high blood pressure

[vfr on top]

hi,

i'm 28 and my bp has been around 135/90. I know this is high. I smoke and drink. (which obviously i know i have to quit). But is this bp very high and something to worry about? I am now panicing because my next medical is around the corner and this is obviously going to make it worse.
Is there anything i can do to reduce it quickly. Obviously i know what i have to do long term but is there any short term solutions?

Thanks for the help

[BelfastChild]

Not particularly high but stopping smoking will fix it. And do some exercise

[Oh that's super!]

See your doctor for advice. You'll need to do something about it for the future, even though it's not at a crisis level yet.

[CherokeeDriver]

Mine is higher (140/90) and I had no pbms getting my initial ClassII. Was told if it remains high AME will refer me back to my GP. Don't drink for a couple of days before medical and that will lower it *slightly*. Giving up the fags will only make a difference over a longer period of time. As long as the ECG is OK and you are under 40 I don't think the docs get to worried.

[Loose rivets]

I don't know a lot about BP cos mine is so low I'm deemed an anomaly. ( 80/40 when I came out of surgery. [Checked by three different machines].) However, Mrs R has high BP but will not take medication.

Her massive supply of vegetarian and health books have recently come up with the data for eating celery. The claims are astounding, and if true, it is probably working by relaxing the blood vessels, and may therefore allow the body to ‘re-datumize'. i.e. you would have to keep taking more and more.

Since celery is not unpleasant, why not give it a try?

[BelfastChild]

[quote=CherokeeDriver]Giving up the fags will only make a difference over a longer period of time.quote]

Don't agree - it only takes a few days for the cardiovascular benefits of quitting to kick in. And as for celery....

[samarkand]

There is a machine called Resperate which I have found help
to reduce my pressure.

I also take Strauss Herbs "Heart Drops" - seems to work really well.

Also have a look here for some more tips...

http://www.usgyms.net/bloodpres.htm

Regards - Sam

[driftdown]

Stop smoking, cut down on alcohol and get your cholesterol checked and more exercise.

They all worked for me although I was told to take a 25mg beta blocker a day. Now I am in better shape I have not been able to get a satisafctory answer as to how much effect the small dose tablet makes and whether I can discontinue taking them.

Better to take action now rather than wait for it to become a major hassle later on.

[ABO944]

My blood pressure was a tad high ....

I decided to do something about it, and now I cycle to work (only 15 minutes each way) but enough to work up a sweat.

I also do around 100 push-ups a day.

After getting my blood pressure checked a couple of weeks later, my BP had reduced a lot !

As well as feeling healthier, I actually enjoy the exercise ... something I never used to enjoy !

[Re-entry]

The main culprit is alcohol. Also any 'recreational' drugs sharply increase BP but only in the short term. Exercise (eg 20 mins on bike to a sweat ) helps a lot. Smoking itself doesn't make much difference except it stops you exercising as you cannot breathe. Cut out alcohol (totally) and exercise regularly, eat normal diet and BP will be that of an athlete within 7-10 days.

[effortless]

Your BP is highish but JAR says that 160 over 95 is the grounding point. I know this from experience. Lose weight, stop smoking (the single best thing that you can do for yourself), get exercise. If it is this bad now it will be very bad in a few years time.

[Oh that's super!]

Originally Posted by BelfastChild

And as for celery....

Ah, celery. It reputedly has a diuretic action. That's probably why.

[got caught]

It's a little on the high side, but stop thinking like a pilot, igniore the figures, look at yourself more holistically, and address your lifestyle issues.

It'll make more of a difference to your health and happiness, and it sounds like your ready to change the way you live anyway.

Avoid unprescribed medication.

[slim_slag]

Originally Posted by vfr on top

hi,
i'm 28 and my bp has been around 135/90.
..
..
But is this bp very high and something to worry about?

I would say it's high enough to worry about. You appear to live in the UK. In some more proactive countries you would be well into the 'pre-hypertensive' labelling range and that 90 would make you a candidate for medication. The UK is a bit behind right now, but no doubt will have to catch up sometime, when NICE gets it's act together.

So as mentioned lifestyle changes are in order. Stopping smoking actually isn't going to make that much difference to your BP, but it is the most important thing you can do in order to prevent an early death and/or a life of illness from many other causes.

In a rough order of effectiveness.

• Lose Weight
• Eat Healthy
• Exercise
• Reduce dietary salt
• Moderate Alcohol

Nothing there too difficult eh? If you are 10kg overweight it's possible that just shedding that could get your BP into the 'normal' label range. You want to avoid having to be medicated.

[Re-entry]

metropolol 50mg.

[BelfastChild]

Do NOT take medication! Slim_slag is spot on. Except don't agree with those who say stopping smoking won't make much difference...

[effortless]

Originally Posted by slim_slag

Stopping smoking actually isn't going to make that much difference to your BP, but it is the most important thing you can do in order to prevent an early death and/or a life of illness from many other causes.

Nicotine restricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Although smokers think smoking relaxes them, it actually makes their hearts work harder to pump blood to all parts of their bodies. Smoking may also cause artery damage, which increases plaque build-up and makes arteries less flexible.

life clinic

[Re-entry]

So VFR on top. how you doing? As the only person who answered your question, I respectfully request a response.

[Re-entry]

oh. btw slim slag get a life it's better that way. lol

[slim_slag]

Hi effortless,

That lifeclinic site you link to is somewhat behind the times as it still refers to JNC VI, but even so, the link you provide doesn't say what you think it does. Sure, when you inhale tobacco smoke your heart rate increases, your arteries stiffen and your blood pressure goes up, but when you put the ciggie out your blood pressure will return to where it was before. No doubt damage was caused by the temporary increase in blood pressure and the temporary effects are cumulative so heavy smokers have more damage. But, if you randomly take 1000 young people like vfr-on-top off the street, tell them to wait in a room and then take their BP's with a cuff around the arm, you will not find the group of smokers has a higher blood pressure than the non smokers. Maybe that means the way BP is currently measured doesn't give the whole picture, but that's another thread

So, vfr-on-top reports he is a 28 year old smoker with BP of 135/90. What I am saying is that if he stops smoking and does nothing else (and doesn't put on weight), then goes down to his GP and has his BP measured, his BP will still be 135/90. He will have more money, can be expected to live longer, will not be coughing up gunks of green muck in the morning, and will not smell as bad - but his BP as measured by the GP will essentially be the same. Smoking is most certainly an additional risk factor for hypertensives, but I don't believe there is any proof that it causes hypertension in 28 year olds - or that stopping smoking is an effective way to treat hypertension as currently defined/measured.

Morning re-entry. So you would start a 28 year old with a BP of 135/90 on a beta blocker? Don't think so, beta blockers have side effects and there are far better ways to approach this case (and also if medication was needed you would first consider a thiazide diuretic). Which google search threw that up? Also my life is fine, thank you