Blood pressure

[vincentjus]

So I've been pro-recd for NFO & SWO. I have to have my blood pressure taken again since it was high during my physical. My question is what is normal, waiverable and disqualifying? Is there any way to lower my blood pressure? Thanks.

 

[FastMover]

Normal is considered to be 120/80 and anything higher than 140/90 is disqualifying. >140/90 BP is only waiverable for those who are already pilots.

Here are a couple of threads you may find helpful:

Link 1

Link 2

NOMI waiver guide

A search will yield a lot more info for you.

 

[MasterBates]

Not a doctor, but eliminating caffeine and reducing salt intake (within reason) will lower BP.

Cutting out Diet Coke and salting food brought me from 140/85 to 125/80 in about 2 weeks. YMMV, but it kept me out of waiver territory.

 

[AJB37]

Also Pomegranate juice helps lower your blood pressure

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/artic...a15165ef624110VgnVCM20000012281eac____&page=3

 

[vincentjus]

Thanks. I've heard a glass of wine a day (no more) will help lower it also.

 

[P3 F0]

I've also heard staying well hydrated will lower it a bit.

 

[JBM]

I'm pretty sure smoking lowers blood pressure, but it might have other undesired affects...

 

[vincentjus]

Thanks. I've heard a glass of wine a day (no more) will help lower it also.

Actually scratch that. That may only work if you've been doing it for quite a while. Alcohol is actually supposed to raise your bp, so I'd avoid having any the day of or day before getting it checked. I've also cut out caffeine, frozen dinners and canned soup and mine as gone from 134/81 to about 128/85 after a week. YMMV.

Also, and most importantly, be sure your bp is checked ONLY after you have been sitting motionless for no less than five minutes. Wherever you go to get it checked be very specific about it. That's a requirement from the Medical Department. I explained that to the nurse checking my bp and it has been roughly 128/85 every time.

 

[llnick2001]

I hear working out helps....

 

[xgrafcorex]

i had to get a waiver for my blood pressure also. it was really high at MEPS..not only was i enjoying myself so much while there..but after i left, i had to finish packing and move. quite a day! :icon_rage

for lowering the bp, i cut out a lot of salt from my diet (i eat a lot of hot sauce which is typically pretty high in sodium), worked out, and constantly drank water. i don't remember the exact numbers i got, but it worked out and i know it was at least x/80-85 each time.

 

[Rebel652]

My BP is always high when I go in for physicals. Usually like 148/100 on the first take - helps to ask the corpsman if you can sit for 5min before they take the reading. Also if you can get away with it raise your arm up above your shoulder that gives a lower reading.

 

[vincentjus]

Also, avoid ibuprofin as much as you can before having it read. Aspirin should be ok, but my doc told me ibuprofin can also raise bp if it's in your system.

 

[vincentjus]

I had my bp taken again over the last three days. The lowest has been 125/85 and the highest has been 133/87. I take it that's waiverable and not a problem?

 

[BigRed389]

That's not waiverable, because it's not a problem to begin with. That's good dude.

Your diastolic is sorta pushing the limit there, 87 isn't too far from 90.

I always had the opposite problem personally.

 

[Python]

I have blood pressure that flirts with the high side on the systolic part. I've been cutting out sodium and hydrating more to see the results. However, I have done some research and found this:

Studies indicate that pomegranate juice reduces arterial plaque, reduces systolic blood pressure, and reduces LDL cholesterol. Additionally, a study at UCLA involving 50 men who had had surgery or radiation for prostate cancer (yet still had detectable levels of PSA afterwards) found that drinking one eight-ounce glass of pomegranate juice each day extended the average doubling time of PSA from 15 months to 54 months.[1]
One 250 ml (8.45 oz) glass of pomegranate juice provides approximately 50% of an adult's recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the vitamins A, C and E. Pomegranate juice provides 100% RDA of folic acid and a substantial amount of potassium and niacin.

Also, I read somewhere that Israeli scientists did a study that found people who drank just 2 ounces a day lowered their blood pressure 21% over time.

I just bought some pomegranate juice with cranberry flavoring and it actually tastes pretty good. I'll let you know the results over time. Right now I'm about 130/80 to 135/80.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/may2007_report_pomegranate_01.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate_juice