How K Health Can Help
Skip the long wait at the doctors officeyou can chat with a K Health primary care provider in minutes to discuss your blood pressure concerns.
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When Should You Call Your Doctor
One high or low blood pressure reading by itself may not mean you need to call for help. If you take your blood pressure and it is out of the normal range, wait a few minutes and take it again. If it’s still high or low, use the following guidance.
anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out .
or seek immediate medical care if:
- Your blood pressure is much higher than normal .
- You think high blood pressure is causing symptoms such as:
- Severe headache.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- Your blood pressure measures higher than your doctor recommends at least 2 times. That means the top number is higher or the bottom number is higher, or both.
- You think you may be having side effects from your blood pressure medicine.
Home Blood Pressure Testing
Blood pressure tests can also be carried out at home using your own blood pressure monitor.
Like 24-hour or ambulatory monitoring, this can give a better reflection of your blood pressure.
It can also allow you to monitor your condition more easily in the long term.
You can buy a variety of low-cost monitors so you can test your blood pressure at home or while you’re out and about.
Measure your blood pressure twice a day, ideally in the morning and the evening, while you’re sitting down.
Each time take 2 readings, 1 minute apart. Continue to measure your blood pressure twice a day for 7 days.
Your doctor or nurse will use this information to work out your average blood pressure.
It’s important to make sure you use equipment that’s been properly tested.
The British Hypertension Society has information about validated blood pressure monitors that are available to buy.
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Why Is The Timing Of Your Medication Important
According to AARP, blood pressure follows a daily rhythm. It rises higher during the day and falls at night when we sleep.
Since morning blood pressure is usually highest, people often opt to take their medications then. Many also feel that it is easier to remember morning medications.
Also, since many medications cause urination, people may prefer to take them early in the day.
As we age, however, we may develop a blood pressure pattern called non-dipping. Non-dipping blood pressure tends to remain high overnight.
People ages 55 and older with high blood pressure are more prone to non-dipping.
Non-dipping blood pressure is a problem because it is a major risk factor for several conditions, including heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
Overnight blood pressure control is important in order to lower your risk.
If your medication wears off before your next dose is due, your blood pressure may be elevated for several hours while you sleep. You may also wake with high blood pressure.
Taking your medication at bedtime may help prevent this issue.
Is It Possible To Stabilize Blood Pressure And Reduce Fluctuations
Blood pressure fluctuations can make it challenging to take an accurate, meaningful reading, and severe fluctuations can increase your risk of health problems. You might be wondering if there’s anything you can do to reduce this variability and stabilize your blood pressure.
Your first priority should be to continue taking your medication as directed. Your blood pressure should stabilize with effective treatment, so talk to your doctor if youre concerned about your readings.
If medication is ineffective, you might have resistant hypertension or an underlying health condition.
Your doctor can make specific suggestions depending on your individual symptoms and how your blood pressure fluctuates. This might include taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime to reduce nighttime blood pressure, taking them in the morning if your blood pressure is dropping too low, or exercising at a different time of day.
If you have resistant hypertension, there are surgical treatments available as a last-resort option.
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What Is The Best Time To Take Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure follows a pattern, rising a while before you wake up. It is the highest at midday and tends to drop in the evening or late afternoon. Your nighttime blood pressure is typically lower than in the morning or the afternoon.
The blood pressure reading you get at night is your nocturnal blood pressure.
If your blood pressure is consistently too high or too low, it can be a sign of kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid diseases, or obstructive sleep apnea.
However, irregular blood pressure is not always associated with diseases. Your blood pressure may be higher or lower than it should be due to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, stress, anxiety, night-shift work, and obesity.
If you get a consistent abnormal blood pressure reading, speak to your doctor.
The recommendations are to take your blood pressure twice a day, in the evening and the morning. Take two readings each time, a minute apart.
If there’s too big a difference between the readings, space them apart even more. It’s best to create a routine and stick to it daily. It will help you see a pattern in your results.
Keep a record of your blood pressure readings in a notebook. Record the reading time, day, blood pressure reading, and heart rate every day.
It would be best to write which arm you put the cuff on. Over time, you will see a pattern.
