Measures to reduce your blood pressure! (1 Viewer)

[Paul_D]

I've got a couple of questions about blood pressure and my doctor hasn't given me satisfactory answers:
1) How much is blood pressure likely to change from a day to day basis?i.e. is it higher in the morning? is it higher after a cut of coffee? etc.
2) One's to do with the pressure of blood going into the heart, and the other's the pressure of the blood going out of the heart. But is the difference between the two more important than the actual figures?
3) What effective measure can I take to reduce it? (Has anyone attempted and succeeded.)

 

[Eric Scott]

Stop having or thinking about sex, join a monastery immediately?
Do not read any posts by Christou, Potts or me!

[Edited last by Eric Scott on October 06, 2001 at 01:40 PM]

 

[Deane Johnson]

Different people have different causes of high blood pressue. One of the most common causes is overweight. If one is noticably overweight, losing the excess can have a dramatic effect.
Vigorous excercise is also a help, but it takes quite a bit.
Anything below about 140/90 is considered OK, at least by insurance companies. 120/80 would be very good or about normal.
It is my understanding that the lower number being significantly elevated is of the most concern.
The caffiene in coffee or soft drinks will have a tendency to elevate it. Salt intake will also, as it will cause fluid retention.
An aggressive blood pressure control program would include weight loss (assuming overweight), low salt intake and no caffiene, as well as excercise.
Deane
[Edited last by Deane Johnson on October 06, 2001 at 10:10 AM]

 

[Jon_Are]

Paul...the blood pressure is measured in the arteries - the vessels leading away from the heart. The top number - systolic - is the pressure (in millimeters of mercury, or mmhg) exerted on the arterial wall during the 'pumping' phase of the heartbeat. The bottom number - the dyastolic - is the pressure exerted on the arterial wall during the 'relaxed' phase.
The diastolic number used to be widely considered the more significant, but recent research indicates that the systolic number is more important than once believed.
Weight control, regular exercise, quit smoking, reduced sodium intake, and avoiding spending money on lame movies

have all been proven to help reduce BP. Anything over 140/90 in an adult, in general, should be treated with medication.
See your physician regularly. Good luck!
Jon (the Regisgtered Nurse)
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"This one goes to eleven." (Nigel Tufnel)
[Edited last by Jon_Are on October 06, 2001 at 11:43 AM]
[Edited last by Jon_Are on October 06, 2001 at 11:44 AM]

 

[Neil Joseph]

If you like cats or dogs, get one.
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