Blood Pressure

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Several months ago I passed my 3rd class again. I am over 40 and my blood pressure is creeping up. Lately I have become acutely aware of the dangers of high blood pressure, and having a PPL with the required regular exams has made me more aware of my actual numbers.
I will continue some lifestyle changes, ie, less salt, more exercise and better diet choices in the hope that my BP will stabilize or even decrease somewhat.
If these changes fail to reverse the increase in BP I will see my regular physician who will probably put me on some sort of BP medication.
My question is, if there is medication prescribed, do I have to immediately report this regardless of the medication type? Or can I wait until the next 3rd class exam. Mind you, my current BP is within limits to pass a 3rd class and I would be inclined to take these measures well before the BP rose above the 3rd class limit.
 
Same problem, same dilemma, same solution. Already reduced my dose of allopurinol, but the diastolic is still too high. Next thing is to loose 10 pounds. If that doesn't do it I'll have to talk to the doc. I don't think you report it until your next medical. I'm certainly not planning to do so. Didn't report the Allopurinol to anyone and the AME didn't bat an eye. She did make me go get a letter from my Doc, which took forever.

The high BP doesn't suck half as much as the inch I shrunk.
 
I have never been too high to pass a medical due to blood pressure but I did carry way too much extra weight and my blood pressure was up considerably over when I was lighter. Check your BMI on a website and if you are overweight, lose as much of that as you can. Once you get above 25 on the BMI scale, the blood pressure goes up often for most people.

Another thing about exercise. I ride bicycles a lot. You will want aerobic exercises over weight training specifically. My blood pressure now is routinely in the 115/65 range with a resting heart rate in the 50s. I was in the 135/85 range before I began dieting and exercising.

When you check your BMI, you will be surprised...
 
OP here. I am male, 5'11", 158 pounds, BMI is 22.0. I kinda wish I was a little overweight, losing weight might be easier than eating bland food. Up until about 5 years ago I didn't pay much attention to what I ate, I would actually add salt to things like hickory smoked almonds, BP always around 120/80. Not anymore...
At my latest 3rd class, my BP was 146/89, gettin' up there, time for action.
 
I was in the same boat too. I've always been in fairly good shape to begin with but I've really stepped up my game considerably in the biking arena, and I'm within 5-10 lbs of my ideal weight. My BP was actually fairly reasonable my last medical.

I view BP medication as a very last resort - even if medical certification is not an issue.
 
Unregistered said:
OP here. I am male, 5'11", 158 pounds, BMI is 22.0. I kinda wish I was a little overweight, losing weight might be easier than eating bland food. Up until about 5 years ago I didn't pay much attention to what I ate, I would actually add salt to things like hickory smoked almonds, BP always around 120/80. Not anymore...
At my latest 3rd class, my BP was 146/89, gettin' up there, time for action.
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Does hypertension run in your family? Some people suffer it despite being in very good overall condition. Your BMI is normal, so I doubt you are suffering the ill effects of weight gain. There are sodium dependent forms, so knocking out a lot of the salt amy help. But don't be afraid to seek medical assistance. Take care of yourself, then your ticket. Hypertension is a slow but certain killer.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I view BP medication as a very last resort - even if medical certification is not an issue.
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Agreed, I'll do my damnest to correct this via diet and activity. And I thought that after turning 50 things would get easier. :(
 
Unregistered said:
Agreed, I'll do my damnest to correct this via diet and activity. And I thought that after turning 50 things would get easier. :(
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I won't laugh... If anything; everything goes the opposite way after 50. In your original post you made no mention how many times your blood pressure has been measured high. I bought a blood pressure machine and take my pressure on a regular basis. When I go in for a physical with my regular doctor, I bring the machine to see if it matches their numbers.

You may be having a little bit of "white coat syndrome". I am almost guaranteed to have some elevation in BP during those visits. As Sac and I mentioned, biking is a really good way to get aerobic exercise. That by far has helped me the most.
 
My own alarm is coming from sporadic use of a sphygmomanometer, which h as consistently shown elevated diastolic pressure. Still, my dose change for the allopurinol was recent, it could still come down.
 
Marauder said:
I won't laugh... If anything; everything goes the opposite way after 50. In your original post you made no mention how many times your blood pressure has been measured high. I bought a blood pressure machine and take my pressure on a regular basis. When I go in for a physical with my regular doctor, I bring the machine to see if it matches their numbers.

