Blood pressure

I take my own BP on a regular basis, I don't get paid! Seriously keeping a check on your BP is one of the most sensible things anyone can do. High BP normally has no symptoms and can do lots of damage without us knowing.

@Primrose53 GPs do not get paid any extra for taking BP - what a daft idea! Where appropriate, taking BP readings is just part of their contracted services. Pharmacies may get an extra payment because it is over & above their contracted services and the hope is that they may "catch" people who would not have had it done at the GP.

Somebody mentioned the pharmacy getting paid for taking BP readings. Whoever takes it gets paid, your GP does too.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

When taking your blood pressure, relax for about ten minutes beforehand, and do not drink, eat or smoke during this period. In fact a half hour is probably better, especially the smoking.

The reading tend to be higher in the morning and lower in the evening which is why they recommend two readings a day.

When I had my TIA (15 years ago) my BP went up to 240 and was regarded as exceptionally high. It has occasionally gone up to 160 temporarily which doesn't worry the medics so long as it comes back down fairly soon afterwards.

Mine was 200 for a while without realising. I started taking medication and saw a nutritionist now it's down to below 120 consistently. Key learnings was to cut down alcohol, salt and caffeine significantly. I would be on my 3rd coffee by about 10am now I switched to herbal teas.

Try to relax. Sounds a good reading to me. Mine is regularly 125 over 70 and the doctors scream it’s too high. I’m 73 and wear a Fitbit which provides an ECG too. After 30 years of inherited high blood pressure I just relax about it.

I wish my readings were as low as yours.

I had readings of almost 200/102 just before Christmas, GP sent me to urgent treatment at the hospital.

Annodomini, what forward-looking GPs, and what public-spirited guinea pigs! Am I right that you are resident in Scotland, and that Scotland is famous for the best in modern medical care?

argymargy, the OP has already stated that she is going to contact her GP surgery.

To all those saying Kiwi's BP is fine/healthy/low, remember you know absolutely nothing about her. Whereas age is a huge factor (and we don't know how old she is), the more important thing is whether she has other cardiovascular risk factors. Higher BP on its own is not necessarily dangerous, but combined with other risk factors (cholesterol, BMI, diabetes, diet, lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, family history of heart disease) it can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. The GP will advise Kiwi accordingly.

Once a week, I submit my BP, Oxygen saturation, temperature, heart rate, weight and various other statistics to our local practice. It's an experiment and I am one of the guinea pigs. They provide us with the equipment. If they see something anomalous in a weekly return, a nurse rings up and asks what has changed and why. I do take the best of three BP results. Which reminds me: today is the day for sending my statistics.

I have worn out three BP machines! What I did have to do, each time I bought a new one, was to take it to the surgery to be calibrated.
I laughed when I saw the one they were using was exactly the same as mine!

Marydoll

I have had exceptionally high BP for years., if I had a reading of 136/71, I would be pleased!

The protocol is to take your BP twice a day for a week, same time, same arm, record the readings and hand into the surgery.

The readings are totalled and averaged out to give the BP reading, which the GP usually uses to decide about medication.
You can find record sheets online or just make your own.

This sums it up. I've was flagged to be checked and it came up when I collected a prescription. They did it there and then and it was in the "high" band. We agreed I would follow the procedure Marydoll described and check back. I had a message from my surgery the next day to do just that and let them have the results. I did that and they have said to do the same in six months.

This has been happening for about 20 years! The great thing is it's becoming easier to do. I have a machine at home and I notice you can directly enter the results online in some surgeries (not mine yet).

This is exactly what we should be doing and I can see it becoming even less dependent on doctors, unless there is a problem, in the future.

