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Drop your blood pressure 14 points in 5 minutes – permanently
The way many doctors take your blood pressure actually causes it to be an average of 14 points higher than what it normally is.
Simply sitting quietly for 5 minutes with your feet flat on the floor can mean the difference between getting dangerous drugs you don’t need and a clean bill of health.
Nurses from the University of Virginia took readings from 100 elderly patients. Those who rested for five minutes prior to testing - and had their feet planted firmly on the floor = had a systolic reading (the upper number) that was 14 points lower than those who didn't.
The next time you're having your blood pressure taken, avoid sitting on the examining table. Your feet will dangle over the side and cause a higher reading. Instead, take it slow and ask to sit in a chair .
So the next time you get your blood pressure taken make sure your feet are flat on the floor, not crossed, and rest 5 minutes before they take your pressure. You might just have normal blood pressure after all.
Your body will increase your blood pressure when you stand up and walk because it needs to otherwise you wouldn’t get enough blood to your head and you would pass out. So if you were just exercising or walking, your blood pressure will be higher than what it really is at resting.
This doesn’t even bring into account the difference between average and normal. The medical profession measures a bunch of people, adds up the numbers and divides that number by the number of people they measured. This gives them an average number. They then make this “normal”.
Last time I checked, everyone was different. What is your normal is not going to be the same as someone else’s normal.
For a great article talking all about the difference between average and normal go here. |
