How's your blood pressure? I saw this 'things not to do' chart on my doctors' wall. I'll type out the hints if this is too hard to read.
1. Support arm at heart level - Unsupported arm adds 10 mm hg
2. Put cuff on bare arm - Cuff over clothes adds 10-40 mm hg
3. Don't have a conversation - Talking adds 10-15 mm hg
4. Empty bladder first - Full bladder adds 10-15 mm hg
5. Support back - Unsupported back adds 5-10 mm hg
6. Keep legs uncrossed - Crossed legs add 2-8 mm hg
7. Support feet - Unsupported feet add 5-10 mm hg
And here's one of my own I figured out myself. Take 10 deep breaths right before they take a reading. It can lower the top number by 20 mm hg.
Posts
20 comments:
A bit of deep breathing lowers the number? Thanks for the tip. I'll try to remember that next time I visit the clinic.
One more tip Mike, don't get involved with politics...your numbers drop dramatically.
River - It works, I told Shirley about it and it worked like a champ.
Simmons - Too late. I have more stories.
My BP is often on the low side. Sometimes very low.
I agree with Ol' Simmons. I have to check my blood pressure every day, and make a point of doing it before I've had a chance to look at the headlines. The Chart is good, though.
Fortunately, blood pressure hasn't been much of an issue for me since retiring. I do need to watch it as my weight climbs. With spring here and a bit more outdoor activity, both the weight and the blood pressure should be better.
Avoiding people and politics is probably the key for me.
I take my own blood pressure at home every week. I know all these tips! And yes, have a calm little rest before doing so, it DOES make a difference!
I read these a while back and decided to use them on the next doctor's visit. There, the PA had me sit on the examination table (with no place to support my feet or back), let my arm dangle (instead of supporting it), and chatted with me as she inflated the cuff. Fortunately I don't have a blood pressure issue and it was all good.
I will share with his Lordship. His blood pressure can be all over the place sometimes. Perhaps he is not heeding these tips or is unaware of them.
Sue - My wife's can be too. Doctors told her to eat more salty stuff.
Bill - Try the 10 deep breaths and see if it works for you.
John - My weight doesn't seem to affect my BP. The A1C is a different animal.
Deb - 5 minutes of sitting still should be on that list.
Kathy - Ain't that the truth! The only one they seem to bug you about is the crossed legs. The one that has the least effect.
Lady - Mine too. I should check mine more often. But being a champion procrastinator, it takes a back seat.
Mike, I am doing that 10 deep breaths. I'll let ya know! Thx
Somebody needs to tell the talkative people who take the test giving you no place to rest your arm in a chair without foot support
Peg - It works.
Cloudia - Maybe have a t-shirt made with this picture on it and wear it to your exam.
Someone should give this information to the people who are taking and recording the information. When I was in the ready room getting ready for my last knee surgery, I had a maniac who claimed to be a nurse.
She put one of those rolling automatic cuffs on my arm and pressed the button to start it. Then as the cuff got tighter tighter and tighter and tighter, to the point where I was getting tears in my eyes,the so called nurse started asking me every question under the sun and as the pain in my arm increased I was unable to even answer the questions anymore, I told her it was getting way to tight and she ignored me. I have had my blood pressure taken hundreds of times, but this was unlike anything I ever experienced. The piece of sh*t machine left me with a huge bruise around my arm and an absolutely inaccurate (too high reading). It was a worthless reading. My top number blood pressure is usually around 140 to 145, it was 196 on that machine.
That part of the hospital stay was very painful, in fact it was more painful than any other part of the knee replacement surgery. The only other pain I had on that scale was after the surgery as the physical therapist bent my knee to get my range of motion back in my knee, and that didn't even take as long as that robot blood pressure machine squashed my arm.
I could not believe all of the questions that nurse was rattling off at me, with a heavy accent,which I was struggling to understand. I was lucky that when I couldn't answer questions anymore my husband was there and could answer some of them. I would be a terrible candidate for someone to get information out of during torture. that blood pressure machine and Nurse Ratchett proved that. I would have said anything to get that cuff off of my arm.
I know it sounds like I am exaggerating, but this is a true story. I have had bone marrow taken out of the back of my pelvic bone (twice) and it hurt similarly or maybe a little less, but not as long as that robot blood pressure cuff did. Something was definitely wrong with that blood pressure machine.
Susie - That did NOT sound like a fun time.
But but but ... aren't you just cheating yourself if you take those breaths and your BP just APPEARS less than it actually is??
And as others have said, the medical people who take your pressure rarely get concerned with those rules, for some reason. I think it's because there's a wider range of numbers that are acceptable. I once did a respiratory test and (long story short) ended up in the ER due to prolonged hyperventilation. My BP was in the 180 range (systolic). I was horrified but the nurse told me they don't get really concerned until it's quite a bit higher!
Jenny - My BP is all over the place. The last thing I want is to have it associated with white coat syndrome. Do you have a BP meter? Try it out and see how it works. Then think about exercise where... you breathe really hard a LOT! 🙂
I do have a meter and I will try it! Right now I'm dealing with low BP which might have accounted for my incident at the physio appointment last week. I thought it was the heat although it wasn't actually a hot day.
John A Hill mentioned weight and BP climbing, so I'll share this: If you are taking BP meds and decide to lose weight PLEASE contact you healthcare person ! While in full pandemic mode I tossed on an extra 15 lbs. Got real serious and lost that 15 and another 40 more. Awesome right?
BP meds lower your blood pressure. . . Losing weight lowers your blood pressure. The last 30 lbs and 4 months are still a haze and will never come back. The slide was slow, but scary bad.
Found this nice place via infidel 753's weekend round-up. THANKS for being here !
Gil - Thanks for stopping by. And yes, low blood pressure is just as much a problem as high. I was donating blood one time and the gal took my BP. it was 100/60. She looked at me and said do you feel alright? She checked it again and it was 120/80. I guess I needed a jump start.
Post a Comment