Blood Pressure Machines Guide

My hubby is 34 years old and he has high blood pressure, the weird thing is that when he takes his blood pressure at home (with the home blood pressure monitor) his blood pressure is good it’s approximately about 125/78 and when he goes to the doc his blood pressure jumps to high numbers it’s approximately about 160/98, and he took his home monitor with him to the doc and his home monitor read the same results as the doctors monitor(so I don’t think the problem is with his home monitor), my question is why is it that when he goes to the doc his blood pressure is really high and when he takes it at home it’s good??

As machine 1 said it is the white coat syndrome; in this case, White Coat Hypertension.

The Blood Pressure Association states that white coat hypertension occurs when people experience elevated blood pressures in a medical setting. When they take their blood pressure at home, the systolic, the top number, is10 mm Hg lower than when taken in the examination room and the diastolic, the bottom number, is 5 mm Hg lower. There are various causes of white coat hypertension.

This can be due to Anxiety of Going to Doctor, Waiting for Examination, Early Indicator of Health Problems (The U.S. Army Medical Department states that, in many cases, white coat hypertension is not a benign situation. It could be an early indicator that patients are in the early stages of hypertension.), Smoking, caffeine or exercise.

Interestinglynly, a study published in BMJ, suggests the opposite. Refer:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/286/6373/1235

I posted under woman’s health, but this was yahoo’s "recommended" category. But I added some stuff people asked from the other question.

I often take my blood pressure on the machines in groceries stores, I don’t know. I’ve just always done it since I was like 16, to see what it says. I’ve NEVER show even close to high blood pressure, but for the last 2 weeks its been pretty high (not in the little normal box). I know those things can be off so I don’t know if its something I should bother going to the doctor about. What would cause it to get so much higher? I haven’t changed my diet, except I eat more salad (a lot more) now. Cause I’m on a “diet”. But otherwise I still eat Special K or Cheerios for breakfast, salad, more salad and usually chicken or fish. I have been under a lot of stress lately, but I didn’t think that could really make your blood pressure get higher.
Additional Details
11 minutes ago

Well here is what I got on the machine.
Systolic/Diastolic/Heart Rate

Around what I was getting a month ago:
110/70/99

What I got this last week
130/77/107
125/73/98
134/80/92

What do you think? Should I worry, or just try to “fix” it myself. If you think its something I can do myself, what do you think I should try? If you have questions message me. Thanks!
3 minutes ago

I don’t have any history in my family for BP, the only thing that does run in my family is diabetes.
1 second ago

I drink diet coke & diet pepsi. Probably about 3 cans on a bad day. (What can I say, sometimes I need the extra energy boost).

Caffeine will raise your heart rate which may raise your BP. Your heart rate could be lower; it’s on the high side. If possible, you should sit at the machine for a few minutes before you take the BP so you’re more relaxed.

Do you exercise? That is as important as your diet when it comes to heart health. You need to be eating whole grains and fruits on your ‘diet’. Those will provide the vitamins and minerals that will keep your heart and muscles functioning best. Could you be slightly anemic? That will cause your heart rate to rise too.

You should try drinking more plain water to flush out your system. Watch your salt intake, which can increase blood pressure. If you’re eating more diet drinks and more salad dressing (even if it’s diet) you could be getting more salt.

I suggest you take the BP again a couple times. If the systolic is above 140 or the diastolic above 80, you might want to have a check up and see what the doc has to say.

I had a sensation on the top of my head like a warm burning feeling, I thought my blood pressure might be high. We were going out to eat so I could not check it. I kept having that feeling through our meal until we got home. I did not think I was anxious and did not even say anything to my husband about it, I tried to keep my mind off of it. When we got home my blood pressure checked 171/100 with a wrist monitor. Then I check with an arm cuff and it was 171/ 91. I sat down had my daughter get a bath and it did come down into the 150’s over 90’s. I took my daughter upstairs to bed and checked it again and it read 180/102, but came down again to 150’s/90’s within a couple of minutes. I usually don’t have high blood pressure, sometimes in the 130’s or 140’s with activity. I do have anxiety. Could these spikes cause something serious to happen? I hate anxiety. This happens to me when I am not even anxious, but then it makes me anxious and blood pressure gets high and sometimes heart rate too.

Yes, I had severe anxiety last week. Omg If I wasn’t on my blood pressure medicine I probably would of had a stroke.

