Yes, that is high. The older you get, the higher it goes as a very general rule, but if you are metabolically healthy, have no comorbidities, don't smoke or ingest too much caffeine daily, don't eat much restaurant, fast food, are not overweight, and are reasonably cardiac-healthy and physically fit (yeah, that's asking a lot!), your blood pressure should be between 110-150/65-95 during the active part of the day, a little stressed, missed lunch...a typical mid-day. Awaking in the morning, after a decent sleep, you should be in the 110-125/60-80 range, but if you can, measure your BP before moving. If you do this after moving around, or sipping that first cup of jo, you'll have a higher BP.
Consult a physician about this result, and don't go long before doing it!!
I'm just wondering if anyone else has tried Dr. Weil's 4-7-8 breathing technique as a means to reducing high blood pressure? It originally interested me because it said that deep breathing is a form of relaxation before bedtime that will improve sleep. It also "might" reduce blood pressure. So I started practicing 4-7-8 breathing at bedtime and for the most part my sleep improved. I then started doing 4-7-8 breathing in the morning before I started moving around, rested for a minute or 2 and then took 2-3 blood pressure readings with a couple of minutes rest between readings. And I recorded the results. Yes indeed, my blood pressure went down: systolic, diastolic and sometimes the pulse rate. It takes 1 minute to do 3 478 breathing cycles, so in 15 minutes I can do 45 478s and my bp can drop 15 points or more. If my bp isn't where I want it to be (in the 130s), I do another 10 478 cycles and take my bp again. Even after taking bp 3 times, my bp can continue to drop during the morning. And mind you, this happens without adding a new medication. It requires no equipment although I use the online 478 app to keep track of the cycles. To me, it's time well spent. What baffles me is why doctors don't recommend deep breathing to their patients to reduce blood pressure. There are a variety of approaches. If you're dealing with high blood pressure, it's certainly worth a try.
I haven't tried the deep breathing, but it couldn't hurt...at worst. It can help some to relax more, or even to improve their SPO2 levels throughout the day if they tend to be 'breath-holders' when they're concentrating on a task.
I have seen numerous claims that isometric exercises repeated throughout the day can help to reduce your BP into the safe(r) zone, reducing it by at least 5 points. In fact, there are some YouTube channels making that claim, and there is this: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/static-isometric-exercise-lowers-blood-pressure
I did isometrics in the 1950s so I was interested in the British study that said certain isometric exercises are effective in lowering blood pressure. YouTube is on fire demonstrating the isometric exercises used in the British study. I tried a couple of them and just couldn't sustain my interest. I was bored trying to hold the wall squat for 2 minutes. The hand exercise in the British study is similar to the hand exercise I've been doing for a while to strengthen my hands so I can put on compression stockings, but even here I couldn't sustain my interest and went back to the hand exercise I was already doing. And then I discovered deep breathing. It was so easy to get into -- with immediate results. The thing is that either approach does not involve new medication and all the issues about drug interactions, etc. So why not do it?
I gather from the response that not many are doing or interested in doing deep breathing exercises to lower blood pressure for sure and probably improve sleep. I've suggested deep breathing to other people I know and invariably they look past my ear and wonder how much longer I'm going to drone on! My philosophical self shrugs knowing that it certainly works for me: this morning's blood pressure dropped 15 points after I did 40 478 breathing cycles and that put my blood pressure into the low 130s. Diastolic dropped and so did my pulse. I'm thinking about cutting down my bp med dosage. I can't measure what it's doing, if anything, and if my bp goes up in spite of my deep breathing, I can then assume that the bp med is doing something albeit in a black box.
Yes, that is very high. Be careful. See a doctor. You may need some medications to control that. Are you getting headaches? Try to relax as much as possible. I had a blood pressure spike like yours. Interestingly, it was only temporary although I do have hypertension but it is controlled quite well.
I gather from the response that not many are doing or interested in doing deep breathing exercises to lower blood pressure for sure and probably improve sleep. I've suggested deep breathing to other people I know and invariably they look past my ear and wonder how much longer I'm going to drone on! My philosophical self shrugs knowing that it certainly works for me: this morning's blood pressure dropped 15 points after I did 40 478 breathing cycles and that put my blood pressure into the low 130s. Diastolic dropped and so did my pulse. I'm thinking about cutting down my bp med dosage. I can't measure what it's doing, if anything, and if my bp goes up in spite of my deep breathing, I can then assume that the bp med is doing something albeit in a black box.
I think deep breathing helps tremendously. It’s gotten me through a lot of tough times and it does lower my blood pressure. I used it first for anxiety, and I don’t know where I would be without having used that technique. I have to remind myself to do it. I do put reminders on my phone, which helps me a lot.
Thank you for the response. I can't for the life of me understand why doctors, treating patients for high blood pressure, don't recommend they at least try deep breathing to see if their b.p. is lowered without adding another med. Dr. Weil promotes it as a technique to reduce anxiety, but the bonuses are lowered blood pressure and better sleep. What a spectacular return on investment of 15-20 minutes in the morning and another 10-12 in the evening. Go figure.
