[Shaunte]

Mish_Mish,

I saw this posting and thought I would chime in to offer a little advice. I'm a cardiovascular ICU RN and I have also had my own issues with intermittent borderline hypertension. Without knowing your history (any other medical conditions, medications you use, family history) I can't speak directly to your situation, but I can offer your general guidelines and information to help you manage this.

1. Blood pressure is definitely affected by stress. Your pressure will fluctuate based on the amount of stress your body perceives it to be under. I tend to internalize my stress, and it manifests itself in my blood pressure. I was actually on anti-hypertensives for about a 6 month period while in my mid 20's for this reason. If your underlying cause is stress and you are unable to manage by incorporating stress-reducing activities into your lifestyle (meditation, yoga, reiki, etc) then your MD may put you on a beta blocker like Atenolol. These class of medications work great because it blocks your body's response in blood pressure to stress. It also blocks your heart rate from raising.

2 Non-pharmacological methods first to manage your blood pressure would include: weight management (yes even 5-10 pounds will make a difference even if you are not overweight), avoid table salt and processed foods high in sodium, balanced HEALTHY diet, incorporating garlic into your diet can aid in lowering your blood pressure, avoid nasal decongestants (unless the medication specifically indicates that it is for people with high blood pressure. Nearly all nasal decongestants and cold medications include a medication that we actually use to raise someones blood pressure in the ICU).

3. "White coat syndrome" is real, so it is great that you bought your own blood pressure monitor. Keep your monitor on your nightstand and take it first thing when you wake up in the morning. Be sure that your arm is lying relaxed. This will be the most accurate blood pressure. (Be sure to relax as well while you are measuring your pressure).