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High Blood Pressure

michaela2015

michaela2015

Well-Known Member
Messages
45
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, i am type 1 and very well controlled, i was at the hospital last week for a routine check up and my blood pressure was slightly high, they said to have it re done in a week.
So yesterday i popped to the doctors and did my blood pressure (they have one of those do it yourself machines)
I felt calm and relaxed and my blood pressure was 168 over 107
Now im no expert but looking at the chart i think thats really high.
Im worried that if i am but on medication will this affect my driving licence. Im just so confused why its so high.
 
In my case the single random blood pressure test proved completely useless. If I get anywhere near a HCP my blood pressure goes through the roof. When I told DN about this she ordered up a 24 hour reading which tended to prove me correct but still a tad high. You could see the peaks on it at the times I went to the surgery.

You might benefit from a 24 hour read. I was happy with that. Much happier than giving me pills based on a single reading in DN's office.
 
michaela2015 said:
I felt calm and relaxed and my blood pressure was 168 over 107
Now im no expert but looking at the chart i think thats really high.
Click to expand...

Those figures are rather high.

The home bp monitors are quite cheap to buy now and a good brand to purchase is Omron, they come with a bp diary so you can record your results and show them to your Dr, I'm currently on my second Omron monitor and check my bp every 1-2 months to keep an eye on things, if you do buy one make sure you purchase one that measures bp with a arm cuff rather than the wrist type (as I believe they are less accurate).

michaela2015 said:
Im worried that if i am but on medication will this affect my driving licence. Im just so confused why its so high.
Click to expand...

Your fine to drive cars and motorcycles with high bp, you only have to inform the DVLA if you drive a bus, coach or lorry:

https://www.gov.uk/high-blood-pressure-and-driving
 
The figures are a bit on the high side, but not to worry too much. Each time I see a doctor my BP goes high, i ask them to test again a few minutes later and it seems to drop considerably. The doctor at my dibatic clinic calls this, "white coat syndrome" You react to someone taking your BP which tends to raise the BP

I eventually had a 24 hour monitor fitted and my BP was fine
 
Hi. Bear in mind that the normal BP level rises rapidly with age so make sure your GP is using the right reference level for your age and not the '140/80' default reference. There are many charts on the web but nothing for the over 65s.
 
I am 77 and they are still aiming for below 130/70 Derek
Daibell said:
Hi. Bear in mind that the normal BP level rises rapidly with age so make sure your GP is using the right reference level for your age and not the '140/80' default reference. There are many charts on the web but nothing for the over 65s.
Click to expand...
 
How accurate are these BP monitors? I had mine done by a Health/Gym MOT on a digital monitor and was 151/80. I was so concerned I had my GP check it on his old style Mercury monitor which was 126/84 and normal. Question: which was was accurate?
Google search suggests the digital monitors (also used in clinics etc) are reliable and possibly better than the Mercury devices!
I'm hoping the Drs reading is correct but who knows?
 
les74 said:
How accurate are these BP monitors? I had mine done by a Health/Gym MOT on a digital monitor and was 151/80. I was so concerned I had my GP check it on his old style Mercury monitor which was 126/84 and normal. Question: which was was accurate?
Google search suggests the digital monitors (also used in clinics etc) are reliable and possibly better than the Mercury devices!
I'm hoping the Drs reading is correct but who knows?
Click to expand...

The one I use (Omron M10-IT) is the same one used in my Dr's surgery and some hospital clinics, so I'd imagine they would have to be accurate to be used in a medical setting...................surely?????
 
les74 said:
How accurate are these BP monitors? I had mine done by a Health/Gym MOT on a digital monitor and was 151/80. I was so concerned I had my GP check it on his old style Mercury monitor which was 126/84 and normal. Question: which was was accurate?
Click to expand...
Both were accurate for that moment in time. It's bodies that are annoyingly inaccurate. Try taking your own blood pressure, at home, several times, or, much better, get someone you trust to do the actual button pressing and recording the readings. Dream of fluffy white clouds on a perfect blue sky for one reading, something that makes you angry or afraid for another and see the difference. Try the experiment when you are coming down with a cold, against feeling well - big differences.
The late Dr Duane Graveline (Space Doc - he was a former NASA flight surgeon) has an interesting article on changing blood pressures.
Sally
 
#sally and james
Yes I agree there are a wide range of fluctuations;but there doesn't seem much point in the medics placing such confidence in one off measurements that can be crucial for treating vulnerable patients at risk of stroke or cvd if theyfluctuate to that extent!
 
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