ok heres my situation
say 2 months before my medical, start getting nervous about it and the implications of a bad medical Ie licence suspended. Stress compounds till that day when he puts the cuff on my arm.
Pretty sure I have the White Coat Syndrom. Can get fairly normal blood pressure readings at those self service machines, but as soon as I enter the med examiners office my BP goes crazy , usually get reading 15 to 20 points higher than normal!!! which in turn stresses me more ( you get the idea).
My question is this, if its found that I actually have high BP is the medical toast or what ??
Guess i just dont like Doctors or somthing
Anyone ever had this experience, Im under 30 years of age and slightly overweight. never really had any problems, with anything else, had my doctor give me the ol ecg and cholesterol tests a couple of years ago to see if there was anything else I should be watching out for.
Thanks for any responses
MH
Blood Pressure
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
A few ideas.
Try to keep the extra pounds off, stay physically active, watch the smoking and drinking, eat bananas......the potassium is good for lowering the bp. Go easy on the coffee on the day of the medical.
Let your AME know of your phobia of it, he might be willing to do more than one reading if the first one is high, hopefully after you have settled down abit after being in there.
Your bp would have to be fairly extreme before you would lose your medical, if it is getting into the danger zone the AME should let you know this, there is medication that could/would/should be prescribed before it gets to that point, without the loss of your medical.
I used to have the same problem in my late 20's, now the medicals are a very routine thing, now in my early 40's and I've been told for the last 5-7 years that my bp is on the low side!!
Try to keep the extra pounds off, stay physically active, watch the smoking and drinking, eat bananas......the potassium is good for lowering the bp. Go easy on the coffee on the day of the medical.
Let your AME know of your phobia of it, he might be willing to do more than one reading if the first one is high, hopefully after you have settled down abit after being in there.
Your bp would have to be fairly extreme before you would lose your medical, if it is getting into the danger zone the AME should let you know this, there is medication that could/would/should be prescribed before it gets to that point, without the loss of your medical.
I used to have the same problem in my late 20's, now the medicals are a very routine thing, now in my early 40's and I've been told for the last 5-7 years that my bp is on the low side!!
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flynbutcher
- Rank 5
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- Location: 867-5309
It would probably be a good idea to do as they have requested. They will not take kindly to you ignoring them. I would guess that after you provide that info, if they deem that it is an issue, they will get you to consult your Doctor to try to do something about lowering it.
Obviously since it is an issue, you will want to address it even if they tell you that you are ok for the time being, and it sounds like it isn't totally out of control yet or they wouldn't have asked for the further readings, they would have just pulled your medical. It sounds like they are looking to see if this was an anomoly or if what was reported is accurate. Did you do anything on the day of your medical, prior to it that would have contributed to an unusually high reading?
BP doesn't generally drop on its own without some changes in lifestyle. Smoking, excess drinking, lots of coffee, bad dietary habits, lack of exercise are all important items to consider.
As a side note, for anyone wanting an unofficial bp reading done inbetween the medicals, alot of grocery stores in their prescription area and drugstores have selfserve bp machines that you can use. They seem to be fairly accurate from what I have seen.
Don't screw around with your medical.
Best of luck.
Obviously since it is an issue, you will want to address it even if they tell you that you are ok for the time being, and it sounds like it isn't totally out of control yet or they wouldn't have asked for the further readings, they would have just pulled your medical. It sounds like they are looking to see if this was an anomoly or if what was reported is accurate. Did you do anything on the day of your medical, prior to it that would have contributed to an unusually high reading?
BP doesn't generally drop on its own without some changes in lifestyle. Smoking, excess drinking, lots of coffee, bad dietary habits, lack of exercise are all important items to consider.
As a side note, for anyone wanting an unofficial bp reading done inbetween the medicals, alot of grocery stores in their prescription area and drugstores have selfserve bp machines that you can use. They seem to be fairly accurate from what I have seen.
Don't screw around with your medical.
Best of luck.
Schedule your appointment for early in the morning for a couple of reasons.
-Your B/P is usually lower in the am and increases with the day.
-You have less time to dwell on the appointment during the day.
- You can have your coffee after your appointment.
- You're awake alert and not taking on the days stress yet.
Remember that your doctor is only a human being, don't let him intimidate you. Think of him as a friend that you visit, shake his hand and keep it freindly. He is just a guy like the rest of us. Put yourself at ease by keeping it casual.
Most of the docs that I have met are really neat guys who like to golf, drink an occasional glass of wine, have kids that piss them off, put their pants on one leg at a time. If yours is high and mighty, time to find a new doc.
-Your B/P is usually lower in the am and increases with the day.
-You have less time to dwell on the appointment during the day.
- You can have your coffee after your appointment.
- You're awake alert and not taking on the days stress yet.
Remember that your doctor is only a human being, don't let him intimidate you. Think of him as a friend that you visit, shake his hand and keep it freindly. He is just a guy like the rest of us. Put yourself at ease by keeping it casual.
Most of the docs that I have met are really neat guys who like to golf, drink an occasional glass of wine, have kids that piss them off, put their pants on one leg at a time. If yours is high and mighty, time to find a new doc.
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ice ice baby
- Rank 4
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- Location: BC
1.8 The systolic and diastolic blood pressure shall be within normal limits.
NOTE: The use of drugs for control of high blood pressure is disqualifying except for those drugs, the use of which according to accredited medical conclusion, can be adequately tolerated by the applicant, are compatible with the safe performance of duties and can be closely monitored by the aviation medical examiner or a physician in communication with the Civil Aviation Medicine Division Medical Staff.
(2) When initiating a new treatment for hypertension, the applicant shall not exercise the privileges of the licence until the new medication is well tolerated.
Found this in the TC website...i guess drug for hypertension are ok after all
NOTE: The use of drugs for control of high blood pressure is disqualifying except for those drugs, the use of which according to accredited medical conclusion, can be adequately tolerated by the applicant, are compatible with the safe performance of duties and can be closely monitored by the aviation medical examiner or a physician in communication with the Civil Aviation Medicine Division Medical Staff.
(2) When initiating a new treatment for hypertension, the applicant shall not exercise the privileges of the licence until the new medication is well tolerated.
Found this in the TC website...i guess drug for hypertension are ok after all
Two things a Doctor told me was don't eat before the exam as it will increase your BP and drink lots of water as dehydration is also a problem with BP. We as pilots have a drier job then most. So stay away from the beer till after the exam.
Last edited by DA900 on Tue May 10, 2005 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rectum, damn near killed 'em
a few years back, I had High BP so I increased my water intake and stopped using salts (or eating any salty food). I alos increased my exercise routine and within 5-6 weeks, my BP dropped significantly.
In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield...W. Buffett
