150/80. I hate Doctors. So I had an appointment with the doctor today for a physical. No big deal, had a chicken pox booster, ho hum. And then they check my blood pressure. 150/80 mmHg. So they do the other random crap they have to. Checked my height (5' 7.5"--I shrunk 1/4" since I was there last. Odd.) and my eyesight and whatnot, and they decide to do BP again. 138/92 mmHg. ....yay. 17 years old with high blood pressure. So I can't do salt, caffeine, I have to limit my fats, and I have to start on an exercise regimen. Additionally, I have to report to the school nurse 2x/month to have it taken and recorded Doesn't that sound like loads of fun? Thanks for letting me vent. This frustrates me. Immensely. -John
Awww John, as worrying as it is for you, try not to be too concerned at this stage. If those were the only 2 measurements you've had, your BP may have been raised due to simply turning up for the physical. Heck whenever I'm at the hospital or dentist my BP is usually through the roof lol, from stressing about it. The important thing to consider is, is your BP raised consisently on several occasions and in different environments? Even so, it's definitely a good idea to start on a healthy regime that you can sustain for the future in terms of exercise and dietary choices. Of course you have to follow the medical advice you've been given, but try not to worry at this stage. When I was 14 I had raised BP and again at 21, but it has gone down, and I'm sure that yours will too. Sometimes it can be through stress, even though you're not aware you're under stress. Actually, just knowing you've had a high BP reading can make you stressed which in itself will keep the BP high. That's why it's important to use stress relieving techniques as well as the medical advice of the exercise and diet changes. I know it's no fun to restrict your diet, but eventually I'm sure you'll be able to re-introduce those foods again, albeit at a lil bit less than you're used to. And vent away, bottling things up does your BP no good either! Do as much as you can to relax, chill out, laugh and have fun. Bug Josh - always makes me feel great! :hyper: :rotfl:
It doesn't really bother me that much, I was expecting it to be high... but by the same token hoping that they'd say "It's normal. Next!". My heart rate is consistently >100BPM. They said at the doctors' office that it might be because I'm high strung. I guess that's kinda true. lol You're right, I can't think of what could be stressing me... but I guess a little R&R would do me good. Senior year brought on some pressure I guess--I only have two and a half more marking periods to raise my rank and GPA. Come to think of it... I do know something that's been bugging at me. That just may be it. I have an idea. Thanks! John
John, I've got high BP but I'm 41, not 17, and it's because I had a baby. Apparently pre-eclampsia isn't just a made up medical term. I take more meds than my 93-year-old grandmother in law. Without them I would probably be dead. My numbers are way higher than yours, unassisted, and I'm in fairly good shape for a middle-aged woman of average size. Not that I couldn't exercise more, I could, but I pass every stress test with flying colors. And yet, the BP remains a problem. My point? I know how you feel. It sucks. But you're young, so you can probably manage your BP through a healthier diet, and exercise. Excercise is key. If you're at all overweight you may want to take up a sport that helps you keep that under control. Get a Wii. I hear people have been getting fitter just playing video games standing up for a change. Or, bike to school instead of taking the bus. It's a scary feeling, but the good news is BP is something that is fairly easy to control, even if you have to resort to meds like I do. If it's in your genetics, you may have to, but it's not the end of the world. It is important though, so if you take it seriously now you won't have as many problems down the line. And, like Hugz said, it could be a false positive. I can't take my own pressure at home (I bought a monitor) because it always runs high. I stress out. I have to have a nurse do it (my husband is no help: he always manages to make me laugh and you're not supposed to jiggle). Maybe you're the other way around. Try taking it at the pharmacy, for example. Maybe being out of the doctor environment would help.
The real thing to remember about blood pressure is that two numbers mean different things. The lower number: the diastolic pressure is the core, resting pressure of the system. If it is consistently elevated above 90 then that is a concern. In a young person the medics would be aiming to identify and treat the cause. I gathered from John's original post that he is a little lax in the exercise department (Well I'm the worst for that. If it's further than the fridge I need a taxi. ) The upper number (the systolic pressure) is the peak pressure generate by the beat of the left ventricle and its value depends on the strength of the contraction (eg exercise or emotional stress) as well as on other factors such as vascular disease, lung conditions ... practically anything really. Consistently high systolic values are concern for different reasons, eg CVAs. My own BP was 130/85 from the age of 20 until I neared 50. Then that 85 started creeping upwards. When it got to 95 I started on the Atenolol. SBW pre-eclampsia is nasty. Tell witch baby she should ashamed of almost robbing the world of both her own talents and of yours
I'm hoping--thinking, rather--that it was a false positive. My blood pressure the next morning was much lower. SBW, we are getting a Wii for Christmas, which is awesome--I'm hoping to lose a little weight by that. lol. High BP is in my genes, unfortunately, but not at seventeen I think. The really good news is this: I have lost a couple pounds since I went to the doctor last, and hope to keep on that trend. My target is to get me back down to 145-150 Oh, and Mirelly.... you're absolutely right. I'm quite lax in the exercise department. I'm trying to change that though. Thanks for the encouraging posts. Here's hoping that I'll be back to normal soon. -John
