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If you go to an emergency room and say you've taken your BP and it's high, they'll do basically what I said. Lay you down, let you relax 10 min, and then take a

If you go to an emergency room and say you've taken your BP and it's high, they'll do basically what I said. Lay you down, let you relax 10 min, and then take a reading. If the reading comes up 120/80 they'll say go home, you're fine, whatever you did to take the BP yourself was wrong. I've seen this happen to someone. That's how I know.

epcoa 2y ago
You are confusing the assessment of an acute condition with a chronic one. There is a huge difference between assessing and treating an acute elevated BP and chronic hypertension. ERs don’t treat or admit to the hospital for chronic hypertension. As I said, you can’t assess chronic hypertension by only evaluating in idealized circumstances, however this is a fine enough way for ruling out hypertensive emergency which is all an ER cares to do. And yes, you want to idealize conditions if you’re considering aggressive emergent treatment protocols that can have serious side effects. Like I said, the best option for evaluating chronic hypertension is 24 hour ambulatory BP (which of course would include quite a bit of resting time) - usually 15 to 30 minute intervals. Why? I think the first two sentences of the prior comment are pretty intuitive. And truth be told if the reading comes up 160/100 they’ll still send you home and tell you to follow-up with your PCP. There are of course other factors (like say having heart failure, symptoms other than headache), but usually it’s BP north of 180/120 where the ER starts getting concerned, and even then you will likely be released for outpatient follow-up +/- some oral medication. In the public, hypertension is primarily a chronic condition and a slow killer. There are only a few circumstances where rapid control of blood pressure is not counterproductive since over time your body compensates while your organs (primarily kidneys, heart, and brain/eyes) slowly worsen in function.
- quantadev 2y ago
  No I'm not confusing anything with anything else. You've just gotten offended over something -- probably the word "wrong" in my original post, which made you then decide to take it over literally. I think people will get 90% of the way to lowest BP reading simply by being still and silent for 10 mins. I doubt the lying down part is that important. I just originally didn't know that. I'd be doing something active (or just worked out), then decide to take BP and get a high reading. I think you probably assumed every word of my initial post was meant to be an absolute thing, rather than a general idea of the necessity to be relaxed not only during the reading but for several minutes before. Anyone can look that up and find out I'm right.
  - epcoa 2y ago
    > No I'm not confusing anything with anything else. Yes you are, since you are the one that brought up an anecdote about an emergency visit, and I am explaining why that is not relevant. > probably the word "wrong" I wasn’t offended, those were your words, that I took at face value. People actually can’t read your mind, apparently you think you can read mine. > I think people will get 90% of the way to lowest BP reading And I’m explaining to you why just getting the “lowest” BP reading is not the overarching goal in evaluating chronic blood pressure. > I think you probably assumed every word… I wasn’t the only one that criticized your wording, perhaps that should be a sign to you rather than a prompt to assess my psyche. > Anyone can look that up and find out I'm right. On that note, is there anything specific I have said that is inaccurate? Look it up if you wish. If not, what is the purpose of your bickering?
    - quantadev 2y ago
      Yeah, I'm not even reading your latest list of grievances and pedantic nit-picking. If you don't think people should be relaxed when taking a BP reading, I only have two words for you "Google it."
      - epcoa 2y ago
        If you're actually interested in learning something new, here you go: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/16330-24-hour-ambulatory-blood-pressure-monitoring https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/16330-24-h... You managed to spout enough crap about the history of Javascript that it summoned Brendan Eich himself, and you even then continued to double down. It really seems like you might get some benefit by taking a deep breath and not letting every correction or even just piece of added information enrage you. That may also likely help your blood pressure.
        quantadev 2y ago
        I was pretty sure there was a grievance under the surface. So now it comes out. Did you enjoy your stroll thru the graveyard of past debate participants? lol.

epcoa 2y ago

You are confusing the assessment of an acute condition with a chronic one. There is a huge difference between assessing and treating an acute elevated BP and chronic hypertension. ERs don’t treat or admit to the hospital for chronic hypertension. As I said, you can’t assess chronic hypertension by only evaluating in idealized circumstances, however this is a fine enough way for ruling out hypertensive emergency which is all an ER cares to do. And yes, you want to idealize conditions if you’re considering aggressive emergent treatment protocols that can have serious side effects. Like I said, the best option for evaluating chronic hypertension is 24 hour ambulatory BP (which of course would include quite a bit of resting time) - usually 15 to 30 minute intervals. Why? I think the first two sentences of the prior comment are pretty intuitive. And truth be told if the reading comes up 160/100 they’ll still send you home and tell you to follow-up with your PCP. There are of course other factors (like say having heart failure, symptoms other than headache), but usually it’s BP north of 180/120 where the ER starts getting concerned, and even then you will likely be released for outpatient follow-up +/- some oral medication. In the public, hypertension is primarily a chronic condition and a slow killer. There are only a few circumstances where rapid control of blood pressure is not counterproductive since over time your body compensates while your organs (primarily kidneys, heart, and brain/eyes) slowly worsen in function.

quantadev 2y ago
No I'm not confusing anything with anything else. You've just gotten offended over something -- probably the word "wrong" in my original post, which made you then decide to take it over literally. I think people will get 90% of the way to lowest BP reading simply by being still and silent for 10 mins. I doubt the lying down part is that important. I just originally didn't know that. I'd be doing something active (or just worked out), then decide to take BP and get a high reading. I think you probably assumed every word of my initial post was meant to be an absolute thing, rather than a general idea of the necessity to be relaxed not only during the reading but for several minutes before. Anyone can look that up and find out I'm right.
- epcoa 2y ago
  > No I'm not confusing anything with anything else. Yes you are, since you are the one that brought up an anecdote about an emergency visit, and I am explaining why that is not relevant. > probably the word "wrong" I wasn’t offended, those were your words, that I took at face value. People actually can’t read your mind, apparently you think you can read mine. > I think people will get 90% of the way to lowest BP reading And I’m explaining to you why just getting the “lowest” BP reading is not the overarching goal in evaluating chronic blood pressure. > I think you probably assumed every word… I wasn’t the only one that criticized your wording, perhaps that should be a sign to you rather than a prompt to assess my psyche. > Anyone can look that up and find out I'm right. On that note, is there anything specific I have said that is inaccurate? Look it up if you wish. If not, what is the purpose of your bickering?
  - quantadev 2y ago
    Yeah, I'm not even reading your latest list of grievances and pedantic nit-picking. If you don't think people should be relaxed when taking a BP reading, I only have two words for you "Google it."
    - epcoa 2y ago
      If you're actually interested in learning something new, here you go: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/16330-24-hour-ambulatory-blood-pressure-monitoring https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/16330-24-h... You managed to spout enough crap about the history of Javascript that it summoned Brendan Eich himself, and you even then continued to double down. It really seems like you might get some benefit by taking a deep breath and not letting every correction or even just piece of added information enrage you. That may also likely help your blood pressure.
      - quantadev 2y ago
        I was pretty sure there was a grievance under the surface. So now it comes out. Did you enjoy your stroll thru the graveyard of past debate participants? lol.