I discovered was that my blood pressure didn't stay the same all the time. It was lowest first thing in the morning (a reading of 120/70), went up a little at lunchtime (135/80) and was highest in the evening (140/80). Is this normal? I amn't sure, so I am little tense about it? I also feel some chest pain on the left side. I also had ECG and blood test for thyroid, calcium and kidney and other basic test, All tests are clear, my BMI also is good. Should I go for echo? or any other test?
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2Take a look here Is there a best time of the day to measure blood pressure?. Rana Prathap's answer includes a reference which should answer your question. – bummi Jul 21 '15 at 16:23
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1@bummi - if you believe that it is a duplicate, as that answer would also answer this one, then you should add a vote to close as well. :) – JohnP Jul 21 '15 at 17:06
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I have updated the question, Pl suggest best solution. – Raman Jul 22 '15 at 03:08
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Blood pressure that is lower in the morning than at noon or evening is perfectly normal. Variations on the level that you describe, which is 5 mm Hg systolic (the first number), are also completely normal. Blood pressure doesn't stay the same, it varies with activity, emotional state, etc.
The first figure in the following paper illustrates normal blood pressure variations throughout a day: Prognostic Significance of the Morning Blood Pressure Surge in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review. The paper's topic is abnormal surges in blood pressure, which are surges before waking.
A fluctuation of more than 14 mm Hg systolic as taken at the same time a day (without doing sports beforehand etc) should be checked out by a doctor
YviDe
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YviDe has already given you an excellent answer. And, I know this website is really against people writing answers without any valid reference. But, I would like to contribute valid information based on extensive first hand empirical data I have conducted on myself over more than a decade.
I take my blood pressure several times a year, always 3 or more times at one sitting. I notice something amazing, and that is how much your blood pressure can move around within just a 5 minute interval. Divergences of more than 20 points are common for systolic pressure and 10 to 15 points for diastolic pressure.
The first time you take the pressure, you may have a high reading. You wait a few minutes, and you make a conscious effort to calm yourself (thinking about relaxing on a sunny beach, etc...). And, you get a lot lower reading. I have learned to take my blood pressure several times as mentioned, and take the average as the representative measure for that date. By doing so, I have noticed that my blood pressure has remained perfectly stable over the years. Had I just relied on doctor's office readings, they probably could have randomly derived very different trends and potentially put me or any other patient on hypertension lowering prescription drugs, when none is necessary.
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But isn't this then a sign of hardened arteries? If you are not very relaxed, the heart will work a bit harder, but the blood vessels should expand so that the pressure doesn't rise all that much. Only if you exercise very hard and your heart is pumping blood very fast should the blood pressure rise significantly. – Count Iblis Nov 17 '15 at 05:15
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Interesting comment. The answer is I don't know. My take is that almost any measurement is not what people think they are. They get just one take of their blood pressure, cholesterol level, and many other blood health metrics just once. And, we take it as a very precise and representative state of our health at anyone time. Yet, both measurements and physiological volatilities from one minute to the next can play a substantial role in moving the needle materially on the measurement outcome. – Sympa Nov 17 '15 at 17:04
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This is why the ambulatory blood pressure monitor was invented. A 24-hour sample should be sufficient for most people to get a pretty good idea what their BP is really like over the course of a day. – Carey Gregory Nov 18 '15 at 06:07
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Although I think you make a valid point about one-time spot measurements of things like BP that can change rapidly, I don't think this is an answer. It's a comment. The OP wants to know if his BP rising during the day is normal and I don't see anything in your post that addresses that. – Carey Gregory Nov 18 '15 at 06:14
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Wether the appropriate protocol was a comment or an answer, hopefully Raman will find my first hand data informative. – Sympa Nov 18 '15 at 06:34
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The Health forum is far more involved about procedures than any other of the StackExchange forums I engage in. It restricts the flow of information between parties. Here someone is on my back for posting an answer instead of a comment. At another question, I see a situation where it is the reverse. Frankly, both situations appear officious judgment calls imposed by one party over another without consideration whether such calls add any value. Such practices discourage participation and collegiate debate. I readily expect someone to tell me this comment was inappropriately located. – Sympa Nov 19 '15 at 04:51
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@GaetanLion Well, since you mention it, your comment is misplaced. Not that it matters, but I happen to agree with you that this group is too tightly moderated, and I've expressed that opinion in meta, where such discussions are welcome. Meanwhile, none of the groups I follow would consider this an answer because it's an anecdote that doesn't address the question. Whether the OP finds it useful or not is beside the point. – Carey Gregory Nov 19 '15 at 20:14
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And this is why people downvote without explaining their downvotes. – Carey Gregory Nov 19 '15 at 20:14
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Carey, I understand your position. For my part, I thought YviDe's answer was excellent as is and deserving of best answer. My empirical evidence just brought some nuance to his answer. If one's systolic blood pressure fluctuates by 14 points "as taken at the same time of day" there is little need to panic. It can happen within 5 minutes. Those measurements move a lot. My experience is not unique. I have observed it with my whole household. – Sympa Nov 20 '15 at 06:15
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Carey, you agree with me and complain that this group is too tightly moderated. Meanwhile, you appear extremely busy making officious pronouncements contributing to the egregious moderating of this group. For the record, I must have participated in different groups than you have for several years as they would have had no problem with my answer. – Sympa Nov 25 '15 at 02:18