Ask Dr. Rowena

Photo Dr. Rowena Your questions about high blood pressure answered by a board certified doctor. Browse the categories in the left menu.

Low blood pressure and passing out

Q: My wife usually has low blood pressure, 109/78 and many times lower. This has been enough to cause her to pass out in the shower. Could the RESPeRATE device work for modulating her BP? Is there any research for this device regarding low blood...

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Need to treat low BP?

Q: I am 81 years old. My BP reading is 110/55. I go for a regular fast walk for one hour at about 120 paces per minute. And then follow up with free standing exercises, for about one hour. Do I need to take any...

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Concern about low blood pressure

Q: I usually have low blood pressure of 90/60 mm/Hg. But after exercising it drops to 80/50 mm/Hg. Then after breakfast it returns to 90/60. Is this normal or should I be taking some medication to raise my blood pressure?

A: As long as a person...

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BP: How low is too low?

Q: What is the lowest your blood pressure can be and still be safe? Sometimes mine gets around 105/60. I have been watching my food intake now for about 3 weeks. My b.p. was about 135/84. I also walk and exercise about an hour each...

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Concern about increasing blood pressure

Q: My blood pressure was 138/93, then 154/101 and now it’s 161/103 and I don’t have high blood pressure. I wasn’t sure if I should go to the hospital but I did call my doctor and he said I should wait a while and see...

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Defining high blood pressure and hypertension

Q: Is there any difference between high blood pressure and hypertension?

A: Your blood pressure can be high but still not be in a range where medication is needed. This is known as pre-hypertension. With pre-hypertension, your blood pressure is not normal but you are not...

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Why does the doctor take only 1 bp reading?

Q: One of the tips from RESPeRATE is to average three checks of blood pressure. Sounds good to me. So why, when I go to the doctor, does he only take one measurement and makes decisions on this one measurement?

A: When an initial blood pressure...

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How to measure blood pressure correctly

Q: What is the correct procedure for doctors when checking blood pressure?

A: Most doctors use a device called a sphygmomanometer to check blood pressure. Proper arm positioning and use of the appropriate sized cuff are important in obtaining an accurate reading. Specific details on proper...

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White coat hypertension

Q: I have a problem with high blood pressure whenever I go to the doctor’s office, and the doctor gave me medication. But my blood pressue is good when I measure it at home. What do I do? Do I have to take the medication?...

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Rising blood pressure when laying down

Q: Have you ever heard of a person’s BP slowly going up when in a horizontal position for a sustained period of time as when sleeping? My BP typically goes up noticeably in just 45 minutes to 150-160 over 85-90. Do you know what this...

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