I recently got my blood pressure taken at my sister’s house with an at home blood pressure monitor.. It says that my blood pressure is 131/90.. Is this something I should be concerned about? Will it go down soon? Do I need to go to the doctor to get it checked out real soon? Thanks!

Well, don’t panic. There is always a possibility that her machine needs recalibrated.

My doctor already think I may have preeclampsia. I will not know until Tuesday. How ever I bought a blood pressure machine and it said 158/87 and my pluse right was 113 beat per min. I am 20 years old and 27 weeks pregnant. Is this normal and shoul I be worried?
Yes i do have sudden weight gain, spots in my vision, swelling in my hands, face, and feet. I have not been tested for the protien in my urine and won’t be until Tuesday. I had to go to the ER Thursday because I was having contractions that when they told me I may have it.

That sounds high. Any women 30 points over her normal blood pressure while pregnant is considered to have high blood pressure, and this is serious in pregnancy! So, if it’s normally 120/70, and it goes up to 150/70 it’s too high. Blood pressure should not rise at all during pregnancy. I would take it very easy until you see the doc, and it sounds like you may have some bed rest in your future. Sorry and good luck!

i need a device to measure blood pressure which i could trust – i have two devices one wrist that show what they want and i understand fluctuations are normal but the results i get i do not trust. they both pump air and this technology seems obsolete – is there something i can trust and easy to use out there?

I work for the ambulance service & use an inexpensive bp monitor from Lloyds to check my families pressure at home. I’ve tried it against the work issue ones & there’s not a deal of difference. You will get differing results from different monitors, don’t be alarmed by this. Your blood pressure will also fluctuate depending on your position, standing or sitting, your mood & even the time of day. Don’t expect it to be consistent. If you have cause for concern keep a diary of your bp and the time you took it but use one monitor consistently don’t mix & match, then have a word with your GP & see what they think. All the best D

Reasonably accurate. If you don’t believe the figures it is turning out it probably needs to be calibrated. It is a bit like a motor vehicle that needs to be serviced and/or tuned up.

The one in the GP’s office would be more reliable.

is it better to take from left arm, my husband bought me a cool digital one from Omron and I have it now on my left arm but am left handed, I’m taking my readings at every turn now as my BP went to 210/110 (now at 180/110) from a nice 110/70 right after I married him! and my pulse has always been a steady 100 at rest to 125 if i walk around (i will not say how much from exercise as its scary…oh, ok it about 140 to 160, but its been this way my whole life and no dorctor has ever made note to me to lower it, so my question is, is 1 arm better than the other to read the rates?
thanks
and yes im on medication but thats another question in its self.

left arm is closer to the heart.

Well, both of my parents have high blood pressure so i was told by the doctor to keep an eye on mine. So i bought a Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor and began to take my pressure weekly. On the monitor it also checks the heart rate. When i started taking my pressure my heart rate was between 50 and 65, but recently i have noticed that it had begin to go up and down so i started taking it everyday. The past few days it has been between 105 and 115. I don’t know why it could have gone up so much so soon because im not overweight and i haven’t been stressing. Is it ok for it to go up that much?

You need to have been sitting quietly, not talking, no activity for 10 minutes before you believe any number that comes up on these machines. And, if you drink soda or any product that has caffeine in it, it will also elevate your heart rate. Continue to monitor your heart rate but only when you have been quiet for the required period of time.

I have high blood pressure. In the beginning, my readings at home and at the doctor’s office were always high. 140s over 90s for example. My doctor put me on Enalapril 10mg. After a few weeks, my recorderings at home were perfect. Under 120/80 consistently. However, every time I go to check up with my doctor my readings are high again!

Does my blood pressure monitor at home just suck or and the one at the office better and more accurate?

My readings at home were always high and now after medication they are low. And then high every time I go to my doctor. He probably thinks I’m lying to him when I say my readings are good at home.

What do you think?

You are having a case of what I like to call "Doctor office -itis". Almost everyone gets abnormal readings when going to see the doctor. It has to do with our fear of finding that there is something wrong.
I would suggest recording your readings from home in a diary or date book. When you go to your appointment, take the book and show the doctor what your blood pressure readings are at home.
The Enalapril sounds like it is doing a good job controlling your pressure but if you stop taking it, you will still have high blood pressure.
So try to relax, go to the doctor next time prepared with your daily log and good luck.