Struggling to control BP....at 35

hi guys

I'm only 35 years old but struggling somewhat with high BP. My backstory is that when I went to the doc when I was around 31 he said it was high at 150/90, which was a shock to me. Since until then I've never had a problem.

Somehow I seemed to get it under control a year or so later (not sure how) and it was somewhere around 135/80 on average. Still a bit high but ok.

But now the doc said it's around 150 again and sure enough when I bought my own monitor it does seem to be that. I've been doing exercise in the last few months and lost about 4 kg's, so was hoping that would get me back into a good zone but the average now is only about 145. Hardly any difference.

My BMI is 25.3 (5'9" and 79kg) so not too bad. Although my waist measurement is 98cm which is apparenty over the 94cm mark that is considered "fat". (it is a bit flabby to be honest).

I also get kinda nervious taking my BP (even when at home) so could that do anything to the readings?? (higher or lower)

Kinda at a loss to get it under control. The doc hasn't put me on meds yet but if I can't get it under control soon I was ask for some myself. Is there anything I'm missing?

No, I don't think you are missing much from your report other whether you smoke, and do you have raised cholesterol levels?

should have read 'other than whether you smoke'........

No, I don't smoke, drink, and when I last did a full blood test (about a year back) they said my cholostrol was "excellent". 

Have you taken it twice in morning and late afternoon for a week, sit down relaxing for 10 mins before.

Also how much exercise are you doing and how good is your diet.

Do any family members have high bp

Try not to worry as of course that raises it

I have to say that many people are becoming preoccupied (almost paranoid) with their BP readings, and I think that GP surgeries are a lot to blame for this.

Anyone who knows about blood pressure will know that it can go up and down like a yo-yo in a single day, depending upon what stresses (both physical and empotional) are placed upon the body.

Yes there are trends and age-related recommendations, but this must not become a preoccupaion for the patient.

If  a particular patient is found to be at stage 1 hypertensive (140/90 to 159/99 mm Hg) then a doctor will usually prescribe a suitable medication which can be a Thiazide diuretic, an ACE inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, a beta-blocker on its own or combined with an alpha-blocker, and/or any of these with or without a diuretc

Once diagnosed a doctor will continually monitor a patient's blood pressure  over time and make any necessary adjustments to medications as time progresses.

What SHOULD NOT HAPPEN, but what does, is that the patient starts to worry about this condition, often causing an exacerbation of the condition itself.

So basically the message is to leave your doctor to do the worrying and you just get on with your life.

 

I take it when I wake up (usually a bit lower) and then sometime in the early evening, but not resting for 10 minutes.

My father has high BP before he took medicine but now he's under control at 130/80 with meds. My mother passed away last year from a stroke but her BP was under control as well.

I think I do get anxious about it, even at home. Neither doctor I go to seems inclined to medicate me though. But my readings I took a few days ago over the course of a couple of days were...

143/78, 147/80, 130/85, 148/85, 157/80, 142/85, 143/83. 

Try doing it as I said, you don't say about diet etc.

Also you don't really say you do a lot of exercise am I right

You can't take it when your rushing round you have to sit down or it will be up like pulse that correlates with bp

I would say you were a very low risk  (not even a marginal hypertensive.)

This means that basically you are worrying yourself over nothing, so just get on with enjoying your life.