Fun With Blood Pressure Cuffs

[Slartybartfast]

Since I was diagnosed with OSA last August, I've been trying to get healthier. The CPAP machine was an immediate benefit. No more waking up feeling like I still want to sleep, no more dreams of suffocation, mental acuity is better, and much more energy to the detriment of my Achilles' tendons (ouch!). Overdid the hiking last Fall and still have tendonitis in both hind legs.

One of the benefits I encountered early on was my lack of need to disturb the cat's sleep in the middle of the night in order to get up to relieve myself. RN-wife said that's because the heart produces a peptide called atrial natriuretic peptide or ANP in response to stress which signals the kidneys to dump excess sodium into the urine, creating more of the latter, and hence, the need to disturb the cat's sleep. So this 54 year old went from two trips to the sandbox each night to none (usually). Wonderful. I sleep better now and so does the cat.

Something else my wife has been saying is to check your BP first thing in the morning, but only after you pee. Said the BP will be high when you have a full bladder and will drop quickly after you void (heh, heh . . . she says "void." I say "pee.") So I tried it the past few mornings. This morning's numbers are typical:

BP - BP (Blood Pressure Before Peeing): 154/98 pulse 66 (That's kind of scary!)

BP - AP (Blood Pressure After Peeing): 127/72 pulse 60 (That's decidedly NOT!)

Wife says often patients, especially elderly ones, will be admitted with high BP. The first thing she asks them is, "Do you need to urinate?"

So if you're tracking your BP numbers, remember to always take your BP when you don't have a full bladder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_natriuretic_peptide

[scrapper]

You and your wife are a wealth of useful information!

[Slartybartfast]

Aw, shucks!

[avi123]

.So I tried it the past few mornings. This morning's numbers are typical:

BP - BP (Blood Pressure Before Peeing): 154/98 pulse 66 (That's kind of scary!)

BP - AP (Blood Pressure After Peeing): 127/72 pulse 60 (That's decidedly NOT!)

Wife says often patients, especially elderly ones, will be admitted with high BP. The first thing she asks them is, "Do you need to urinate?"

So if you're tracking your BP numbers, remember to always take your BP when you don't have a full bladder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_natriuretic_peptide

It's very interesting! A goods idea for those who are tested for life insurance policy (i.e to pee before the test).

But, how do you avoid going to pee at night?