More evidence is emerging that highlights a common but critical mistake people make when tracking their blood pressure.
The mistake even causes patients and their doctors to miss a key indicator for stroke risk. Because it’s not the high blood pressure that is the biggest problem.
One of the most common mistakes in managing high blood pressure is to only take it once per day, or to only have it taken at the doctor’s office. The problem with this is that these infrequent readings don’t give a clear picture of what is happening with your blood pressure throughout the day.
So, what you miss is the fluctuation from your lowest reading to your highest. Blood pressure can fluctuate some during the waking hours, but not drastically. However, for people who have a difficult time with hypertension, such as those who experience frequent spikes in blood pressure, damage is being done that can and does lead to stroke.
Emerging science is showing that people who experience drastic highs and lows chronically, and can’t seem to hover around one steady reading, are the most at risk of a stroke.
A lot of times this happens when a person is under high stress, exerting oneself, or in pain, who already has problems with high blood pressure. This contributes to the spikes. But valleys and hypotension can occur right after taking the maintenance medication. It might not be so low as to cause fainting (syncope) but that frequently occurs, especially in seniors. It is the swing from very low to very high that causes the problems.
So we come back to the original problem- if periodic readings during the day are not taken to get the full picture of how your blood pressure is fluctuating, you could be missing critical data that would be important for you and your doctor to consider when creating your treatment plan.
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There is a typical approach by the Medical Profession to Hypertension “ONE COAT FITS ALL”, however that is hardly the case & what is high blood pressure for one person is absolutely normal for someone else.
The biggest problem is a majority of folk are not in tune with what is going on within their own body 24/7 & rely on a medical professional to actually tell them that there is a problem. But what’s new, there is a general opinion that we the individual cannot possibly know what is best for us and we have to seek out a medical professional of we could all be doomed to extinction through a lack of “THE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL APPROACH”.
The old adage of “Stopping To Smell The Roses” and to actually take responsibility for their own health and well being is of course ignored by most of us, but isn’t too distant a goal to achieve. One just needs to still the raging beast within and take on a more quiet disposition with a meditative approach to life in general.
I totally agree. I say i have white coat syndrome, I found this out when I was pregnant with my first child . I seldom go to the doctor so I was stressed and when he took my Blood Pressure it was high, he smiled and said , dont worry I will take it again before you leave, by that time the stress had gone and my Blood Pressure was back to normal 🙂
my bp is always high when i go to the doctors,ill try having him take it later as sugested!thanks
The article is very informative. Usual practice of blood pressure patients are to take the test for hypertension periodically only or when they are visiting their doctor for some other physical problems. As mentioned in the article, this type test will not show the real intensity of the disease. So the patients have to take more care about this and it is more practical to do some physical fitness exercises or yoga which will help to reduce or cure the pressure variations of the blood circulation.
Yes there are fluctuations. Following diagnosed with hypertension I purchased a good BP machine. I discovered BP went high while sleeping. Even if on meds. After rising, within 30 min its low again. Told my doctor and he had no answer or solution. I noted also that not all BP machines are the same. Watch out for machines manufactured in suspect countries. Some vary well outside acceptable ranges.
The white coat syndrome is well known. But elsewhere in this news blog is a gem of information which says if you are over 50 your normal bp can be 150/90.
My Diastolic is always low. Hardly EVER more than 65. Why. the Systolic varies depending on what I eat & if my IBS is under control, also my ALLERGIES.