Good Sleep Can Prevent And Manage High Blood Pressure
Most people experience a dip in blood pressure during the deepest stage of sleep , which is the body’s normal and healthy reaction to sleep. Not having that nighttime dip is a risk factor for heart disease and may increase daytime blood pressure.
Typically people spend 90 minutes to two hours in slow wave sleep per night. A recent study published in Hypertension found that men who got less slow wave sleep each night were a higher risk for hypertension than men who got more deep sleep.
While sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, and age can both affect the amount of deep sleep you get, there are steps you can take to ensure a good night’s sleep. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and being more active during the day can help improve the quality of your sleep.
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Blood Pressure Pattern During 24
ABPM was evaluated in 207 type 2DM patients . shows the pattern of systolic and diastolic BP over 24h. A significant increase in both systolic and diastolic BP levels occurred in the afternoon . As expected, a nighttime BP decrease and a morning rise in BP were observed . The same pattern was observed when participants were divided into normotensive prehypertensive, and hypertensive categories . Dividing participants by the American Diabetes Association cut-point the results did not change .
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring pattern in type 2 diabetes patients . BP, blood pressure.
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring pattern in type 2 diabetes patients by blood pressure classification according the JNC7 classification: normotensive , prehypertensive , and hypertensive systolic BP and diastolic BP) according to the American Diabetes Association: normotensive , and hypertensive systolic BP and diastolic BP). BP, blood pressure.
According to the nighttime dipper pattern, 32% were classified as nondippers by systolic BP, whereas 46% were nondippers based on diastolic BP. Because both the dipper pattern of BP during nighttime and morning rise of BP are already well described, we focused the further analysis on the BP afternoon increase.
Histogram of afternoon blood pressure increment. Systolic BP and diastolic BP. BP, blood pressure.
Neither the results showed in nor changed when adjusted for sex.
Key Terms About Blood Pressure And Hypertension:
- Systolic blood pressure : the top number when BP is checked. This reflects the pressure in the arteries when the heart squeezes. Its by far the most important number to consider when it comes to older adults.
- Diastolic blood pressure : the lower number when BP is checked. This reflects the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes.
- Pulse: the heart rate. Automatic BP monitors report pulse along with BP. Doctors must evaluate a persons heart rate when considering a change in BP medication.
- Hypertension: Usually defined as BP> 140/90, assuming the readings are taken in a doctors office. If only the systolic BP is high, this is called isolated systolic hypertension. This type of hypertension is very common in older adults, as aging is associated with both increases in systolic BP and decreases in diastolic BP.
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Excessive Salt Raises Blood Pressure
Too much sodium can cause water retention that puts increased pressure on your heart and blood vessels. People with high blood pressure and those at a high risk for developing hypertension, including adults over 50 and black men and women, should have no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily of salt.
Even people with normal levels should eat salt in moderation. Stick to no more than 2,300 mg of sodium , per day.
Most dietary sodium comes from processed foods. Rules of thumb are to choose foods with 5% or less of the daily value of sodium per serving and opt for fresh poultry, fish and lean meats, rather than canned, smoked or processed. Similarly, fresh or frozen vegetables are better than canned.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that if people cut just 1/2 teaspoon of salt per day, it could help lower the number of new cases of heart disease per year by up to 120,000.
Further, potassium found in foods like sweet potatoes, spinach, bananas, oranges, low-fat milk and halibut can counterbalance the pressure-increasing effects of sodium by helping to rid the body of excess sodium.
What Causes Labile Hypertension
When labile hypertension is suspected, a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor may be used to confirm the diagnosis. Then the work of pinpointing the underlying cause begins. Serious detective work often is required. We look at the patients overall health, lifestyle and medications, says Dr. Lioudis.
When a medication or lifestyle choice is the precipitating factor, making appropriate changes can cause labile hypertension to disappear.
Underlying medical conditions are a bigger concern, since they may be harder to treat.
We look for sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease or a problem with the adrenal glands, as any of these can cause blood pressure to fluctuate,says Dr. Lioudis.
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So Whats The Best Time To Measure Blood Pressure
Theres no one best time to measure blood pressure. The best practice would be to have it monitored several times a day. A common approach is to measure it twice daily: one time in the morning, before eating or taking medications , and the second time in the evening. If youre having your blood pressure measured at a medical facility, the doctor or nurse can advise you.
