- I have a sneaking suspicion that I suffer from 'white coat syndrome', and the very knowledge of an impending BP check may in itself have pushed it up a few notches.
- I may have inadvertently failed to take my medication for a few days last week.
- I was driven to the surgery by my mum, and that would put anybody's blood pressure up*.
* I fully realise that I am in no position to be critical of anyone else's driving. And yet, I just did.
2 comments:
To make sure you're getting accurate tracking of your pressure (especially if you have white coat issues), you may want to get a home blood pressure monitor. There are some decent ones now that don't cost a whole lot of money.
When I was pregnant (doctors worry a LOT about your BP when you're pregnant at my age), I used a simple progressive relaxation CD on the way to my appointments. It really helped the measurements. Needless to say, I wasn't the driver on the trips there.
I also took magnesium supplements, because it relaxes certain types of tissue, including blood vessels. It seemed to help.
(Unfortunately--or fortunately, depending on your perspective--magnesium also relaxes certain other bodily functions somewhat, too. Not to put too fine a point on it, I wouldn't eat a whole lot of prunes if you decide to try taking magnesium.)
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