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Yes, that is high. The older you get, the higher it goes as a very general rule, but if you are metabolically healthy, have no comorbidities, don't smoke or ingest too much caffeine daily, don't eat much restaurant, fast food, are not overweight, and are reasonably cardiac-healthy and physically fit (yeah, that's asking a lot!), your blood pressure should be between 110-150/65-95 during the active part of the day, a little stressed, missed lunch...a typical mid-day. Awaking in the morning, after a decent sleep, you should be in the 110-125/60-80 range, but if you can, measure your BP before moving. If you do this after moving around, or sipping that first cup of jo, you'll have a higher BP.
Consult a physician about this result, and don't go long before doing it!!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI'm just wondering if anyone else has tried Dr. Weil's 4-7-8 breathing technique as a means to reducing high blood pressure? It originally interested me because it said that deep breathing is a form of relaxation before bedtime that will improve sleep. It also "might" reduce blood pressure. So I started practicing 4-7-8 breathing at bedtime and for the most part my sleep improved. I then started doing 4-7-8 breathing in the morning before I started moving around, rested for a minute or 2 and then took 2-3 blood pressure readings with a couple of minutes rest between readings. And I recorded the results. Yes indeed, my blood pressure went down: systolic, diastolic and sometimes the pulse rate. It takes 1 minute to do 3 478 breathing cycles, so in 15 minutes I can do 45 478s and my bp can drop 15 points or more. If my bp isn't where I want it to be (in the 130s), I do another 10 478 cycles and take my bp again. Even after taking bp 3 times, my bp can continue to drop during the morning. And mind you, this happens without adding a new medication. It requires no equipment although I use the online 478 app to keep track of the cycles. To me, it's time well spent. What baffles me is why doctors don't recommend deep breathing to their patients to reduce blood pressure. There are a variety of approaches. If you're dealing with high blood pressure, it's certainly worth a try.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI haven't tried the deep breathing, but it couldn't hurt...at worst. It can help some to relax more, or even to improve their SPO2 levels throughout the day if they tend to be 'breath-holders' when they're concentrating on a task.
I have seen numerous claims that isometric exercises repeated throughout the day can help to reduce your BP into the safe(r) zone, reducing it by at least 5 points. In fact, there are some YouTube channels making that claim, and there is this:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/static-isometric-exercise-lowers-blood-pressure
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI did isometrics in the 1950s so I was interested in the British study that said certain isometric exercises are effective in lowering blood pressure. YouTube is on fire demonstrating the isometric exercises used in the British study. I tried a couple of them and just couldn't sustain my interest. I was bored trying to hold the wall squat for 2 minutes. The hand exercise in the British study is similar to the hand exercise I've been doing for a while to strengthen my hands so I can put on compression stockings, but even here I couldn't sustain my interest and went back to the hand exercise I was already doing. And then I discovered deep breathing. It was so easy to get into -- with immediate results. The thing is that either approach does not involve new medication and all the issues about drug interactions, etc. So why not do it?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI gather from the response that not many are doing or interested in doing deep breathing exercises to lower blood pressure for sure and probably improve sleep. I've suggested deep breathing to other people I know and invariably they look past my ear and wonder how much longer I'm going to drone on! My philosophical self shrugs knowing that it certainly works for me: this morning's blood pressure dropped 15 points after I did 40 478 breathing cycles and that put my blood pressure into the low 130s. Diastolic dropped and so did my pulse. I'm thinking about cutting down my bp med dosage. I can't measure what it's doing, if anything, and if my bp goes up in spite of my deep breathing, I can then assume that the bp med is doing something albeit in a black box.
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1 ReactionI would like to discuss Medtronic's Symplicity Spyral renal denervation (RDN) System for my high blood pressure. Is that something you can do?
Yes, that is very high. Be careful. See a doctor. You may need some medications to control that. Are you getting headaches? Try to relax as much as possible. I had a blood pressure spike like yours. Interestingly, it was only temporary although I do have hypertension but it is controlled quite well.
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Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsHickson,
Yes, that BP reading is dangerously high. I am assuming this forum is not the first spot you checked for an opinion, or reference?
I think deep breathing helps tremendously. It’s gotten me through a lot of tough times and it does lower my blood pressure. I used it first for anxiety, and I don’t know where I would be without having used that technique. I have to remind myself to do it. I do put reminders on my phone, which helps me a lot.
Thank you for the response. I can't for the life of me understand why doctors, treating patients for high blood pressure, don't recommend they at least try deep breathing to see if their b.p. is lowered without adding another med. Dr. Weil promotes it as a technique to reduce anxiety, but the bonuses are lowered blood pressure and better sleep. What a spectacular return on investment of 15-20 minutes in the morning and another 10-12 in the evening. Go figure.
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
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