How do I know if I have low blood pressure or high?

Question

There is a blood drive going on at my school, but I think I may have low blood pressure...and I dont really know if it would be safe for me to donate.

Answer 1

unless you have yourself tested, or you feel very faint while standing up, for example, you won't really know if you have low blood pressure, and you definately will not know if you have high blood pressure unless you measure it...that's why they call hypertension a silent killer...because people have it and don't know it.

Answer 2

Blood pressure measurements don't count for anything if you've been walking around. Ideally, you should be sitting down for at least 5 minutes or so. Blood pressure also can vary during the day, so it's best to get measurements from similar times during the day. No caffeine in the morning either. These measurements should be repeated on a few separate occasions. Some people get "white coat hypertension" when they go to the doctor's office because they are nervous. Probably blood pressure medicines wouldn't kill you. But you don't necessarily need blood pressure medicines if your blood pressure is only high while active. When doctors study the effects of high blood pressure, they study the effects of people who are diagnosed with it as described above. You are probably at no higher cardiac risk from your blood pressure.

Answer 3

When you have your blood pressure taken, the nurse inflates the cuff to about 300 mm/hg. When this level is reached, she will then slowly deflate the cuff. She is looking for two number, the systolic and the diastolic. The systolic is the high number, or the number when your heart is at the peak pressure when it is pumping. Then while the cuff is still deflating, she is looking for the diastolic. This is the low number. This is the pressure that your system has at all times.

A normal range is read as 120/80 Or 120 over 80.

High blood pressure is considered when the low number is over 95.

There is a nurse who will take your blood pressure prior to you donating blood. She will tell you if your pressure is low or high.

Answer 4

a lot of pharmacies have blood pressure testing devices. it's easy - you just put your arm in, it squeezes a bit, and it's done. you could also ask your school nurse or the people doing the drive if they can test you.

if you're not comfortable donating, ask if you can volunteer or something else to help if you want. it's ok.

Answer 5

Well, go visit the nurse and ask her to take your blood pressure.

Answer 6

First of all........the doctors or nurses there know the guidlines of who should and shouldn't be giving blood. They know what they are doing.

Let them check your blood pressure one way or another......eventually it is your decision to donate the blood. you aren't obligated becasue they checked your b/p

Answer 7

The people at the drive will tell you.

Answer 8

you won't know one way or the other until you get checked over a 5-day period.

Answer 9

You just tell them and they will test you before.