Should i be concerned about the BP of 155/88 range?
Patient: Good dayI apologize in advance for asking a question, after seeing a Dr at our local clinic. I am 29 and has had hypertension since my early teens. I was told that I am too young for medication amd was treated symptomatically.. ie . Headaches, dizziness etc.. I had my daughter on 28weeks due to pre eclampsia, which our local clinic and Drs missed, as my weight (123kg) apparently warrants high blood pressure.This week I nearly broke my neck due to an fainting episode, and since the fall, i still dont feel much better, in actual fact worse.Today i had a checkup at our clinic and the Dr said that 155/88 is normal, although i remember my previous Dr told me that from 150 + i should immediately consult a Dr, as this is dangerous.. I feel terrible, and they say everything is normal. Is there anything I might be missing or not understand about hypertension.Your feedback will be much appreciated. Kind regards Louise Doctor: Hello, Louise! Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern. There are some things I would like to share with you in relationship with hypertension. Normal blood pressure ranges from 100-139/60-89 mmHg. Now, in certain moments in a 24-hours cycle, there are a lot of changes in psychological, physiological and hormonal peaks and nadirs in our organism, that can be detected. All of these factors determine our blood pressure and it is variable. Also, there is a phenomenon that is called ''white collar hypertension'', which is characterized by high blood pressure figures every time the patient sees the doctor and/or a sphygmomanometer gets attached to their arm. However, just to be thorough, I would recommend you to wear a 24 or 48-hour blood pressure monitor, to precisely determine whether this is your constant blood pressure or not, and, if it is, proper treatment should be installed. I can see that this figures come as worrisome events to you. The stress and/or anxiety generated by this state, produces high blood pressure figures. I recommend you to take the proper measure of immediately losing weight. You have to modify your eating and lifestyle habits: an hour a day of physical activity, no alcohol, no animal fat, no red meat but more fish and chicken, no fast food, more fruit and vegetables. With a combination of confidence and self-initiative, I believe you will succeed. I hope I was of help. Take care. Kind regards, Dr. Meriton