Just now @ 9:30 a.m. after cup or two COFFEE (always ORGANIC) B.P. is 128/56 Pluse only 69. I also had fruit, banana,Organic Peanut Butter. I have left a Dr. @ Med.College of WI, as only thing she talked about was B.P. soon as she got around to me. It was always HI.She would insist on Blood work.Urine tests. ALWAYS NEG. but there was Out of Pocket for me At one time last summer she insisted I Must take Add. B.P. Med. I gave in, took it. I became so ILL.Terrible bloating, gas, AB pains. Two hernias I have swelling. She & her staff kept calling me, I had to come have B.P checked. I would not go.I told them I QUIT that B.P.pill & was trying to stay alive. I am very ALLERGIC to some things. I was allergic to that PILL. They would not see me one nite when I thought the Hernias were strangulating. My son took me to emerg. B.P. was up to 200. Dr. said Hernias were Not Strangulating.suggested something for bowels. I worked on it. I researched on here. I Changed Drs. & Hosp. Am no with West Allis Aurora. I was scheduled for Hernia Surg before Thanksgiving, but cancelled ,as I felt I HAD to WORK on my IBS. After seeing two NINCOMPOOP female Dr. @ Aurora Sattelites I saw A young Female Internist @ PHY.Tower Aurora. she born in POLAND did listen to me. She advised MIRA LAX. I am very INTELLIGENT, VERY INTUITIVE. VERY well-versed on Natural Health. I watch my DIET VERY closely. DRink, Organic Kefir every day etc. DO NOT EAT ANY MEAT, except Turkey, Chicken that I KNOW has not been fed Anti-Biotics. If ever Beef—–only GRASSFED. I see NO PORK that is any except BARN RAISED. I WILL not eat BARN RAISED anything.;Buy ORGANIC EGGS. The Anti-Biotics in all this is DEADLY for me. Now, today, my bowels are VERY GOOD.The Hernias do not bulge, unless I eat something that cause BLOATING & GAS. Must avoid as much sugar too as possible. Unfortuantely this FEMALE DR. I saw for years, teaches @ MEDICAL COLLEGE of WI. I dread what is being done to patients especially the elderly who do not have the WAY,MEANS or SENSE to do as I do. They take the DRUGS, they become INVALIDS. But the continue to CONSUME 12 different DRUGS a day, DOLED OUT BY DOCTORS. The LOVELY ASSIST. LIVING places can’t be built fast enough. I am sure in time I will be off the one BP. Pll I do take & does seem to agree with me, but I am weaning off it. If B.P. stays under 150, I will not take it. If I watch my diet, etc. I will not need it. I do not take any other DRUGS. I am 87,still Jitterbug, take care of a 2800 sq ft. TRILEVEL, do ALL my own work. My Hair, NOW BLONDE, is growing again. I feel so fortunate, I have the BRAINS to DEFY the DRUG PUSHERS. I am seeing my EYE DR. The Mac.D. did change to WET one eye. However with 6 shots in a yr. my CENTRAL & Peripheal Vision are both still 20/20. I need glasses ONLY for the FINE print & reading. I drive, but am sensible, not to drive @ night unless I know the road Thoroughly. I drove to Sioux Falls SD year ago, in summer. that is over 500 miles. AVOID DRUGS from DRS. & from the BAD foods that are full of drugs. There is a GREAT difference in DOCTORS & HOSPITALS. FROEDTERT in WI is HUGE, but I will never go there again.
Hi. Thanks for all the great articles. High blood pressure- low vitamin C for collagen and blood vessel repair so the liver makes lipoprotein A to patch the cracks. Also weak leg muscles contribute to an overworked heart..
Serrapeptase will clean the biofilm and fibrin from the blood and lower the viscosity. & inflammation. Niacin is a blood vessel dilator and naturally lowers cholesterol, B complex will strengthen the heart and leg exercises so the leg muscles can assist the heart in the pumping.
Pharmaceuticals focus on symptoms and turn off the fire alarm. Nutrients repair the damage and stop renegade processes when biochemical inter dependencies aren't satisfied.
Thanks again for focusing on true health and an outlet to share what we've learned.
so it would be wise to take at least 3 times a day our blood pressure or more and take some multi vitamins and minerals to stabilize our blood pressure
This probably won’t get posted or if it does there will likely not be a reply by the author. I find this piece most UNinformative other than BP readings should be done several times a day. I’ve quoted a few thoughts from the article that are confusing.
“Blood pressure can fluctuate some during the waking hours, but not drastically.”
What is drastically? Is systolic going from 130 to 145 drastic or 130 to 165 drastic. Using the word drastically is very scary to some people if there is not an explanation or sample of what it actually is and in my opinion is simply fear mongering.
Same with the quote below….what exactly are drastic highs and lows? And what is one steady reading? I mean I used to take my BP reading 3-4 times a day and they were never steady. Morning readings were my lowest usually under 120 and then rise through the day up to 140 ish but my average of the 4 readings was pretty consistent.
“Emerging science is showing that people who experience drastic highs and lows chronically, and can’t seem to hover around one steady reading, are the most at risk of a stroke.”
When doing pieces like this, actual numbers would be helpful, instead of the vague words like ” drastic highs and lows” which in fact give absolutely no information and do nothing but scare people.
Thanks for the space.
Terry
I should say that, generally, I find many articles on Blue Heron quite helpful and informative. And I do appreciate the effort put into them. Thanks for providing this resource.