Blood Pressure

I don't like going to the doctor. I don't like being poked and prodded. I don't like being given things to worry about.

About a month ago I went to a doctor (an OB, and no, I'm not pregnant) and as usual one of the first things they did was measure my blood pressure. Then they took it again. And again. I watched the little red needle swing around the dial past 140 or so, and then slowly creep back down. "Has anyone ever told you that you have high blood pressure? No? Hmmm. Well, are you feeling stressed right now?"

"Some. I don't like going to the doctor."

"Well, it's often high when people first come in. We'll take it again before you leave. It usually goes down after the visit." They did take it again before I left, and it had gone down... a little. But I was told that I need to watch that, and make a few lifestyle changes. If it continues to be high, I should see a regular doctor about it.

So I went home and researched High Blood Pressure online and discovered that, according to WebMD and the American Heart Association, the following lifestyle changes are recommended to treat high blood pressure:

• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. (I could stand to lose 10 pounds or so. I have already started the process over the last month.) 
• Avoid smoking. (I don't and never have smoked, so that isn't an issue.)
• Eat a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, low fat and low sodium. (I probably should be eating more vegetables. But who can maintain a totally healthy diet around the holidays when there are so many good things to eat?)
• Manage stress. (Which to me means avoiding going to the doctor...)
• Get regular aerobic exercise. (In the last month I've replaced my normal Pilates workouts with aerobics. Plus I've doubled the length of my morning walk, and occasionally even jog part of it in an effort to get my heart rate up.)
• Limit alcohol consumption. (I don't drink, and never have, so that also isn't an issue.)

I also learned that one of the risk factors is family history. Does anyone else in my family have high blood pressure? I have never heard if they do.

Anyway, yesterday I went to donate blood, and they checked my blood pressure there. Either the blood donation center is nowhere near as stressful as the doctor's office, or I have managed to lower my blood pressure significantly in the past month. (Or, most likely, a combination of both.) It's still in the prehypertension range, but it's a lot closer to normal.