You may be having a little bit of "white coat syndrome". I am almost guaranteed to have some elevation in BP during those visits. As Sac and I mentioned, biking is a really good way to get aerobic exercise. That by far has helped me the most.
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Over the past several years it's been consistently elevated. White coat might have a bit of an effect, however at home it's not much different.
Yeah, my statement was a bit funny...
 
My BMI is also 22 (female, over 50), and my BP had been showing a tendency to rise over the last 10 years. I was never anywhere close to having trouble passing the FAA medical -- it was typically 135/85, sometimes 140/90, very rarely higher -- but still, my mother's death certificate reads "hypertensive cardiovascular disease", and my dad had severe hypertension most of his adult life. So I decided to do something about it. Low salt diet didn't make any difference, and I'm already a fitness freak. So medication was the only avenue left. I had to doctor shop as my regular internist had bad things to say about all classes of antihypertensives and didn't consider my pressure worth doing anything about. But I'm very well controlled now on a diuretic plus a low dose of a calcium channel blocker, with readings ranging 100-120/60-80, and no side effects. Haven't reported it to the AME yet and don't plan to until my next medical, at which time I'll present the full BP worksheet with EKG, 'lytes, and documented control.

Don't be afraid of medication. Yes side effects are possible, so make sure you're monitored regularly. But the alternative is an old age of wishing you were dead. Medication is much preferable.
 
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Do be aware of ALL potential side effects of medications. Some of them are rare, but that can cause them to be overlooked as potential causes of issues. I'm aware of one case where a rare side effect of a BP medication caused gastric spasms and eventually unnecessary exploratory surgery to find the cause. That being said, do whatever you need to do to get the BP down. As Bruce says, it's a "time under the curve" thing.
 
Wait until the next 3rd class exam. In 1977 HTN was demoted from an SI to a "documented by the AME with specifications" situation. So it is medical by medical.

The caveat is if you get "emergency range high BP" like 220+ on top, it IS an emergency and os you DO have to ground. But there isn't a doc in the country who wouldn't get UPSET over that, never mind the FAA.
 
bbchien said:
Wait until the next 3rd class exam. In 1977 HTN was demoted from an SI to a "documented by the AME with specifications" situation. So it is medical by medical.

The caveat is if you get "emergency range high BP" like 220+ on top, it IS an emergency and os you DO have to ground. But there isn't a doc in the country who wouldn't get UPSET over that, never mind the FAA.
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Thank you.
 
This works.

If you just need to pass a medical, reduce pressure quickly and also help fight "white coat syndrome", just water fast for 2 days before your appointment. You'll lose at least 10" and be less susceptible to WCS. It's really not that hard to not eat for 2 days.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Yeah, but the better solution is to treat the underlying cause of the high blood pressure.
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Most of the time we can't identify a specific cause of hypertension although weight loss, exercise, avoidance of excessive alcohol and salt and improved diet can result in a significant lowering of BP. If that doesn't work we just treat the BP.
 
Gary F said:
Most of the time we can't identify a specific cause of hypertension although weight loss, exercise, avoidance of excessive alcohol and salt and improved diet can result in a significant lowering of BP. If that doesn't work we just treat the BP.
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The highlighted is the biggest help in my case.

Oh, and adding a dog to get me out the door and walking for 45 minutes.

With the walk, very sedate dog when we return.
Without the walk.... well, let's say we prefer the post walked dog
 
Gary F said:
Most of the time we can't identify a specific cause of hypertension although weight loss, exercise, avoidance of excessive alcohol and salt and improved diet can result in a significant lowering of BP. If that doesn't work we just treat the BP.
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What I meant was just suck it up and go on the medication. I just went that route after trying the other avenues first. At some point in the future, when I have more self discipline to work on the other stuff, maybe I can be medication free. But in the mean time . . .
 
Greg Bockelman said:
What I meant was just suck it up and go on the medication. I just went that route after trying the other avenues first. At some point in the future, when I have more self discipline to work on the other stuff, maybe I can be medication free. But in the mean time . . .
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I hope that most of us realized what you meant Greg. Sometimes the other stuff works but it doesn't work for all of us. Suck it up and get it treated, you'll feel better sooner even if you don't realize that it is affecting you.
 
So what BP is disqualifying for 3rd Class?
 
Blood pressure is nothing to mess with! Worry first about blood pressure before flying! According to my doctor, anything over 140 is his cause for concern. If you need a med, get it NOW! it can kill you or leave you with a stroke where you sit! drool and stare. Your doctor can set you straight. Excercise is of paramount importance, even if it's just walking five times a week, for a half hour. Of course diet is very important too. I have to go every 6 months and he stresses this every time. Greg is right on!
 
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