First Time with High Bp

[alwaysaworrier]

I went to my gp on Wednesday as I had been having a headace with about a week and just wanted to get my bp checked and general check up. When she checked my blood pressure she was surprised and told me it was high. I think what she said was 140/100. I know very little about BP and am wondering how high is that? I have to go back in one week to have it re-checked and we will know then what the story is. Of course since I heard it was high it hasn't left my mind and I am worrying about it so I know it probably will be up again next week. By the way, I am a 46 year old female. Do any of you know what my bp should be or should I be worried
Thanks

[angelface25]

Originally Posted by alwaysaworrier

I went to my gp on Wednesday as I had been having a headace with about a week and just wanted to get my bp checked and general check up. When she checked my blood pressure she was surprised and told me it was high. I think what she said was 140/100. I know very little about BP and am wondering how high is that? I have to go back in one week to have it re-checked and we will know then what the story is. Of course since I heard it was high it hasn't left my mind and I am worrying about it so I know it probably will be up again next week. By the way, I am a 46 year old female. Do any of you know what my bp should be or should I be worried
Thanks

That is a pretty high bp, A normal bp is 120/80. Everyone should be concerned about their bp , but did your doc do any further testing? Do you get nervous around doctors, it could be white coat hypertension. I've have white coat hypertension, I was put on a 24 hr. blood pressue moniter 3 different times and i had a mean average of 121/78, i had the ekg, blood work, and a kidney ultrasound. Were you really stressed before u went inot the doc? Talk to the doc about further testing.

[zuzu8]

Angelface is right about normal BP being at or below 120/80.

However, your reading is by no means urgent. As Angelface says, 140/100 at a doctor's office could be what they call "white-coat hypertension"..due to the anxiety of just being there. Plus you must have gone in already anxious because of the headaches etc.
Your doctor should monitor you for a while over a period of a few months, unless your BP really escalates.. If it is still up next week, the appropriate thing for any physician to do would be to take a basic blood panel, urinalysis, an in-office EKG (takes only a few minutes) first. If all is normal, he/she should talk to you about lifestyle modifications and changes, and send you home again before prescribing ANY MEDS. 2 elevated BP doctor's office readings "doth not hypertension make"! There are sometimes secondary causes for high blood pressure (as opposed to what is known as essential or primary hypertension, which is what most people have)...Your doc may want to run further tests for adrenal gland dysfunction and/or tumor or renal artery stenosis. Or as angelface said, try a 24-hour BP monitor on you, although I think that may be a bit precipitous at this point. Now don't panic at the word "tumor"...it's known as a pheochromocytoma, quite rare and almost always benign. Remove tumor and bye bye hypertension. However, a pheo is usually accompanied by other symptoms. Still secondary causes should always be ruled out, especially if you are under 50.

Changes that can drastically alter BP for the better are most importantly weight loss if overweight. Also extremely important...exercise regularly, (even if it's brisk walking maybe 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes) and definitely lower sodium intake to 2400mgs a day total (that's only about 1 teaspoon salt).

READ LABELS for those mgs on all packaged and baked goods, breads, cereals, canned anything, ketchups, salad dressings, mayo, sauces etc. EVERYTHING seems to be loaded with sodium these days and the less you have in your diet, the better it is for BP. Lose the salt shaker. It's REALLY hard but one can get used to it within three weeks if you're vigilent. Lemon juice helps...so does garlic and any other seasoning you want.
Eat less fat. Cook fresh from scratch when possible. More fish and chicken than meat. Lots of fruit and vegetables.
ALSO cessation of smoking, less alcohol, less caffeine in any form.

If secondary hypertension has been ruled out and you adopt these changes, if, after a few months, your BP remains up, THEN and only then do you start talking medication.

If your doc wants to monitor you over a couple of months it would be a good idea to buy your own BP home monitor. Home readings are very important. True hypertension is when your BP is elevated and REMAINS so even in a relaxed environment and at rest.

Anyway, your #s right now are no cause for panic. You are really in a watch-wait-and-see mode.

My Rx for what it's worth for this week is try to R-E-L-A-X.

zuzu xxx

[crabbyroad]

Anyway, your #s right now are no cause for panic. You are really in a watch-wait-and-see mode.

Zuzu is so right. Zuzu and Zip have helped me tremendously, I realize that practically the whole population will be on BP meds as they age, but I too got so freaked out over a reading like yours, your ID fits my mentality too. Im 41 and was surprised at mine, but he waited a week to check it again, however I worried constantly over it, was ok at home (BIG INDICATION your true BP) and very anxious at the doctor, especially the following visit, well of course it was up from me even thinking about it! And meds followed, long story short, I was put eventually on two BP meds, and after I quit obessing over my BP, it dropped in the 90's/50's range, very indicative that it was anxiety, and was told to drop one med and continue to just monitor it. Its amazing how just smoking within 15 mins can raise your BP, or even taking cold medicines will cause your BP to rise. As Zuzu stated, your definitely not in a crisis, your doctor is doing the right thing, please walk off the nervous energy, just watch what you eat and try to relax.

Crabby

[alwaysaworrier]

Oh thank you all for your replies. I actually was a bit stressed out the previous week as my son was doing college exams and wasn't very happy with them and I think I was more worried than he was. He actually expects to pass them but found them hard but of course my mind went into "overtime" thinking what if he fails them after all his hard work - he is a great guy! I do think that may have been part of it.
I am a smoker and did have a cig before going into the doctor so I was amazed to hear that could actually raise your bp. I am not a big time smoker (big enough I suppose 10/15 a day) but I am going to try now and give up or at least cut down. I don't exercise but last evening went for a 4mile walk (on doctors advice) which I will definately keep up. She also told me to cut out salt which I will do. I am not overweigh so that should be in my favour also. Again, i want to thank you all for your replies - i was so scared, I probably will still be in a panic before I go back for next reading but hopefully it will be ok.
Thanks again.