Blood Pressure Readings

DH has white coat hypertension and so takes his BP on his home Omicrom BP monitor. In the paperwork it says to sit for 15 minutes and relax before taking BP. He takes 5 readings over a period of time and takes the average as being the one he reports. He has had astronomical BP before but meds seem to keep under control now.

Yep, it’s called white coat syndrome and the nurse at our surgery does a couple of readings if it seems high.

NanaPlenty

I’ve found the answer is before the reading is taken spend five minutes sitting doing some deep breathing, in for six, hold for hold for four, out for six or more if you can. It’s amazing what this does.

This is what I do. And not directly after eating.

What do you term as Normal, Prehypertension and Hypertension blood pressure. ?
Mine can be 180/109 first thing in the morning and then it can drop during the day to 88/44.

I can only say what’s right for me, and it doesn’t really vary over 24 hours as the drugs are taken at intervals.

I’m not normal though

I’m not sure why people are getting so upset about having it taken, I’ve had worse medical procedures …

I think that's what is called labile blood pressure Maywalk. Like mine, it jumps all over the place. I did ask the doctor if it was worse for being so volatile, but he said it was better than being constantly high.

Mine could be because of my age Josie.
I will be 92 in May and started with seizures at the age of 80 and now on Epileptic meds, plus having a pacemaker fitted at the age of 82.

Mine could be because of my age Josie.
I'm about 30 years behind you, but mine has been misbehaving since my 20s and gave a few unnecessary scares during pregnancies! I just accept it's unpredictable now.

Well, further to my taking my BP readings for 2 weeks- 2nd week much better and closer to normal readings than the first btw- I dropped the diaries into the surgery on Tuesday.
Had a phone call this morning from there to book an appt for an ECG, blood tests, and BP reading in 2 weeks time.
My BP will be sky high by then as I'm already getting anxious about the whole thing-hardly ever been to the drs (apart from the odd sore throat,UTI and usual womens' screenings) in the last 20+ years, so am finding all this quite alarming.
I know its most likely preventative and I should be thankful, but I do worry over what might be found. I'm in my early 60's and have been more anxious about health and my age these past 2 years than ever before. Sorry for the whinge but needed to get my thoughts out.

Don't panic, mamaa It was just "a bit high" You are a worrier, and your BP goes up on sight of a doctor or nurse - they are used to patients like you!

High blood pressure is one of the things that usually respond well to treatment, and there are very few people whose BP doesn't go up as they reach their 50s and 60s. If they find that yours has too, you should be happy that it is now detected and will be treated - that is far better than having it soar undetected!

Even if it stays "a bit high" they are very unlikely to "find" something terrifying that can't be treated. You would be prescribed suitable medication and life-style advice (the usual - don't smoke, watch diet, walk more, worry less) and then checked at intervals.

You would have joined the "elderly" pressurised majority!

Elegran ‘s advice is what I would have said too mamaa.
I started with one med. for BP at 55 years and another added at about 60.
Like you I was alarmed but when you realise it affects a lot of people in your age group, you gradually will stop feeling so “odd” and alarmed I hope.
I know it’s easy for me to say “don’t worry” and it’s so hard to do. ?

Thankyou Elegran and TillyTrotter for taking the time to reply to my post and I appreciate your kind words.
I think I was just taken aback by the fact that from having hardly any interaction with the surgery for years before Covid restricted many from doing so, I'm now about to have an ECG, blood tests etc which came as a shock.
Tbh I thought they'd call me in, we'd discuss diet/lifetstyle, medication etc and then I'd be monitored regularly.
I seemed to have gone from nothing to these tests- and while I'm grateful to have been offered them it has all come as rather surprising considering I have had no discussion with any health professional about my readings and the 'whys and wherefores' of the next appointment apart from the receptionist this morning who booked me in.

At the moment none of us seem to have as much time just talking to our GPs as we would like. I keep hoping that it is a temporary thing and will sort itself out once CoVid retreats into being just another annoyance, but the future is unpredictable.

Off to get my BP reader out ….

Oopsadaisy1

I’m the same, I’m doing a weeks worth of BP readings , take one reading - then 5 mins later do another, after a couple of days you should have calmed down and BP readings should have gone back to whatever is your ‘normal’.
I’m doing it morning and night, but wait for 30 minutes after having a hot drink.

I am at the same stage as you oops Initial reading was over 200bpm.
I sit calmly for 15mins reading a book before taking a reading.

Initially started on 5mg Ramapril, readings still too high. Another 2.5mgs prescribed, 24hr monitor. Blood results all clear this morning but readings are still all over the place. Due to see our Practice Nurse again next week.

My surgery has a bp machine in the waiting room, if you use the machine when you arrive at the surgery the result is nearly off the scale! Having waited and rested for 10-15 minutes before seeing the nurse bp is then registers far lower on her machine. Absolute waste of money (£3,000) and time.