[Velvetta]

Last night I had my BP taken and it was 160 over 100, which apparently is moderately high. I think it may have been partly doctor anxiety but still... what next? Should I immediately change my diet and do yoga? No idea how to handle this.

[KNL909]

What did your Dr say/suggest?

[geckosrule]

Firstly, if you are pregnant that needs to be carefully monitored and I suggest you see a GP ASAP.

Secondly, if you are not pregnant, I would monitor your BP over a few days to see if it changes. The top number - the 160 - isn't the problem (systolic), it's the bottom number - the 100 - (diastolic) that the concern.

A healthy diet and regulars exercise will help but I would see a doctor because there could be an underlying problem causing your high Blood pressure.

[Velvetta]

not pregnant, dr said to have it done again in a week. I'm pretty healthy otherwise but I am 20kg overweight

[Luxe]

You can hire bp monitors from pharmacies if your concerned being in a doctors office makes you anxious and therefor raises your bp.

I have white coat hypertension. At the doctors office it is very much like your bp. At home I've had as low as 115/75

[HollyOllyOxenfre...]

can't help a lot with what to do if it is high, but I get doctor anxiety too which always pushes it up. my doctor now doesn't take my BP at the start of a consult, but instead waits until the end so we discuss any other issues etc and it's almost an afterthought. it seems to help a bit - at one appointment it was 140/95 when he first took it, then dropped to 120/80 by the end

[soontobegran]

160/100 is not moderately high in a young person, it is concerningly high.
White coat hypertension can account for a high systolic reading but generally not for the diastolic.

I would be making another appointment in the near future and have it checked again and go from there. The BP machines you can buy at chemists are notoriously inaccurate and wouldn't use them as a guide to what your BP is actually doing.

This post has been edited by soontobegran: 03/03/2012, 09:54 AM

[4kidlets]

sometimes if they want to see what it is at home, you can be connected to a halter monitor for 24 hours and takes BP readings over a 24 hour period in your life outside the surgery.

I agree that 160/100 is more than a moderately high level.

[triangle]

yep that is high for a young/fit/healthy person with no underlying medical problems. Even with medical problems it needs to be controlled to be managed under that level.

Hopefully when you go back to GP they take it manually not with an automatic machine.

Weight loss of 4.5kg can = 10% reduction in BP (obviously not in 1 week)

Other tips, reduce intake of any added salt in processed/prepared/packaged foods (naturally occuring salt in your fresh fruit/veg/meat is fine), it makes you retain fluid elevating BP levels.

regular exercise, drink enough water, reducing stress levels, medications if prescribed by gp

[Mianta]

I agree with STBG (again). That is a fairly concerning BP. I would be getting a second opinion. I had a BP at that level and higher (got to 230/125 at one stage) and was diagnosed with Conns Syndrome, which is when your adrenal gland produces too much aldosterone and throws out your electrolytes and raises BP. I had to be medicated on two anti hypertensives and one potassium supplement before getting surgery which resolved my problem.

I would be at very least getting you BP checked and maybe some bloods done.