Hi -This is for information, it is not a substitute for medical advice- I often tell patients that a blood pressure reading is like a photograph. You may see a photo of yourself that looks fantastic and you love it-then you see one from an unflattering angle and feel you look terrible. When in reality, neither may be a true representation of how you actually look, day to day. Having said that, here is what blood pressure measures: The top number 169 (your systolic pressure) measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart pumps, it is the maximum pressure your arteries are dealing with at that time. The bottom number, 105 (diastolic) is the pressure your arteries feel in between heart beats. One way to think of it is that is the relaxed state of the arteries. Ideally, you want the top number at about 120 (120-140) so that your arteries and smaller vessels are not experiencing such constant high pressure. You want your bottom number to be 80 or less (60-80).because you want your vessels to be able to relax. The danger with the blood pressure you wrote here is that it indicates the blood vessels in the body are under constant high pressure. This can lead to damage to the smaller vessels that feed the kidneys (high blood pressure is a leading cause of kidney failure) and the brain (risking a stroke). Additionally, it can cause damage to the vessels that feed the heart muscle itself. Even with that number being a snapshot it is a dangerous reading. It is something that should be checked, discussed with a physician and I always recommend that anyone with blood pressure issues invest in a machine to do readings at home several times a week. It is worth the investment. High blood pressure is referred to as the silent killer because usually people do not experience symptoms. I have had many patients come into the emergency room with a stroke being the first time they realized they had high blood pressure (or because they stopped taking their medicine because they felt "fine" without it). Best, Margaret
I’m a RN and in no way giving medical advice ,,,but I would most definitely see a dr and get a med to get that bp down you don’t want a stroke...do,it ASAP please ..keep us posted
-This is for information, it is not a substitute for medical advice-
I often tell patients that a blood pressure reading is like a photograph. You may see a photo of yourself that looks fantastic and you love it-then you see one from an unflattering angle and feel you look terrible. When in reality, neither may be a true representation of how you actually look, day to day.
Having said that, here is what blood pressure measures:
The top number 169 (your systolic pressure) measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart pumps, it is the maximum pressure your arteries are dealing with at that time.
The bottom number, 105 (diastolic) is the pressure your arteries feel in between heart beats. One way to think of it is that is the relaxed state of the arteries.
Ideally, you want the top number at about 120 (120-140) so that your arteries and smaller vessels are not experiencing such constant high pressure.
You want your bottom number to be 80 or less (60-80).because you want your vessels to be able to relax.
The danger with the blood pressure you wrote here is that it indicates the blood vessels in the body are under constant high pressure. This can lead to damage to the smaller vessels that feed the kidneys (high blood pressure is a leading cause of kidney failure) and the brain (risking a stroke). Additionally, it can cause damage to the vessels that feed the heart muscle itself.
Even with that number being a snapshot it is a dangerous reading. It is something that should be checked, discussed with a physician and I always recommend that anyone with blood pressure issues invest in a machine to do readings at home several times a week. It is worth the investment.
High blood pressure is referred to as the silent killer because usually people do not experience symptoms. I have had many patients come into the emergency room with a stroke being the first time they realized they had high blood pressure (or because they stopped taking their medicine because they felt "fine" without it).
Best,
Margaret