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What Causes Persistent High Blood Pressure?
Question: I'm 35 male and can at times have high blood pressure. When at the Docs office I run from anywhere of 130 over 83 to 144 over 90 for some reason those numbers stuck in my head. Lately I have been monitoring my bp at home and have been working out ever since I took a bp reading at a pharmacy store community machine. It had a reading of 160 over 103! I freaked came home and checked it at 140 over 92. Since then I have been dieting and exercising every day and now have two home monitors both usually show me around 128/80. However, I went to a different store and had another absurdly high reading of 155 over 103! Once again I come home and my bp is close to normal. Which machine should I trust? I have an automated machine and manual one at home and both are are close to one another in readings but the store machines have me thinking I should go to an emergency room.
Brief Answer:
Nothing to be worried about
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to HCM. Thank you for your question. I understand your concern.
The blood pressure is a very variable parameter of the human organism. There are a lot of factors that may phisiologically increase its figures, such as physical activity, psychological stress, variations in the hormonal levels that happen to everyone, caffeine-containing beverages, etc. Even the high blood pressure you experienced in the doctor's office is what is called "white-coat" hypertension. My opinion is that this is all due to above mentioned physiological factors and as a result of your anxiety. You should not be worried. If the anxiety is affecting your quality of life/work/sleep, my recommendation is for you to see a psychiatrist, so a course of anxiolytic medication should be tried.
I hope my answer is helpful. I am happy to help, if you have follow-up questions.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
Nothing to be worried about
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to HCM. Thank you for your question. I understand your concern.
The blood pressure is a very variable parameter of the human organism. There are a lot of factors that may phisiologically increase its figures, such as physical activity, psychological stress, variations in the hormonal levels that happen to everyone, caffeine-containing beverages, etc. Even the high blood pressure you experienced in the doctor's office is what is called "white-coat" hypertension. My opinion is that this is all due to above mentioned physiological factors and as a result of your anxiety. You should not be worried. If the anxiety is affecting your quality of life/work/sleep, my recommendation is for you to see a psychiatrist, so a course of anxiolytic medication should be tried.
I hope my answer is helpful. I am happy to help, if you have follow-up questions.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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