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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Can I Get Checked For Hypertension Myself?

How can I get checked for hypertension (high blood pressure ) without seeing a doctor? I looked up in a book what kind of headache I ve been experiencing based on the symptoms, and it looks like a hypertension headache. It didn t even sound like any other headache listed. I understand this means high blood pressure, but I was wondering... saving myself a trip to a doctor, how can I diagnose this myself? I m thinking I d have to buy a blood pressure monitor, and take regular readings... totally doable. That would be better than making an appointment, waiting 2 weeks, and paying a co-pay to have him tell me to do that. What I m looking for from you is a website giving information on self-diagnosis of hypertension, and treatment options. At what point should I see a doctor? Etc. Thank you
Tue, 15 Dec 2009
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A lot of pharmacies have blood pressure machines that you can use for free, so you could check your blood pressure there on a few occasions and see if it's consistently high. As for treatment, the DASH diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure. It basically emphasizes fruits and vegetables. Vegetarians tend to have lower rates of hypertension, which is probably due to a number of factors. If you do have hypertension, it is probably best to see the doctor anyway. Sure, you can make dietary changes on your own and check your progress at the drug store or with a home monitor. But doctors know how to check for other problems that can go along with hypertension, and your doctor may even want to start you on medications, depending on how high your blood pressure is. Good luck, and I hope everything turns out okay.
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How Can I Get Checked For Hypertension Myself?

A lot of pharmacies have blood pressure machines that you can use for free, so you could check your blood pressure there on a few occasions and see if it s consistently high. As for treatment, the DASH diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure. It basically emphasizes fruits and vegetables. Vegetarians tend to have lower rates of hypertension, which is probably due to a number of factors. If you do have hypertension, it is probably best to see the doctor anyway. Sure, you can make dietary changes on your own and check your progress at the drug store or with a home monitor. But doctors know how to check for other problems that can go along with hypertension, and your doctor may even want to start you on medications, depending on how high your blood pressure is. Good luck, and I hope everything turns out okay.