PSA - Don't be me, Watch your blood pressure!!!

[Ryan Thomas]

Yeah, here's a little PSA for you all - and something that people (including me, apparently) need to be reminded of... WATCH YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE!

I can't say it enough.

I'm a fairly healthy adult, with absolutely perfect blood work (i.e. cholesterol etc.) - but had no clue that I had high blood pressure - and it almost killed me the Thursday night.

I hadn't felt well for days - headache, slightly nauseous, jittery... Started feeling like I was going to pass out etc. so decided to check my BP at Rite Aid since I was there buying some Advil. Well, 199/120!

Completely lucky I didn't stroke out, or have a heart attack.

Long story short, check yourself before you wreck yourself! This shit sneaks up on you!

I'm home now, and working on it - but it could have been *very* different.
Besides, I've got too much Jeeping to do to be laid up!

 

[RaymondT]

Check with your internist about Ramipril. I talked to a well-respected cardiologist where I work out and he highly recommends this medication. Calls it the magic bullet. It's well tolerated, almost no side effects, relatively cheap, and you can take it long-term. My BP tends to creep up to 145/90ish if I don't take it and get worked up (avoid reading the news!). I only need 5mg in the evening.

 

[CRGR]

Yeah, here's a little PSA for you all - and something that people (including me, apparently) need to be reminded of... WATCH YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE!

I can't say it enough.

I'm a fairly healthy adult, with absolutely perfect blood work (i.e. cholesterol etc.) - but had no clue that I had high blood pressure - and it almost killed me the Thursday night.

I hadn't felt well for days - headache, slightly nauseous, jittery... Started feeling like I was going to pass out etc. so decided to check my BP at Rite Aid since I was there buying some Advil. Well, 199/120!

Completely lucky I didn't stroke out, or have a heart attack.

Long story short, check yourself before you wreck yourself! This shit sneaks up on you!

I'm home now, and working on it - but it could have been *very* different.
Besides, I've got too much Jeeping to do to be laid up!
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Dang dude! I'm your age - we'really too young to start thinking about that stuff (I thought). Glad you're doing better

 

[Ryan Thomas]

Dang dude! I'm your age - we'really too young to start thinking about that stuff (I thought). Glad you're doing better

That's exactly the problem... people think that. Fact is, it's PRIME time for heart attacks/strokes because people think it's for "old folks".

I know I did!

 

[Ryan Thomas]

Check with your internist about Ramipril. I talked to a well-respected cardiologist where I work out and he highly recommends this medication. Calls it the magic bullet. It's well tolerated, almost no side effects, relatively cheap, and you can take it long-term. My BP tends to creep up to 145/90ish if I don't take it and get worked up (avoid reading the news!). I only need 5mg in the evening.

I will! Thanks

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Wow Ryan, you're lucky to have caught that... smart move sticking your arm into the BP cuff at Rite-Aid. Fortunately the docs have ways of getting your BP down but you're gonna have to cooperate and stop doing whatever is causing the high BP. Hopefully you don't smoke, right?

 

[Ryan Thomas]

Wow Ryan, you're lucky to have caught that... smart move sticking your arm into the BP cuff at Rite-Aid. Fortunately the docs have ways of getting your BP down but you're gonna have to cooperate and stop doing whatever is causing the high BP. Hopefully you don't smoke, right?

That's the thing - I don't smoke, I eat pretty properly, and I've even been losing weight (17# so far). All this before I noticed the issue.
They aren't sure what is causing it - maybe something with my kidney arteries, or maybe just plain old hypertension.

Definitely going to keep working on losing more weight (I have a bout 17 more to get to 180), and get more exercise. But, I'm baffled.

 

[Chris]

Glad you caught it! My blood pressure was 180 over 140 when I was about 60 lbs over weight. I lost all of the weight and went from 230 lbs down to 175 lbs and have stayed at that weight for years now. My blood pressure is now 110 / 70 and I monitor it regularly.

I'm glad you checked yourself though. You're way too young to die!

 

[Ryan Thomas]

Glad you caught it! My blood pressure was 180 over 140 when I was about 60 lbs over weight. I lost all of the weight and went from 230 lbs down to 175 lbs and have stayed at that weight for years now. My blood pressure is now 110 / 70 and I monitor it regularly.

I'm glad you checked yourself though. You're way too young to die!

Damn straight! Besides, I need to be around to see this parts pile get put to use!

Also, 180 over 140? Dang!!! I thought 120 sys was bad! That's scary.

 

[Rob5589]

The good thing is you caught it before something bad occurred. There are differing factors that can cause hypertension; diet, smoking, drug use, and family history are all factors.

 

[Chris]

Damn straight! Besides, I need to be around to see this parts pile get put to use!

