31 Years Old and High Blood Pressure-support

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Glad to hear you are improving with the stress thing. (Not that that in anyway makes HBP your FAULT). Honestly, after reading how fit you are, my first thought was STRESS. My bp is usually very good. Never even blipped with my pregnancies. But I went to the Doc last week for a horrendous horsefly bite on my lower leg (honestly, I've never seen a bug bite do what this one did) . After a weekend of misery and a HUGE blister formed, my hubby insisted I go see the doctor first thing Monday morning. Well, he is the sort that shows up without calling ahead. I like to be polite and call and say, "what time is best?" before I show up... I didn't say anything, just went along with my husband this time to avoid conflict with him, and it showed up in my blood pressure. Big time. My husband had the exact same thing happen to him... we had had an argument, and he was under stress b/c he didn't know what was causing something, and when they took his BP it was ridiculously high. He is a runner, too. And normally has a MUCH lower BP.
I guess we are toxic for each other? lol
Stress can do more than you might realize. So just in case you might have discounted that as related, don't discount it. :)
Ignore those folks that think it is your fault. Take the meds you need.

As for the drs and nurses... surely they don't believe that you are to blame or should be doing something obvious that you aren't. They probably are just surprised to see the numbers. Certainly from what you have described your physical condition to be, they would not be expecting to see those numbers. And I know from having nurses in the family, that just because they know their medical stuff, doesn't automatically endow them with "bedside manners".... The ones in my family can be quite.... ahemmm... "clinical". But if I didn't know them, it would come off as rude or judgmental.
I would not take it personally. :)

I am 32 and have high blood pressure. It seemed to be spurred by pregnancy but it never really went away after my pregnancies. My dad is thin, in good shape, etc and has had high blood pressure for as long as I can remember. My Internist has done every test under the sun (it seems) to rule out any reasons I may have it, just to be on the safe side, but he says it is probably just hereditary. I monitor my blood pressure at home. I have tried to find a link to it myself, checking it after eating certain things or when I am extremely stressed or upset, or when I am really tired or after doing something strenuous. None of these things seem to have any direct effect on my blood pressure. I did start running after I had been on medication for 2 years after my 2nd pregnancy and was able to get off medication. I had done other exercise/working out, but the running did really seem to help. I just had my 3rd child 5 weeks ago and am back on medication, so I am interested to see if running will help when I can start again. At first I was very upset to have to be on medication and worried all the time about what my blood pressure was doing. But, I found the right doctor and the right blood pressure medication and feel much better about it. I do take my blood pressure once a day and I actually feel comfort that I am fully aware of what it is doing even at this age, rather than having a stroke or something awful when I am older if I did not know about it. My dad was very close to that because you just never think if you are in shape that you could have it.
And I completely know how you feel about people making you feel like you are responsible. When I told people I had high bp when pregnant, they always asked me how much I gained, like I must be eating too much or gaining too much weight. Well, I know plenty of people that gained way more and people who are always overweight and never had a problem. Or, people just assume you are stressed all the time. I just tell them it is hereditary and they usually understand that.
So, really my suggestion is to monitor your blood pressure at home and work with your doctor as much as necessary. If you feel like you are aware and in control of it, I think you will be able to carry on with life without letting it affect you. It took me a good year to get over the shock of it, but now, like I said, I am just happy I know about it and have it under control.
Keep up the good work with exercise, eating and stress reduction and you will be fine!

A. - do not have HBP but just read something recently that I thought I would share with you. Get a box of crayons - keep one in your car, one in the office, one in the house. When you are feeling stressed, open the box and sit and smell the crayons. I know sounds weird, huh? But crayons are one of the 20 most commonly recognized smells - and smelling them has been known to reduce Blood Pressure! I assume it's because overall our body associates that smell with a more relaxed, stressfree, childhood time - so it helps reduce BP. I don't know by how much - but hopefully it helps! T.

I've had it since I was 29. BUT I am overweight (I know - working on it) and it runs in both my mom and dad. The internist I was using at the time (loved him - hated his office staff) said if 1 parent has it you have a 50% chance but if both parents have it - you have a certain chance of getting it. It's just when. The doc I use now has 4 siblings in their teens to 20's that all have it. Just is hereditary.

Your high blood pressure is prob something you got from your mom or dad and added to by the stress you are under. I have seen this before. IT JUST RUNS IN YOUR FAMILY. You are taking good care of yourself, so do not let anyone make you feel bad.

I have really high cholesterol and I know that it is genetic. Just recently I really tried to go vegetarian, almost vegan and I brought it down to 211...one point below the cut off for technically high. I was so happy. I know how hard it is to try and do everything right and then still have a problem. It sounds to me like you are doing everything you can. One thing that helps me is that I feel like since this is a family history thing, I need to accept what I have and to be grateful that I have access to the health care and education that we do now. I will not be like my grandfather who died of a massive heart attack at age 55. I also believe all the healthy choices you are making now are going to pay off as you get older, not just with your cardio health but also with prevention of other diseases, such as diabetes and cancer. Still, it is a struggle.