someone explain blood pressure please.

[Brandi]

Can someone explain how it works. I ask this because on sat my blood pressure was high. 149 over 82. I have seen it as low as 115 over 72. I have anxiety problems right now that I am getting under control. But if my pressure is high one day and not the next should I be concerned. Can your pressure be up one week and then be normal the next?
This morning I took it about 20 minutes after I woke up and it was 124 over 73. I have been almost staying completly away from coffee ( I have 1 cup in the morning, I had not had my coffee yet this morning when I took it).
My dh was worried on sat but then it seemed to calm down.We have a blood pressure cuff cause dh had a problem some years ago and now takes med's. So we monitor him every so often.

[mimitabby]

Stress definitely can make it go up. It has to do with the flexibility of your veins and arteries. Dr's are most helpful here. I suggest you talk to one, that IS high

[Brandi]

Well that is funny Mimi! I was just at the Dr's last week and it was 140 over 80. They seemed to think it was cause I was nervouse. And up until lately my pressure was really good. Then this anxiety hit and has thrown me off somewhat.

[guanajagirl]

In short blood pressure measures the pressure in you arteries when your heart is contracted ( the top number)or systolic and then when your heart is relaxed ( the bottom number) or diastolic. Pain, stress, coffee and soda's and your arteries can def' have a effect on your bp. It is a good sign that its not always high. Track your blood pressure for a few weeks and see if you can trace the times when its high to periods of high stress or dietary habits. If so make some changes in those areas and see if it makes a difference. If not or it stays high ( and really most of the cardiologist i work with dont get concerned unless its high 140-150 systolic bp sustained.), then see your doctor again. Hope this helps!

[Kimmyt]

I know mine is very variable depending on the situation. With doctors, many times it will be high. Once they recommended I get blood tests done if it was high two visits in a row, because it was high, but then the next time it was fine. THey even suggested it was the stress of being at a doctor. I just had it taken a week ago and again it was high, but I had just been running around and doing errands beforehand and fighting traffic to get to my appt on time, so I think it was stress there too. I had it taken several months before and the lady said I had near perfect blood pressure so I am just going to keep an eye on it and see if it is high again in the near future.

K.

[Tokie]

It's a good idea to check your BP in a consistent fashion. (same time of day,perhaps in am before breakfast?) Make sure your arm is relaxed and supported on something at about the same level as your heart. Sorry for all your stresses - you do need some cute PJs! (retail therapy, my favorite next to cycling!) Tokie

[Brandi]

Thank you very much. I will track it! I have been really. But I don't want to obsessive either.

[sundial]

I was just at the Dr's last week and it was 140 over 80. They seemed to think it was cause I was nervouse.

Maybe you suffer from White Coat Anxiety.

Brandi, I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on t.v., but......when I was in menopause, my blood pressure was up one week and down the next. After I had my hysterectomy, my blood pressure settled back down and now it's the lowest since my 20's.

[LoriO]

I suffer from high blood pressure and yes, stress will definatly cause your blood pressure to go up. My BP was always through the roof while I was at the DR's office so I finally started checking at home on my own. While it was still high at home, it was no where near where it was at the DR's. So I know for a fact I suffer from white coat syndrome.

I have been on BP meds for about 2 years now and with a better diet and more excercise it has come down quite a bit. I used to be on 2 different BP meds and now I am down to just one and it is a very low dose.

Unfortunatly my job is a huge contributing factor to my high BP. I'm a 911 dispatcher and I work midnights. So I'm problaby stuck taking the meds until the day I finally am able to leave my job

Just check your BP regularly and don't always do it at the same time every time. Try and pick a couple different times during the day and rotate through those times when you do your checks. Say one day at 1pm, another day at 6pm, and maybe one more day in morning. While your BP may be low in the morning when you first get up, it may be high by the afternoon once the daily stress has a chance to kick in.

[Crankin]

Brandi, I was in the same situation as you last summer when I was having stress from health problems. My bp was like 150 over 90! It's usually low or normal. They even had me on medication for a month or two.
Everything everyone said is true; what helped me was meditation. Also, when I do go to the doctor, I don't have any coffee and I don't walk fast from the parking lot, or climb the 6 flights of stairs as I usually would.
My bp is now at 110-115 over 70 and has been for months.
You might want to track your resting HR also. When I was really anxious, mine was sky high in the morning when I woke up and one time when I went to the doctor just sitting there, it was 115. I knew it was stress and coffee, since my HR, while not super low is low enough that doctors usually ask if I'm an "athlete."