Hello all.
I have had high blood pressure now for about a year. My doctors are a little baffled. I do not drink,do drugs,smoke. I am not on any medications. I excersize regularly and my job is physically demanding. My diet is better than most of my friends my age. Since learning of my high blood pressure, I have cut my salt intake by more than half. I stopped eating fast foods(not that I was a frequent flyer of deep fried airlines anyways). I have cut out eggs in the morning and replaced them with a bowl of oatmeal and two fish oil capsules a day. One cup of coffee in the morning. I do tend to drink around 3 20oz bottles of soda a day(caffeinated). I am generally a well rounded emotional person without any major psychological issues. I went to the doctors for a routine checkup and my bp was 190 over 92. I was sitting down on the table and had been there resting for 20 minutes. My family does not have a history of high bp.
Should I be concerned and or ask my doc to run some tests?
He did draw blood to test my thyroid and it came back a okay.
What should I do?
Thank you,
Ryan
That is a high reading and needs attention. Do you take your BP at home? You need to know if BP is always high or just at the Dr's office? Take a reading morning, afternoon and evening at home for several days and see if it's always high. Relax for 5 minutes before a reading. What is your lowest home reading?
You are drinking way too much caffeine. Start drinking water instead of sodas. It's tough to break the soda habit I know. I used to drink two soda's a day. Now I drink lots of water and a variety of decaf green teas. To make the transition easier to water/teas, start with vitamin or carb water so you have lots of flavor, to make transition easier. Switch to decaf coffee.
Did Dr not suggest BP meds? Or did you decline?
If always above 160/90, you need to take aggressive action. Cut the caffeine now. Take daily BP readings to see if that helped. If not, take more action. Do research to find supplements known to lower BP. One of the most powerful I know is pomegranate juice. Just as powerful as BP ACE med!:
"They were given an ounce of pomegranate juice each day for a year. Not only did study participants' blood pressure lower by over 20 percent , but there was a 30 percent reduction in atherosclerotic plaque." - Dr Furhman
What if, instead of soda, you drank pomegranate juice each day? Who knows you might get same results. I haven't done so yet but I plan to (I'm trying other things first)
Last edited by easygoingguy; 02-22-2012 at 08:03 PM.
Great to cut back on caffeine, but from what Ive read, if youre a chronic caffeine user, it is unlikely to have much effect on your blood pressure. Certainly if your BP is 190, its not the cause of a 70 mmHg elevation in systolic pressure.
Developing hypertension at your age is not as uncommon. There are several folks on this board, including myself, who developed at your age or younger, with a similar background as you describe.
You doctor should decide if you require a workup for secondary causes of hypertension. You might inquire to push him/her if you like:
- hyperaldosteronism
- renal artery stenosis
- Coarctation fo the aorta
- intrinsic renal disease - start with a urinalysis
If I were you, Id push for some testing somewhat, just because you could be one of the few who have a secondary cause, but the odds are you have essential hypertension.
You mentioned that you were "sitting on the table for about 20 minutes, resting there" before your BP was taken. Were your feet dangling off the exam table and was your arm hanging at your side when your BP was taken? I ask because these are incorrect ways to measure BP. A lot of doctors/nurses do this and the readings are not accurate, but they seem oblivious. I went to the doctor last week and the assistant taking my BP was asking me questions while my BP was being taken. I told him I shouldn't be talking and he said "sorry" but recorded the BP reading anyway. It was 147/87! Anxiety from being at the doctor's office and talking elevated it When I got home and relaxed, my BP was 122/78. These things can really make a difference, so be sure to take your BP at home and keep a record to show the doctor on your next visit. Take care
The Following User Says Thank You to rudiraven For This Useful Post: Ms_T (02-23-2012)
When I got home and relaxed, my BP was 122/78. These things can really make a difference, so be sure to take your BP at home and keep a record to show the doctor on your next visit. Take care 
