Sore Head / Blood Pressure

[maillme]

Hi there,

I have had a sore head now for about 10 days - and i visited my Doctor Yesterday to see what was wrong - I told the doctor i have had my sore head for abour 10 days (its the back of my head) - and that since having this, my blood pressure has raised (i thought these were virus type symptoms) - i know my blood pressure was up, as i regularly take blood pressure readings.

After explaining this, the Dr. took my blood pressure - which she claimed was 180/90!!!! I have never seen my blood pressure at this reading in my life! She used a mechanical type instrument, where as mine is digital, as is the occupational health one which have both been used recently to take my blood pressure, with no problems (although i want it down more). - Although i am thinking that a mechanical pump type may be more accurate??

Anyhow - my blood pressure sits at around 147/87 normally, this is the figure i'm trying to get down - when checking afer the sore heads appeared, it was at 156/90 - hence my appt. at the Dr's.

Anyway - after my blood pressure check by the dr, she procedded straight away to lecture me about excersie, eating and drinking habits!!!

I regularly excersise, do alot of road cycling, spinning and the odd run - but i exercise on average 4 times a week....my eating habits are not perfect, but they are far from bad!! And yes, i am overweight - hence why i excersise so much (i have lost around 3� stone in the last 2 years. (and im 23 yrs old, male).

My point is, the Dr automatically assumed my head is sore because i have high blood pressure!! Where as i am certain, my blood pressure rose as a result of having what ever is causing these sore heads..she made me so embarassed sitting there, that i was just happy to get out the room (with my prescription for co-codomol!!!!!).

What are the chances on her instrument being wrong/Inaccurate and what would anyone recommend?


Neil

[beryllium]

Hi maillme, did you not defend yourself? and tell her about the amount of exercise you're doing.

you've just explained how much exercise you're taking and that you are working very hard towards a personal goal. Losing Weight yes?

Go back to the docs again, and talk to her as an equal, because that is what she is. explain you are not happy and indeed very worried about your head aches. If you are not happy or you think there maybe a personality clash, then see another doctor.

Look up information on blood pressure, and head aches.

what specialist should you be seeing if any? and if you are not under the hospital and a consultant, should you be?

Carry on with the good work and don't ever feel you are being made to feel small, if she made you feel embarrassed, then you should have looked at her in the eye and told her so in a calm and nice manner, and always with a smile :-)

[maillme]

thanks for your reply beryllium,

When i got out, i kind of hit myself for not defending myself - as i'm not normally intimidated by doctors/consultants etc - i actually work for the same health board, and deal with them on a day to day basis.

I think it was the whole embarassment of the situation, it kind of threw me off a bit - she was taking my weight and height - which i know myself is overweight! but straight after she just kept rattling off about how i should eat, excersie etc - which if anyone knows, i know!! I did manage to tell her im doing between 50-100 miles a week on the road bike, but i got the impression that fell on deaf ears. I didtn't bother to tell her after that about what other excersise i do.

She has asked to see me in 2 weeks - i have a blood pressure log and im taking 3 times a day, at the same time, i am planning on presenting her with this - i am also going to get occupational health to check my blood pressure to ensure that im getting the same results via different instrument.

thanks again for your reply,

Neil

[kazza12345]

personally i think the ones where you actually listen, rather than it being done digitally are much better ... i work as a nurse, and used to work on a ward where we had to do b/p's every 2 hours. All the drs and nurses preferred the old fashioned way rather that the machine. I would be much more inclined to trust my own ears rather than a computer chip

i think it's not unreasonable for the doctor to assume that the headache is due to raised bp, as most of the people he/she would see with both would have 1 caused by the other, and your blood pressure has gone up. Headaches can creep up on you even at relatively low blood pressures, but having said that, a consultation should be more like a partnership. i think all of us get doctoritis when we are actually sitting in fronmt of one and talking about a subject so important like our bodiliy health. It's not worth stressing over, as this will make your bp go up, so i would just see someone else in the practice next time

