Blood Pressure ?
You probably have what is called white-coat hypertension, which means since you changed Doctors and you are probably a bit nervous at his office, and that is why your blood pressure could be up a bit. Keep monitoring it at home the 119/82 is fine. If it gets to 140/90 then you got something to worry about. Have a great day!
Am I going to be weighed before getting a blood test?
I am getting a blood test done at lab corps and it's my first time getting this done. I am quite nervous, and if don't know what to expect. Am I going to get weighed before getting blood drawn? Are they going to give me a basic physical before drawing blood, or will it literally just be blood being drawn? Thanks in advance!!
Why does my blood pressure keep going through the roof when I don't take medication?
The advise to take BP medications as prescribed and not discontinue them without your doctor’s advice is to avoid this specific issue. “Rebound hypertension” is common. That means BP spikes if you skip a dose or discontinue it.My doctors discontinued my BP meds very gradually, over almost two years as I was deemed consistently hypotensive when I took them. The first was discontinued after my neurologist’s anesthesiologist had trouble keeping my BP up during brain surgery. The second was discontinued after I had a cerebral angiogram. I was being weaned off the third when I had a hypotensive fall and my was measured at 75/53 at the ER. They gradually increased my BP over the course of six hours then discontinued my last BP med.BP is important to brain health. Too high, and it causes brain damage, including stroke. Too low and the brain does not get enough oxygen or glucose.Work with your doctor and take the meds as prescribed.
Why can the nurse not get blood from me?!?
There are so many variables that go into this (weight, medical conditions, anatomy, etc). I have found that most always, regardless of what you tell the phlebotomist (the one drawing blood) they will always go for the antecubital fossa (your inner elbow area) for blood. I have pipes for veins running from my hand all down my forearm. But yet, I get stuck in the ac area. Now, as an ICU nurse, I have to tell you that its dangerous to blindly dig around in that area with a needle. Besides the pain, you can puncture an artery or nerve. It takes very skilled fingers to feel a deep vein and a thorough understanding of the venous anatomy. I have drawn blood from every conceivable area of the human body but the ac fossa is generally a good start. If they can't get blood by the second attempt, you have the right to ask for a different clinician. You also don't mention how difficult you are to usually get blood from. It may very well be that you are one of those people that I dread sticking and have to poke half a dozen times (or more) to get blood from. Usually, if I've hit a tiny vein, its not going to produce much. You 'll get a small flash of red and thats all. Before you go in for blood, it would help do be well hydrated with fluid unless your doctor says otherwise. Additionally, before you get stuck, make sure your target area is warm. Warmth dilates your veins making them bigger to see and feel, so, have some hot packs placed onto your target area and wrap up with a towel. Once the tourniquet is applied, make sure the target area is lower than your heart. Now grab a balled up washcloth and keep repeatedly squeezing it like you want to crush the hell out of it. This will help pump up your veins as well. Gently massaging the area is another strategy. Try any or all of these tricks and good luck to you. There is no reason they can't try a different area.
What should I do when my blood pressure goes down to 80/50?
I think it’s really important to seek your doctor’s assistance. If you don’t get it checked properly it’s going to take a toll on your health.For your assistance here are a few home remedies you can take if your blood pressure goes down:Drink salt water. Simply mix one-half teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and drink it. You can also drink sports beverages.Take beetroot juice.You can also take raisins. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine to cure low blood pressure. Soak 30 to 40 raisins in a cup of water overnight. Eat them in the morning, one at a time, on an empty stomach. You can also drink the water in which the raisins were soaked. Follow this remedy for a few weeks or even a month.Add extra pillows while you rest.Sleeping with your head elevated above the level of your heart can help combat the effects of gravity.If you experience it in public, try the scissor and squeeze technique. Cross your thighs in a scissor-like fashion and then squeeze as tight as you can. If applicable, you can also try lying flat and propping your ankles on any object that would raise them higher than the level of your heart. Both of these low BP treatment options are easy to do and work quickly.These are the few tips that I know. But I think you should consult a doctor before following any of them.
If you forget to take your blood pressure pill the morning, can you take it later in the day?
Yes, except if it is a twice a a day medicine you should not take the morning dose close to the time you take the evening dose.Actually blood pressure medicines should be taken in the evening. The greatest likelihood of heart attack and stroke is in the very early morning (e.g. 2 -3 AM). If you take a once a day blood pressure medicine in the morning (at the times most people wake up e.g. 6 to 9 AM) the effect will be wearing off at the time that it is needed most.
I forgot to take my blood pressure medicine this morning?
If you have been on BP medication you have enough in your system that missing one dose won't hurt a thing. If you are afraid your BP will shoot up then take the missed dose and get back on your schedule tomorrow. Some people will take 1/2 the dose when they forget which they figure is better than none but if you have a BP monitor you can check it but really if you've been on it a while you will be just fine missing one dose. My friend and her sister went away for 5 days because their Dad was in the hospital in another state and the one sister forgot her BP medication. The other one remembered hers so even though they took different BP pills the one sister made the other take 1/2 of her BP pill every day while they were away and it worked out great, no one had any problems with high BP because of missing her pills. Of course my friend was a paramedic so she knew any BP pill is better than none at all for that long. You'll be fine.
What can I do to distract myself while getting my blood drawn? I have really bad anxiety surrounding this and need to get my blood drawn next week.
One thing you can do to calm yourself is just breathe. Focus on your breath, and make sure to let the phlebotomist taking your blood that you have anxiety about having your blood drawn. If you feel faint or dizzy, make sure to speak up so they can help you before you stand up and fall down.Other than that experiment with different things to see what works for you. Ask the phlebotomist to talk to you, listen to music, look away, read a book, close your eyes, take deep breaths, etc.It’s possible that fear of the unknown is building up getting your blood drawn as this scary event that you’re imagining is going to be horrible. Just know that it probably isn’t going to be nearly as bad as you are imagining, and that the blood draw itself is only going to take a couple of minutes. Before you know it, the blood draw will be done, and you will be on your way.