Dr. Bruce--high blood pressure

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Hi I am 15 years old and my dream is to become an airline pilot. I just started getting high blood pressure so they put me on medicine for it. I was wondering can you still get a first class medical certificate if you are taking high blood pressure medication. Please email me at pdunn1992@yahoo.com... thanks
 
Hi I am 15 years old and my dream is to become an airline pilot. I just started getting high blood pressure so they put me on medicine for it. I was wondering can you still get a first class medical certificate if you are taking high blood pressure medication. Please email me at pdunn1992@yahoo.com... thanks


I'm not a doctor but I have had borderline high BP for 20 years. Have you done every thing you can to get it under control without medication? That is, diet, exercise, weight control? These things can totally make the difference if you are basically healthy. At your age you want to try everything possible to avoid medication because once you've come to rely on it its pretty tough to do without. I don't know about the 1st class medical but I'm pretty sure you can get a second and third class on BP medication. Even if you can get the 1st class it would be really good to not have to be on medication for the rest of your life unless it's really the only option. Talk to your doctor. Remember, he or she works for you. Tell them what you want to do and ask if there are other options. Don't forget stress. It's a factor in high BP sometimes though unfortunately at your age there might not be a lot you can do about it. You are pretty much at the mercy of school and family. Diet doesn't mean go on a diet, it means avoiding sodium which is in massive quantities in processed and fast foods. You gotta eat real food and avoid sugar and especially high fructose corn syrup which is the main ingredient in soda. Never drink caffien unless your life depends on it. Exercise means running a couple miles 3 times a week consistantly, not bench pressing a zillion pounds in gym class. If you are already doing this stuff faithfully and you have high BP you are probably going to have to stay on the meds. If you are NOT already doing these things ask your doctor if you can and get busy. Becoming a pilot is a really cool thing to do and you can do it if you take care of yourself. For some of us that takes more effort and discipline than the flying. Good luck.
Matt
 
Becoming a pilot is a really cool thing to do and you can do it if you take care of yourself. For some of us that takes more effort and discipline than the flying. Good luck.
Matt


What Matt said!!! I was thinking the same things as I read your post.

I'm sure one of the docs on the board can answer your question directly if they know what medication you've been put on. Sorry I can't help with that, but more to Matt's points....

There's a guy I know - a very handsome man - who lost 30 lbs and lowered his blood pressure pretty significantly, from 140/98 in June down to 118/76 at the last reading, by exercise and change of diet. You know what your diet, exercise routine, and lifestyle are like. If you're not doing everything you can to be healthy and stay in shape then by all means get with your doctor and get started.

I think you'll find the docs here are very good and can help with excellent advice. From the rest of us I think you'll find a great deal of encouragement and good wishes. Best of luck to you.
 
There's a guy I know - a very handsome man - who lost 30 lbs and lowered his blood pressure pretty significantly, from 140/98 in June down to 118/76 at the last reading, by exercise and change of diet.
So I don't need to bring my blood pressure cuff to lunch today?
 
Read up on FAR 67 (specifically 67.111 for the First Class medical cardiovascular criteria) though this one doesn't tell you the BP guidelines.

I am pretty sure the FAA wants BP under 155/90 but every doctor will tell you to be at 120/80.
 
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Unregistered, you can get that First Class and the initial issuance can be in any AME's office. with the right documentation.

But Hypertension at age 15 means serious medical stuff that needs be gotten to the bottom. Get to a Cardiologist or a Nephrologist.
 
Please pay attention to what Bruce just told you... it's very unusual for a 15 year old to have high bp. SOMEthing has to be causing it, and you don't want to just treat that something symptomatically. You want to fix it, if you can. :)
 
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