High Blood Pressure: The Secret Killer

Some people say they know when their pressure is high but for most people, there are no symptoms for this serious illness. For me it was accidental discovery. I was walking in the mall with a nurse friend of mine one day and like a child, I like playing with these equipments they have in the malls - like scales and blood pressure machines. I always jump on the scales to see how much I weigh and would frown whenever the weight is not what I expected; generally, it's always on the plus rather than the minus side, but I do it anyway. I also like to check my blood-pressure. After all there is free equipment to use, so why not? One Saturday while window shopping in the mall, I checked my pressure, it was 180 over 100. My nurse friend was shaking but I didn't think anything of it because I was feeling in top form. She told me that my pressure was way off the charts and it was major. I could have a stroke. Thinking that the machine might be malfunctioning, she took me to her home where another friend of hers a nurse also was waiting for her. Now there were two nurses and me. My friend has the old fashioned blood pressure equipment not electronic one. They took my pressure about four times. By then my pressure had gone to 189 over 100 and they both were like - "we'd better call an ambulance". I said no, I will go to the doctor on the following Monday. I was worried and concerned at this point.

The Monday when I went to see my regular doctor, he too was alarmed and put me on some medication immediately. I was arguing against the medication. I wanted to try a natural way to lower my pressure because frankly, I hate taking pills. The doctor told me to return in two weeks. I kept the prescription, did not fill it right away, I started dieting to lose some of the weight and do a bit more vigorous exercise. When I returned there was no significant change and he asked he whether I was taking the medication as prescribed, when I told him that I wasn't be flipped. He was very firm and said that I was playing with my life. He told me there is no cure for blood pressure and there was nothing I could do. If I did not take it I could suddenly collapse with a stroke or burst artery. He scared the daylights out of me. I rushed over to the pharmacy and filled my prescription. I have been on the prescription for the past three years and I am still trying to prove to my doctor that I can come off the pills one day. I have lost about 40 pounds over three years, my pressure has stabilized and I am still on the same pill he prescribed three years ago - the water pill. I am also on drastically sodium reduced diet, I am a partial vegetarian - I eat fish and eggs. More recently I am trying to cut out wheat and dairy from my diet. Dairy is proving a challenge as I like cream in my coffee (decaffeinated) so I cheat now an again. I also do my own research - incorporate some aspects of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. My pressure is generally 120 over 60 - many days it's lower than that. I still check my pressure every time I'm close to a machine in the mall. I am planning to ask my doctor for a prescription to buy one. These machines are sold over the counter but with the prescription I can claim it on my Blue Cross. Having a machine will help me to gauge my own progress.

The message is however, not to play with blood-pressure. If you have high blood pressure, please take your pill as directed while trying your home remedies. If it does not cure it, it might just prevent you from taking more than one pill. As one gets older and the arteries get narrower through a lifetime of plaque build up your pressure will go up. In fact recent research says that for an older person high blood pressure is when his or her systolic pressure (the top number) is over 140. Some doctors say that the diastolic pressure never goes up in an older person and that is the top number that has to be tracked for possible heart and stroke problems.

If you have a story to share or some tips and tricks in keeping your blood pressure stable, I would love to hear from you.