We're always hearing about the dangers of high blood pressure. Just about everyone I know is taking high blood pressure medication Looks like low blood pressure is more dangerous. For the past week, I've been experiencing problems when getting up - short of breath, rapid pounding heart, lightheadedness & feeling very weak & achy Felt like a virus. No fever. Sometimes I'd be close to passing out & have to get to a chair fast. We know what falls do to the elderly. I couldn't drive, so paramedics took me to the ER. After all kinds of tests, they admitted me for one day. One nurse was smarter than the 2 doctors who saw me. She took my blood pressure 3 times - when lying down, sitting down & standing. When lying down & sitting, it was perfect like it always has been - 120/72. When standing it was 85/50. Way too low to function. I never heard of this condition &, with all the attention to high blood pressure, I didn't think low blood pressure was so common. I left with a prescription for "Promatine" which raises blood pressure to make standing & walking safer. Looks like it will be a daily issue. I'll have to get a BP monitor. I wanted to know more about the cause. There is a lot of information about the condition: "Orthostatic hypotension is common in those who are age 65 and older. Special cells (baroreceptors) near the heart and neck arteries that control blood pressure can slow as you age. It also can be harder for an aging heart to speed up to make up for drops in blood pressure." Anyone else experiencing this?
I have no experience with this personally, but it is not uncommon even among young folks. Be very careful to rise slowly, especially when getting out of bed in the morning. Even though I don't have problems, I sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before rising fully. Hopefully the Promatine will resolve it for you.
My blood pressure has always been on the low side of normal. When I went in for my first colonoscopy, my blood pressure was too low for them to put me under so I had to sit and think rageful thoughts to get it up. I hope it doesn't degrade further. I'd like to hear what your blood pressure monitor choice ends up being, Tony. I've thought of getting an electronic one, and then think and old fashioned one would be more accurate. But I've yet to pull the trigger on either.
I just got one - a CVS brand. Good ones are not very expensive - around $65.00 & they're automatic & simple to use. I just took a few readings when sitting & standing. Sitting: 118/63. Standing: 114/67. Still drops when standing, but not excessively so I can't function. Another reason it's important: Since I'm diabetic & prone to lows, & the symptoms of low blood sugar are similar to low blood pressure, the monitor helps me distinguish between the two, so I don't treat the wrong one.
I'll have to pick one up. I keep a pulse/oximeter and other stuff on hand, but don't have a blood pressure machine.
they have the wrist BP monitors too..easier to get on...i don't have one of those. just arm one..I had an elderly patient... when i worked for in home patients.. he called the episodes...the blind staggers...sweet ole man
We have had an Omron for around 10 years, which we liked. But recently, my husband bought a different one called Life Source, which is a nice monitor too.
So for those of you who have used the home kits, how do you know they are accurate? I have no way of testing them.
You don't really unless you can compare them to a manually-done BP. I picked up an automatic one at Walgreens, and I know that every automatic one reads higher than manual ones on me. I have had some issues with high BP but none with low, as long as the readings are not high I am okay. I have a couple manual ones as well, but those need my wife to operate so the battery-powered one is more convenient. It never hurts to have these devices around: oximeter, BP monitor, and glucose monitor. If you are prone to UTIs, you can also keep the sticks around that are packaged individually to last longer to screen for nitrite and leukocytes to screen before going to the clinic.
You can always take your BP monitor to the doctor or a county health department and compare readings.
Much like my glucose meters, they are 'clinically accurate." Maybe not quite as accurate as a very expensive hospital one, but when my BP is low, the reading shows a number that matches exactly how I feel. Same with my glucose meter. Whenever I feel a low, the test always shows a low number. Glucose meters have a 15% error rate, which is OK. That means a reading of 100 could be 115 or 85. Accurate enough to be useful. BP meters probably have a similar error rate.
Most of the meters have an error rate that changes with the value. Generally the glucose meters are more accurate around 100 mg/dl. As you move from the center they tend to get less accurate. The error rate quoted (either 15% or 20%) is the greatest error. The greatest error will be just below or above the range stated with your meter--40 to 350 for some of them. Hospital meters are supposed to be better as the hospitals use multi-patient meters, while the non-prescription ones are single patient use only. In the hospital or large clinic, the meters are sometimes checked against the laboratory instruments for accuracy.
I bought a glucose meter a while ago to have on hand. I've not tried it yet. I should at least do a dry run sometime.
A good time is to take it with you whenever you have a glucose drawn as part of a healthcare visit. Record whatever your meter reads near the time of draw and compare it to the lab reading when you get access to it. People may look at you stangely, but it may be worth a giggle. Tell them "I am checking your work" or something like that.