More Blood Pressure BS
Whenever I've had blood pressure checked at the doctors, it tends to be on the high side, but it's always been when I'm hyped up, after a hot shower, fully coffee loaded (I've since quit caffeine), running late, used the stairs, etc.... and doctors tend to make me a bit tense too. So, I've tended towards being boarder line hypertensive per what the doctor reads. But, blood pressure is supposed to be resting state, and I'm not near resting at the Docs. Well, instead of letting them put me on drugs and messing with my head, I went and got a good electronic home blood pressure tester and I did a long term pressure check. Lo and behold, when I wake up in the AM, my pressure is in the "correct range". When I've been hanging out watching the tube taking it easy for a couple of hours it is fine too. But, when I'm moving around, caffeinated, hot, excited, etc......it is in a high range (no surprise). Basically though I don't give credence to one data point type blood pressure readings done at doctor's offices. When done repeatedly at various times every day for a month while recording what I was doing, resting, first thing in AM, after exercise, etc... a clear pattern emerged that showed that while my resting state pressure is where it should be, when I'm active it appears high. This made me and my doc happy, and made me feel better about spending money on the monitor. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of high readings at doctors offices are due to a similar "not resting state" effect.
I have quit caffeine though as about 8 hours after use it puts me into atrial fibrillation and irregular heartbeat, which isn't a good thing and tends to cause a risk of strokes due to the excessive blood turbulence creating clots. No caffeine, no heartbeat problems. Plus, I have proven to myself that life without caffeine is not just possible, but better. I don't miss the stuff at all.
Rman |
