High blood pressure

[GYDA]

Anybody else been told they've got high blood pressure? I've been to the doctors a few times for other problems and always had my blood pressure done while im there but he's never told me the results - presuming because im nervous and anxious as hell when im at the doctors so he just sees it as a false reading. But on Friday my work had a first aid course going on where we all had our blood tests done, i'm 22 and i had three readings, 140/74, 147/76, 153/78. The guy told me mine was absolutley fine and that if the bottom ones under 90 then you've got nothing to worry about, but then I took to google to see for myself cause im an idiot who can't help himself haha. Most websites say doctors like the top number to be 120 or under, with 140 or over considered high blood pressure, which is obviously the category i'm in.

I've looked up information on how to bring it down, and one of the ways is to reduce stress, now we're all anxiety sufferers so that's not easy and i wonder how much that has a part of to play in my blood pressure reading! I could do with cutting ready meals out my diet, but I already excercise maybe 3-4 times a week so just a bit worried how i've got high blood pressure when I lead a fairly healthy lifestyles and im 22. Blood pressure is meant to increase with age so who knows what it's going to be when i'm 50-60.

Just don't want to become obsessed with it like anxiety suffers tend to do with any illness, i don't want to check it every day or worry about what it's doing to my heart etc. blaaaa! ahah btw i had my blood pressure done at christmas 2012 and i found the sheet of paper with the result on and it was 135/75 so i was still quiet high back then but not over the 'high blood pressure' mark.

[surpassit]

Hey Gyda,

I also went to the doctor about 3 weeks ago and I had a Blood pressure reading if 141/91. Like you, I go to the gym often (6 times a week) and am confused to why mine would be that high. My docter said it was due to my anxiety since im not that overweight. So I think anxiety is our problem and/or our diet. Any sort of caffeine would raise your bp higher than normal.

You should get it checked again in about 2 weeks just to keep an eye on it. No need to stress.

[Fourteen14]

Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day, and will spike when you are anxious.

Doctors are mainly concerned with the lower of the two numbers (diastolic pressure) and should ideally be around 80.

There are also 2 points to bear in mind.

1. Many people have what is referred to as "white coat syndrome" meaning that doctors or medical tests and procedures cause a burst of anxiety (and subsequently adrenaline) and your BP shoots up.

2. If you are using a home machine, throw it in the bin, they are useless. You can take 20 readings one after the other and they will all differ .

I've done it myself, the minute I put the cuff on I go from normal to clinically fatal in a matter of minutes.

If I keep taking it over and over and over calming myself down each time, it is bang on normal.

High blood pressure is only diagnosed from continuous high readings (higher than those you have given).

[GYDA]

thanks for the replies you two!

I'm getting myself in an absolute mess unfortuantly googling non stop about it :( about 3 hours ago i did 5 blood pressure readings on the home blood pressure kit, it was

146/73 - 74
138/68 - 69
149/65 - 62
147/69 - 66
140/64 - 66

last number been the pulse.

turns out the two numbers been so far is not good either, they should be around 40 difference between the two. this is pulse pressure, well obviosly mines like 80-85 pulse pressure, crazily high! says it could be down to a leaky valve in my heart or a heart murmur but ive had like 5 ecg's and one stress ecg, as well as the doc listen to my chest for a murmur. get myself into such a mess over this stuff, im only 22 and ive got high blood pressure and high pulse pressure, great. another trip to the doctors tomorrow it is, off on holiday to disney world on friday and i really don't want this to ruin it :(

[Fourteen14]

You took all the readings in a row? And stressed ?

There is no wonder.

As I mentioned the home kit is unreliable. Your systolic pressure is slightly higher most likely due to anxiety.

Your diastolic pressure is low not high

And your pulse rate is perfect.

Stop stressing and go enjoy the theme parks !

Ps at 22 years old it's highly unlikely you have any problems with BP or your heart. If you have had ECG in the last few years it's highly likely caused by stress.

Mine has been as high as 185/91 with a heart rate of 110 on the home monitor.

It's 124/78 pulse of 68 on the days I am calm enough to take a reading without anxiety.

Check with your doc if you are worried. If anything they will give you peace of mind :)

[GYDA]

yeah i took all the readings in a row, i did it earlier when i felt i was relaxed but im not sure whether the systolic stays a tad higher than normal even when your resting if your having a stressful day/week.

yeah my diastolic is not high but its a bit low. why's theres an 80+ gap in between my blood pressure numbers, its not normal according to google and it looks to be looked into :/ yeah ive had about 3 ecg's due to chest pains etc, all came back clear so wrote it down as anxiety, had a stress ecg too that came back normal but maybe i need the ultrasound of the heart thing now.

thanks for the replies fourtteen14, apreciate it. ive been wrong so many times before self diagnosing myself, i hope im wrong this time too but when the blood pressure results are as messed up as mine then i cant help but worry. ive got the blood pressure of a 70 year old where your styolic goes up and your diastolic goes down

[surpassit]

Haha I have the problem of self-diagnosing myself too. I hate doing it but I always end up on mayoclinic or webmd searching my sypmtoms. Being a hypochondriac sucks balls lol but what can you do. Goodluck. Hope you feel better.

[GYDA]

Haha i'm terrible mate! I've diagnosed myself with so many different diseases in past 2 years which have all come back normal. Just wish I didnt panic, there's a guy at my work who got 175/80 and he doesn't even seem bothered, wish i was like that.

Going to book an appointment at the doctors for tonight just to have a word with him about my results see if it's anything to worry about it.