Also, 180 over 140? Dang!!! I thought 120 sys was bad! That's scary.

Yep, I know. I was power lifting so I was really muscular, but had a lot of extra fat there as well.

I felt tired all the time, I would get winded while walking up the shortest stairs, and like you, I would sometimes feel like I was just going to faint from being light headed.

 

[Chris]

The good thing is you caught it before something bad occurred. There are differing factors that can cause hypertension; diet, smoking, drug use, and family history are all factors.

So true. And sometimes you can be the healthiest person in the world but still have high blood pressure just because of genetics.

 

[egclassic]

That's the thing - I don't smoke, I eat pretty properly, and I've even been losing weight (17# so far). All this before I noticed the issue.
They aren't sure what is causing it - maybe something with my kidney arteries, or maybe just plain old hypertension.

Definitely going to keep working on losing more weight (I have a bout 17 more to get to 180), and get more exercise. But, I'm baffled.

Good to hear you caught it before it was too late.
My wifes cousin was not so lucky. We were camping about 5 years ago during the Memorial day weekend. We had just come back from a boat ride on my pontoon and she went into the camper to start dinner. After about a half hour, we did not hear anything and went into the camper to check on her. That's when we found her on the floor in the middle of a stroke. They had to aircare her to the hospital and to this day she cannot talk or walk. She was only 49. It was all related to her elevated BP levels. That week, I went out and bought a home BP monitor.

 

[Chris]

Good to hear you caught it before it was too late.
My wifes cousin was not so lucky. We were camping about 5 years ago during the Memorial day weekend. We had just come back from a boat ride on my pontoon and she went into the camper to start dinner. After about a half hour, we did not hear anything and went into the camper to check on her. That's when we found her on the floor in the middle of a stroke. They had to aircare her to the hospital and to this day she cannot talk or walk. She was only 49. It was all related to her elevated BP levels. That week, I went out and bought a home BP monitor.

Damn, that's sad to hear.

It also goes to show that this affects women as well. I know that high blood pressure seems to be more common in men, but I hear stories (like this one) where women are affected too.

 

[derekmac]

Damn man, really glad you stuck your arm in that machine! Scary stuff!!

 

[Ryan Thomas]

Good to hear you caught it before it was too late.
My wifes cousin was not so lucky. We were camping about 5 years ago during the Memorial day weekend. We had just come back from a boat ride on my pontoon and she went into the camper to start dinner. After about a half hour, we did not hear anything and went into the camper to check on her. That's when we found her on the floor in the middle of a stroke. They had to aircare her to the hospital and to this day she cannot talk or walk. She was only 49. It was all related to her elevated BP levels. That week, I went out and bought a home BP monitor.

Yep, that's exactly what I don't want to happen - especially since I live alone... I would totally die.
Scary.

 

[RaymondT]

Before we start a mass panic... you do know you have to take your resting BP. That means first thing in the morning or after at least a 5 minute rest, arm supported at heart level, back supported by the chair back and both feet flat on the floor. During the day, your BP can fluctuate a lot depending on what you're doing. From Consumer Reports;

"For people with borderline or high blood pressure, home testing with the best blood pressure monitor is more important than ever. Recent research shows that an average of several readings over time provides the most reliable measurement. Home testing is essential for taking multiple readings and can actually be more accurate than the results you get at a doctor's office."

They tested 24 models. Here are the top 4 that made the excellent rating;

 

[Chris]

I'm going to take it you like consumer reports @RaymondT?

Haha, I do too actually. Got a subscription myself.

 

[Rob5589]

@egclassic , that's horrible man. Strokes can happen at any age. They can sometimes be alleviated with medications, sometimes surgery. Often there is nothing that can be done other than wait, hope, and see what happens.

Buy an old school BP cuff and stethoscope and learn how to use it. It is simple and inexpensive. Those auto cuffs will lose accuracy over time and most are crap. Of course you need someone to do it, kinda hard to do it on yourself
What we use at work is built in to a 17k dollar cardiac monitor and will lose accuracy and needs calibration regularly.

 

[Ryan Thomas]

@egclassic , that's horrible man. Strokes can happen at any age. They can sometimes be alleviated with medications, sometimes surgery. Often there is nothing that can be done other than wait, hope, and see what happens.

Buy an old school BP cuff and stethoscope and learn how to use it. It is simple and inexpensive. Those auto cuffs will lose accuracy over time and most are crap. Of course you need someone to do it, kinda hard to do it on yourself
What we use at work is built in to a 17k dollar cardiac monitor and will lose accuracy and needs calibration regularly.

That's the bad part about living alone... I've been screwed by this situation more than once. Almost had to cancel a necessary surgery because I didn't have someone close to drive me etc.

So, for now, the auto cuff is going to have to do.