Info on blood pressure please

Savvy_Sue

elona wrote:

Savvy Sue

I posted the tip on the "I Wanna" lose weight thread - it seems velvetglove found it very helpful:):):)

Thank you, I found it. Will go and look at what velvetglove said later: need to write to the boys' school now to update them on situation!

Have found that surgery will sometimes lend machines out for regular home testing so I'm going to push for that as well as everything else! Wish me luck in the morning ...

Savvy_Sue

JC67 wrote:

I've read somewhere (but can't remember where) that celery is good for lowering blood pressure.

I had high blood pressure when I was pregnant and it really made a difference which cuff they used - if your upper arm is over a certain measurement then they should use a large cuff. I agree that the machines they use are really painful (and I have quite a high pain threshold!)

The good news is that I really like celery - nice to find something I like which I'm allowed to eat! :rotfl:And thanks for tips about the cuffs, I can see me getting to be a bit of a nightmare to the nurses next week ... I don't think my upper arm is that large, flabby maybe but not enormous, but I will check!

Savvy_Sue

The nurse was very good this morning and has left my letter for whoever I'm seeing on Wednesday. I was a bit worried because she called me very quickly, then receptionist gave her my letter, and she vanished for AGES! So I was worried she'd taken offence because I'd seen her on Friday. But she was looking for a manual sphyg ...

The upper figure has come down, but the bottom figure was 100 the first time - highest yet! - and 88 the second time - as low as it's been since last Tuesday :j.

Work are being very nice to me and I am adopting a Calm, Relaxed, attitude at all times ... I AM GOING TO KILL MY SON IF HE DOESN'T STOP MAKING THAT RACKET! :mad:

Luis

Savvy_Sue wrote:

.... I am adopting a Calm, Relaxed, attitude at all times ... I AM GOING TO KILL MY SON IF HE DOESN'T STOP MAKING THAT RACKET! :mad:

Pleased that things went well for you - congrats on the 88 - keep it up (or down, rather lol). Was the manual sphyg less agonising?

Fingers crossed for wednesday x We may 'pass' in our appts, as I am off to rack up some more NHS airmiles on wednesday too lol

max2002ad

I work for Lloyds pharmacy and as well as doing Blood pressure testing instore for free you can also get lots of leaflets and advice what it is and possible ways to reduce it. after you have been to the doctors why don;t you pop in ?? theres bound to be a lloyds or another chemist near to the surgery.

Hope this helps

Savvy_Sue

max2002ad wrote:

I work for Lloyds pharmacy and as well as doing Blood pressure testing instore for free you can also get lots of leaflets and advice what it is and possible ways to reduce it. after you have been to the doctors why don;t you pop in ?? theres bound to be a lloyds or another chemist near to the surgery.

Thank you yes there is a Lloyds opposite work although I have never got on terribly well in there because the staff all seem to be non-native English speakers which sometimes leads to communication problems. However if I have to have regular tests next week I will see if they will agree to me going to chemist rather than surgery because it will be more convenient.

Luis, the manual sphyg was a LOT less painful! Doctor and nurse at work today also took it and it was something over 90. They weren't terribly confident of their sphyg, however, it's not something they use a lot! But they were very helpful: doctor has promised to fish out some info for next week. Apparently there are new-ish protocols in place now which has reduced the highest BP deemed advisable before surgery.

And as the doctor said, when the surgeon is operating on your brain, the last thing he wants is an unexpected surge of blood!

Savvy_Sue

This morning's reading had to be done with the electronic sphyg because the nurse couldn't get a vital bit of the old-fashioned one to work, and it was higher than ever. :mad: Don't know why, I was probably wound up by the fact that it wouldn't work, and then we started laughing over the need to keep a few men handy for things like loosening too-tight nuts etc. Then my GP took it on a manual sphyg and it was much better.

And he read me the letter from the nurse at the hospital, and she has given no indication at all of what I've got to get it down to! So we're a bit in the dark: GP says that most of my readings this week are in the "it would be a good idea to lose a bit of weight and take more exercise" range, but a couple are in the "you must get your BP down and if you can't do it with lifestyle changes we'll have to use drugs" range. He's given me beta-blockers and says I should be able to come off them after the op as long as I continue to monitor my BP.

Once I got to work I tried to phone the hospital. I knew the nurse I'd seen was on leave but she'd given me the name of the nurse who should have been answering her bleep, only she wasn't. So I tried my consultant's secretary, only she was on leave and her colleague wasn't sure the consultant would be able to ring me back because he was about to go into theatre. So I'm completely in the dark until Monday!

A friend is lending me a home testing machine next week and I'm back to see the GP on Wednesday. Maybe I'll have caught up on my sleep by then.

Savvy_Sue

The Blood Pressure Association - found this UK site from a leaflet in Boots and it is very detailed and informative for anyone wanting 'conventional' advice on bp, treatment options, lifestyle advice etc etc etc.

Ted_Hutchinson

World's Healthiest food comment on the Health Benefits of Green Tea.


Lowers Blood Pressure and Helps Prevent Hypertension

A study published in the July 2004 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found that among persons consuming tea regularly for at least one year, the risk of developing high blood pressure was 46% lower among those who drank ½ cup to 2 ½ cups per day, and 65% less among those consuming more than 2 ½ cups per day.
If you haven't tried Green Tea don't be surprised if you find it an acquired taste initially. But I think it's worth persevering with. I use Clipper Leaf green tea and drink it throughout the day. I have a bladder problem and was told to reduce the amount of caffiene I consume so as Green Tea has half the caffiene of brown and is also kidney/bladder friendly, I changed over. I drink it without milk and now find it more enjoyable than drinking ordinary tea without milk. Obviously changing over isn't going to make an immediate difference to your blood pressure but also Promotes Fat Loss, so may come in handy for that as well.
Edit [size=+1]The protective effect of habitual (green) tea consumption on hypertension. This is the research paper the above link refers to.[/size]

Savvy_Sue

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

If you haven't tried Green Tea don't be surprised if you find it an acquired taste initially. But I think it's worth persevering with. I use Clipper Leaf green tea and drink it throughout the day. I have a bladder problem and was told to reduce the amount of caffiene I consume so as Green Tea has half the caffiene of brown and is also kidney/bladder friendly, I changed over. I drink it without milk and now find it more enjoyable than drinking ordinary tea without milk. Obviously changing over isn't going to make an immediate difference to your blood pressure but also Promotes Fat Loss, so may come in handy for that as well.

Thanks Ted, I suspect we've got some in the cupboard so I'll try it. Probably shouldn't drink a lot of it because it also thins the blood, apparently, and I was told to stop taking my cod liver oil because that does the same! But even half a cup a day is supposed to do some good.

BTW, I had a cup of Rooibos or Redbush tea the other day, had forgotten how refreshing that could be!