I sometimes wonder why hospital clinics bother to take BP. A few months ago had appoint with cardiologist. Nurse took my BP. On arrival despite being 20 early for appointment. It was quite high. Hardly surprising. I had driven for just under an hour, went into Tesco and Go outdoor. I had difficulties parking. Hadn’t been to that department before so had to search around. What would anyone expect The consultant who I had met as an in-patient previously was pleased I had a chart with my own readings. I have only come across one clinic that waits a bit and then takes three readings ( vasculitis clinic ). They also sometimes take reading in both arms

Reply to Caleo - no I don't know of any research although online there are articles about fluctuating BP. I have read that 3 or 4 baths a week of about 20 minutes are good for the heart. And certainly exercise even gentle walking is good for BP. I eat 2 bananas a day, 4 dried apricots and a few prunes as they are supposed to be beneficial for BP but have no idea if they make any difference but I enjoy them! Aged 80 upwards BP of 140+ is OK according to age/BP charts. My BP can be in the 150s if I sit for a couple of hours so I do try to get up and move around every half hour or so.

Alison333

Trucula

Wow I would be thrilled to get that reading. I got a bit obsessive about taking my blood pressure a while ago and as soon as the cuff started to inflate I could feel my chest tightening and know it isn't worth bothering because it will be so high. In fact I couldn't even bring myself to do it for over a year and even paid to go to a hypnotherapist. I now find that the readings are okay first thing, but are high in the late afternoon, so I only take it in the morning now.

I am exactly the same! As soon as I think about taking my blood pressure, I get anxious and up it goes, so annoying! I am thinking of going to a hypnotherapist so it's encouraging that it seems to have helped you.

I have to say that the hypnotherapist didn't help at all. Eventually I just sat down and took BP a few times and it did come down to a reasonable level. It is just a case of getting your head in the right place, which I can't always do, even now.

Grandmama wrote:

"My BP is lower, sometimes below 120/80 when:----------"

Did you ever find out if there is a ongoing scientific study that would seek information like this ?

I actively try to keep my BP down to avoid medication.

For some of us that is not possible, due to multiple factors, which impact on it. You are very fortunate in taht you are able to do thsi.

My BP is lower, sometimes below 120/80 when:

I've had lunch and a glass of wine in a restaurant with friends

After a hot bath

After a visit to DD2 petting, stroking etc her lovely dogs

After strenuous gardening last summer in hot weather

About 30-60 mins after exercise/isometric exercises.

It's high after sitting around so I try to get up and go up and down stairs a few times every 30-40 minutes particularly in the evenings when I watch TV and knit.

I actively try to keep my BP down to avoid medication.

Beware of electronic/digital BP machines. The cheaper they are the less sensitive they will be and generally record higher than a manual BP. I am a nurse but did not know this until recently.
I have direct experience of this after not being able to tolerate a digital one because it was so painful after re-inflating more than three times. The kind nurse suggested a manual one and admitted the digital ones can record higher.
Further proof of this was when I recently had some private surgery and the digital blood pressure machine worked perfectly every time. I could tell just by looking at it it was of a superior quality and probably more expensive.
I've bought myself a manual BP and can now do this by myself. I've also taught my husband how to do a manual BP on himself and my GP is very accepting of the readings.

RSALLAN2002

I hold my breath when taking my bp. Brings the readings down.

Surely then, that may distort the readings?

I hold my breath when taking my bp. Brings the readings down.

About 18 months ago my BP was very high on a very rare visit to my GP. I started monitoring it at home and read up on the internet about BP, how to reduce it and best/most accurate way to monitor etc etc (quite an expert now!). It remained high for a while when I started monitoring at home but it was probably white coat syndrome anxiety in case it was high. After a while it came down, I emailed my BP every 4 weeks to my GP who was happy with my averages so reduced monitoring to alternate months. As long as it remains 135/90 or lower (usually averages lower than that) my GP is happy and doesn't need me to send regular readings. I walk a great deal, do wall-sits every day along with other isometric exercises in the house and eat foods that are supposed to help BP. I am late 70s and at the lower end of the weight range for my height. I take 20g atorvastatin every day that halved my cholesterol from 8 to 4 within a short time.

I have white coat syndrome! BP is always off thechart when getting it taken...Has been for about 15 years. Pharmacist is correct..just take it a couple of times a week and talk to your GP.