Another important tidbit is that loss of the normal fall in blood pressure at night is associated with a greater future risk of cardiovascular disease. There is some evidence that nighttime blood pressure is a stronger predictor than daytime blood pressure, but this is unclear. Blood pressure also varies over longer time periods and this variability is useful in predicting adverse outcomes.
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What Else Can You Do To Better Control Your Blood Pressure
Bhusri feels the key to controlling your blood pressure is your routine.
If your routine helps you take your medications regularly and consistently, then they will be more effective in controlling your blood pressure.
âIt is well known that meds that are prescribed to take at night have a higher rate of consistency,â said Bhusri. âThat is, fewer medicines are forgotten, and a more regular steady state of the medicine is in the patientâs system.
âWorse than persistent elevated pressure,â added Bhusri, âis labile high blood pressure. That is, swings in blood pressure for not adhering to the regimen.â
Bhusri believes that better compliance may have been the reason that the patients in the study had better blood pressure control.
However, Williams adds further advice, saying, âThe main message of our blood pressure therapy in our recent American College of Cardiology hypertension guidelines is to adopt lifestyle changes so that you donât need blood pressure therapy.
Among their recommendations, says Williams, are:
- Exercise regularly .
- Reduce excess weight.
- Increase potassium.
- Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Baliga also supports these lifestyle changes, adding to the list good sleep hygiene as well as an assessment for sleep apnea for at-risk patients.
Why You Should Pay Attention To Your Blood Pressure
Hypertension can wreak havoc on the body before alarming symptoms appear. Thats why regular checkups are a must.
Sometimes, Dr. Lioudis asks patients to check their blood pressure at different times of the day. Its the only way to spot masked hypertension. People with this condition have normal blood pressure in the doctors office, but high blood pressure at home.
We cant do anything for hypertension unless we know it exists, he says. Thats why we advise everyone to have their pressures checked at least yearly. They should also talk with their family doctor about stress, heart or kidney disease, family history of high blood pressure and any other potential contributing factor. By working together, you can bring your blood pressure under control.
This article originally appeared in Cleveland Clinic Heart Advisor.
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What Time Of Day Is Blood Pressure Highest
Blood pressure is created from the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. It constantly changes during the day, depending on physical activity, emotional stress or even foods that you eat. Certain variations of blood pressure are normal. However, extreme swings of blood pressure may indicate health problems which often require medical treatment. Then how does blood pressure fluctuate? Then when is the blood pressure highest or lowest during the day?
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
Having a raised blood pressure reading in 1 test does not necessarily mean you have high blood pressure.
Blood pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. Feeling anxious or stressed when you visit your GP can also raise your blood pressure.
If you have a high reading, you may be asked to take some readings with a 24-hour monitor that checks your blood pressure throughout the day.
This will confirm whether you have consistently high blood pressure.
It’s known as 24-hour or ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
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What Else Is Important When Checking My Blood Pressure
Many factors can influence your blood pressure reading. The following guidelines will help you get the best and most accurate results from your blood pressure monitoring.
Avoid Blood Pressure Spikers
Certain factors can increase your blood pressure. It is important to understand how these âspikersâ affect your BP numbers. To learn their effect, check your BP before and after you experience each of the factors listed below. Once you know their effect, avoid these spikers before your daily checkup routine. This will prevent them from interrupting your baseline measurement and will allow you to see if your standard BP is stable. As you establish your BP routine, use the following guidelines to control spikes in your readings.
Choose A Good Machine
Myriad choices exist in todayâs marketplace for home blood pressure monitoring devices. Not all are equal. Be sure to choose an FDA-approved device. Once you have selected a machine, it not a bad idea to take it in to your doctorâs office. Take your blood pressure reading in front of your physician, nurse or PA so they can ensure you are using it properly. Have them to take an additional reading on their machine, to compare for accuracy.
Take the Proper Position for Reliable Blood Pressure ReadingsEnsure you are positioned correctly for accurate blood pressure readings. Put your feet on the floor and straighten your back with arms supported at heart level. Make sure your elbow is at about the same level as your heart.