High Or Low Bp

[Jacquie802]

Hi, how can you tell the difference if your symptoms (blurry eye sight, headaches, etc.) are due to low/high bp?? I can't afford a bp cuff right now, so are there any other ways to tell? THanks

[Lukkychrm42]

Hi,

I'm not very good at it. -That is to say that my symptoms seem to be the same either way... which is sometimes rather frustrating! Since my BP usually stays high when I stand, I thought it was an error when my latest TTT showed a BP of 66/44 and then 55/33 after standing there for 30 minutes wishing I would pass out to get the darned thing over with... luckily that got them to stop it, but I wasn't aware that my body did this after standing for so long- of course, that could be because I make it a point not to stand so long! Possibly the only thing I notice is that in general when my BP is lower and I'm standing, I'm more likely to be nauseated.

If you want to get into a habit of checking your BP, most pharmacies will be able to do it for you, or will have a machine there to use.

[calypso]

Unless your BP is dangerously high -- 200/110 or higher -- then it's probably not symptoms of high BP you're experiencing. If your BP is lower than 90/60, you may have occasional symptoms like dizziness and lightheadedness (especially when you stand up quickly, so move slowly) and cold hands/feet.

Many of the POTS symptoms don't seem to be from the BP but more from whatever else is going on in our bodies. I have very normal BP most of the time and have all kinds of weird dizziness/vertigo/fatigue/etc., plus body temp. fluctuations.

Amy

[JanetM]

MY GP told me a good way to know is by your pulse pressure. If you have to feel hard/press hard on neck or wrist to feel it and if it is weak it is generally a sign of low BP. Whereas if your pulse is very strong it is generally higher. Obviously this method does not give readings of what it actually is but might help you find a pattern to your symptoms. The rate of your heart stays the same but the strength of your pulse changes.

Hope that makes sense !

Agree also that most chemist shops will do it for you. Good Luck.

[dizzygirl]

Hi jacquie

For me I can generally judge the high and low BP sometimes based on facial color..(somwtimes not always)

if my BP is low my face is generally pale and my skin is a funny unhealthy looking color.. if my BP is higher then norm.. or just plain old high.. my face-neck and ears get really really red.. i get flushed... but i also get flushed when I get tachycardia aswell... or if my bp is going crazy i can go from pale to flushed back to pale...

freinds who know me well can generally gage how I'm doing by the color of my skin.. my friend beck can tell when I'm getting tachy or my BP is going up even before I notice it it b/c I start to red.. she noticed this way before I ever got dx'd

but its not always a tell tail sign as i can flush with low Bp at times too if I'm over heated...

[Guest tearose]

Before I purchased a $50 wrist cuff, I borrowed a cuff from one of my doctors!

Why don't you ask if there is one you may borrow while you try to "learn" how to detect the highs and lows.

As far as what I feel:

1) When my heart slows too much, I know low bp may be one reason.

2)When I feel like I'm about to pass out, I see spots and know I have to sit or lay down cause my bp is not rising enough and the heart is not compensating enough...

3) When I am red-faced, or my chest is feeling tight or I feel swollen...it may be I am in a spell of high bp and must decrease fluid retention or lay down or cool down.

After about two years of bp AND heartrate monitoring I really learned significantly important things that help me manage myself incredibly well today.

I recommend that you have both monitors and "treat" yourself to the understanding that you will get!

best wishes, tearose

[nadine]

I have a bp monitor and find it very helpful. I notice that if my bp goes up to 130's over 80's or 90's -( which is about 20 points higher for me with meds) then I get headache, huge pupils,blurred vision and feel as lousy as when it is too low. This usually happens after I have been trying to do something, but not always. Sometimes wake up feeling that way. I don't usually have headache when bp is low, unless I have been in sun- then def. will bring on headache. I often have a hard time finding pulse, one of those that has to press hard to find it-so machine is helful.

[Guest tearose]

nadine, I forgot that

I too will get an occasional bad headache and it is always accompanied by high bp!

I guess we just kinda get use to all the ups and downs after several years of dealing with it all.

or do we? somethings I forget that I knew something once....it's like having to learn it all over again...sometimes.

forgive me cause my head hurts today, tearose