[qapmoc]

I have also noticed that the digital meters can give lower values than the older mercury column type, but most medical persons will tell you that the digital ones especially if it is the wrist cuff type can give unreliable readings and they will usually prefer to accept the mercury column type, so you might be on a loser if you dispute her readings, and the other point is it is better to work on the higher value than the lower just from the logical point of view.
You don't mention if you take vitamin supplements ? but high doses of vitamins can trigger headaches. Vitamins sometimes responsible for head pain include vitamin A in high doses and B vitamins (especially niacin).

[Lollyhoney]

I'm a nurse and I much prefer to use manual BP machines rather than the digital ones!! Much more accurate. The discrepancy between the readings can be shocking!

[maillme]

thanks alot for everyon's reply - ok, so it looks like the mercury column ones are acurate then!

I had heard the same stories about the wrist cuff type, so i opted for a bicep cuff one.

Just out of curiosity - how do you "listen to blood pressure"? i had noticed her using a stehtoscope type instrument along with it!

I used to take 1000mg of vit c a day, which was the chewable type, and so pretty instant - but i did find these gave me headaches! So i change to a slow release one, and that helped that.

in saying that though, i havent taken any vitamin supplements for approx 1 mnth - coud this be a knock on effect?

many thanks again,

Neil

[maillme]

I had a little look at the "non digital" measurng devices, and i now understand how they work - think i may invest on eone of these!!! (its the non mercury one though, it has a circular dial).

Neil

[beryllium]

hi Neil, just out of interest about the vit c, i believe it can change wee readings if your having a dip test, so do tell them you're taking the vit c. I still think that if you feel intimidated by this doc then see another one. If you think you're talking to a brick wall, then state it. You are the patient and the doc is there to help you. They are in the care industry after all, and if she is lecturing you, knowing full well that you are already acheiving your goal, ask her why she's pointing out the bleedin' obvious? calmly of course, even jokingly, but make sure the doc knows exactly where you are coming from.

[maillme]

thanks again beryllium for your reply,

I will mention the vit c the next time - i think i will maybe go down to 500mg, after all, i am eating my fruit.

I think that was what was so annoying, was the fact that i am acheiving my goal, and there was someone "re-inventing my wheel" - in my opinion......

Thanks for all your comments, i will be going on head high next time!! :)

Neil

[cookiemonsta]

I know someone who had their bp read incorrectly by a GP. Said it was to high, think about 160 over something? anyway, they were treated accordingly and asked to go back in 2 weeks. They did and explained to doc that medication was making them feel unwell, bp was read wrong again and doc stated bp still too high, medication was changed (increased dosage) - within an hour of taking the medication they collasped and was rushed to hospital. On arrival bp was so low doc's had trouble getting a reading, first reading was 85/36. friend had a stay in hospital due to GP error - apparently bp was taken by a digital machine but the arm cuff didn't fit properly (that's the assumption from the hospital as my friend was overweight). When they left hospital bp was in the normal ranges 113/56 and of course first thing they did was change their GP!

[kazza12345]

just thinking of an easy wat to express the listening part

when your heart beats it spurts blood to your body in a wave or pulse, like you feel in your wrist. When you tighten the cuff up by inflatingg it, when its too tight, you cant hear anything, as the blood is being prevented from pulsing down your arm due to the pressure outside. Then you gently release the pressure, and when you hear the blood thumping again, that presuure is equal on the machine to the pressure your making your blood pump at (measured in mm of mercury ie the amount of upward pressure it would take to hold up a coloumn of say 180 mm of mercury in the tube)

with me so far?

anyway, so you are listening to the blood going thump thump thump in time with your heart, then when you stop hearing it, that is the lower number thus giving you a reading of, say 180/60.

I know i was crap at explaining that, but ho hum!

[maillme]

ahh - cool,

thanks for the explanation!

Neil