. Get a grip on your anxiety, it's oozing out of your posts!

 

The gist of this is true, but I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the readings at the supermarket are totally wrong just because you get different readings on different machines. I had the nurse at Kaiser take my BP last time and it was high, but I had just walked up the stairs. I told her that and she said just sit there for a few minutes and we'll take it again. Sure enough after five minutes it dropped almost ten points.

 

Which brings up another thing, if you just walk into a store sit down and take a reading, it will be higher because you were just walking. You need to make sure you are still (you can be standing, but not walking) for awhile. Of course be seated when taking the reading.

 

The reason I recommend a stethoscope type is because you can control the rate at which you release the pressure and you can hear it. It can be very accurate. The automatic ones are easy and fast, but I feel the pressure is released too quickly. I can feel my blood pumping past it and the release is dropping maybe five to ten PSI between beats. I don't feel it can get an accurate reading.

 

But Midwest is right, the first reading was very good, I'd be happy to have that reading, and worrying about it isn't helping...but worrying won't kill you too quickly either.

[kenmore]

...and good luck with your diet!

[RoseVille]

Cholesterol ***is*** linked to high blood pressure, among other diseases.

 

When the arteries become hardened and narrowed with cholesterol plaque and calcium, the heart has to strain much harder to pump blood through them. As a result, blood pressure becomes abnormally high.

 

So, yes, lowering cholesterol can improve high BP.

 

Also, your BP *can* change from day to day based on the sodium in your diet, as well as stress and pain levels. Mine fluctuates a great deal based on these factors from 110/70 to 140/100.

[Hope Shimmers]

Cholesterol ***is*** linked to high blood pressure, among other diseases.

 

When the arteries become hardened and narrowed with cholesterol plaque and calcium, the heart has to strain much harder to pump blood through them. As a result, blood pressure becomes abnormally high.

 

So, yes, lowering cholesterol can improve high BP.

 

Also, your BP *can* change from day to day based on the sodium in your diet, as well as stress and pain levels. Mine fluctuates a great deal based on these factors from 110/70 to 140/100.

 

Both true. However at her age and mostly borderline hypertension readings it's extremely unlikely that is contributing, unless she has some kind of familial thing going on. But they will definitely check cholesterol.

 

Sodium of course can increase blood pressure and it's good that OP is limiting it. Typically though it doesn't contribute in a huge way unless the previous diet was VERY high in sodium and it is almost totally restricted. Fact is, most people with hypertension can't control it with diet alone. Diet AND weight loss, yes.

[RoseVille]

I had her BP at her age and BMI, and was able to improve it with diet alone. It's amazing how much sodium can sneak into your diet, especially if you eat a lot of convenience (frozen, fast) foods. My cholesterol levels also improved, and when they increase, so does my BP. So it's not appropriate to say her cholesterol levels have nothing to do with her BP. They likely are related.

[Hope Shimmers]

I had her BP at her age and BMI, and was able to improve it with diet alone. It's amazing how much sodium can sneak into your diet, especially if you eat a lot of convenience (frozen, fast) foods. My cholesterol levels also improved, and when they increase, so does my BP. So it's not appropriate to say her cholesterol levels have nothing to do with her BP. They likely are related.

 

I'm sorry to have offended you.

 

My point was that I am glad she made an appointment with her physician and I was trying to prepare her for the most likely scenario that she may be put on meds IF the blood pressure readings are verified. High cholesterol is considered to be a significant risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease (and so is hypertension) but that is because of the long-term mechanism of development of atherosclerosis (described in your linked article). But hey, maybe in you, blood pressure and cholesterol levels are linked more acutely for some reason.

[RoseVille]

Her BMI is around 27 which is in the overweight range (she gave her height and weight in the original post), and her cholesterol values have absolutely nothing to do with this post regarding her blood pressure.

 

You didn't "offend me." You just made a statement, quoted above, that is not accurate.

[Hope Shimmers]

You didn't "offend me." You just made a statement, quoted above, that is not accurate.

 

That's why I added "IN THIS POST". Everyone knows that cholesterol and blood pressure are both related to cardiovascular disease.

 

I think the OP got my meaning, but just in case she didn't, I'll rephrase that sentence:

 

"For purposes of this thread, I don't think your cholesterol levels are likely relevant to the issue of your slightly elevated blood pressure, but since it is a risk factor I'm sure your physician will check those."

 

Hope that's better.

[RoseVille]

That's why I added "IN THIS POST". Everyone knows that cholesterol and blood pressure are both related to cardiovascular disease.

I think the OP got my meaning, but just in case she didn't, I'll rephrase that sentence:

 

"For purposes of this thread, I don't think your cholesterol levels are likely relevant to the issue of your slightly elevated blood pressure, but since it is a risk factor I'm sure your physician will check those."

 

Hope that's better.

 

No, "everyone" doesn't know that, or anything else for that matter.

 

That said, I wasn't discussing BP or cholesterol being related to cardiovascular disease. I was discussing BP and cholesterol's relation to each other, which in your previous post that I quoted, made it sound as though they were not related. The two posters before you mentioned high cholesterol as potential causes of her high BP, and your response to them was that her cholesterol would have nothing to do with her BP.

 

But obviously, the two are linked. Where there is high cholesterol, high BP will usually be found as well. So to dismiss her cholesterol as being a cause or contributing factor, as you did, is confusing to people reading.

[MidwestUSA]

I missed the weight/BMI in your first post, OP.

 

Keep eating healthy and good luck dropping a few pounds. As others have said, you will do yourself a world of good! I dropped my cholesterol 30 points by eating Cheerios every time I wanted Doritos. It will help, and as you get more active, you'll feel better and better.

 

Best wishes!

[RoseVille]

I missed the weight/BMI in your first post, OP.

 

Keep eating healthy and good luck dropping a few pounds. As others have said, you will do yourself a world of good! I dropped my cholesterol 30 points by eating Cheerios every time I wanted Doritos. It will help, and as you get more active, you'll feel better and better.

 

Best wishes!

 

You just performed a miracle. I'm craving Cheerios!

[MidwestUSA]

You just performed a miracle. I'm craving Cheerios!

 

 

Awesome! I kid you not, after a while I didn't even miss the Doritos. Dropped from 199 to 170!

 

I think oatmeal will do the same for you. Anything oats. Maybe that's how the phrase 'healthy as a horse' came to be.