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Do You Use a Sphygmomanometer at Home?

p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
edited August 2017 in General Discussion
A BP cuff.

I take an active part in maintaining my good health and had a manual one for years up until the bulb quit pumping. Then I got one of the automatic ones that gives BP and pulse rate.

I'm glad I did.

Woke up Thursday at 0430 with a little acid reflux. Decided to stay up. Started getting chills and disorientation. Put on the cuff and pushed a button. BP 179/90, pulse rate 102. Chills and shakes, thermometer wouldn't read but I knew I had fever.

I had gotten a tennis elbow drained on Monday so I figured I had sepsis from the readings. Loaded up my laptop, wish I had loaded my CPAP machine, and went to the ER.

Explained to the doc what I thought I had. He ran some blood tests and confirmed it, admitted me to the hospital. 24 hours of IV antibiotics and released me Friday morning.

I could not have taken my BP with the old cuff. Too shakey. Would not have known pulse rate. Take your own CPAP if you have one. Hospital doesn't have them. Made do with O2.

Don't be scared to learn about your body. We're all going to die one day and knowing how to keep yourself healthy will delay it. If that's what you want.

Comments

  • HandLoadHandLoad Member Posts: 15,998
    edited November -1
    One of those OMRON automated cuffs notified me of the onset of A-Fib, perhaps saving me finding out by having a Stroke! Has an alert if it finds the symptoms.
  • montanajoemontanajoe Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 60,243 ******
    edited November -1
  • ArbyArby Member Posts: 668
    edited November -1
    We use ours almost daily...wife has A-Fib. Also my cell phone has a handy Health App that checks Heart Rate.
  • 84Bravo184Bravo1 Member Posts: 10,461 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by p3skyking
    A BP cuff.

    I take an active part in maintaining my good health and had a manual one for years up until the bulb quit pumping. Then I got one of the automatic ones that gives BP and pulse rate.

    I'm glad I did.

    Woke up Thursday at 0430 with a little acid reflux. Decided to stay up. Started getting chills and disorientation. Put on the cuff and pushed a button. BP 179/90, pulse rate 102. Chills and shakes, thermometer wouldn't read but I knew I had fever.

    I had gotten a tennis elbow drained on Monday so I figured I had sepsis from the readings. Loaded up my laptop, wish I had loaded my CPAP machine, and went to the ER.

    Explained to the doc what I thought I had. He ran some blood tests and confirmed it, admitted me to the hospital. 24 hours of IV antibiotics and released me Friday morning.

    I could not have taken my BP with the old cuff. Too shakey. Would not have known pulse rate. Take your own CPAP if you have one. Hospital doesn't have them. Made do with O2.

    Don't be scared to learn about your body. We're all going to die one day and knowing how to keep yourself healthy will delay it. If that's what you want.




    P3,

    I own one, and used to use it (was told to use it,) religiously prior to my first Heart surgery.

    It is a state of the art unit.

    I need to locate it, and start using it again.

    I am glad you isolated and correctly diagnosed, your issue prior to serious consequences.

    It pays to be vigilant.

    Glad you are okay.

    -Ken-
  • Marc1301Marc1301 Member Posts: 31,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Been using one for years, as well as a pulse oximeter. They both can come in very handy when weird feelings present themselves.
    "Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here." - William Shatner
  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I am glad you folks are doing that. Hurting and not knowing why is one of the scariest feelings there is.
    That "ignorance is bliss" is bulls#it.

    I think the next tool I'm gonna get is the O2 saturation meter. I already have the blood sugar meter. It can save you a trip to the ER or morgue.

    84, Best of luck to you on your procedure. You'll do fine. It's amazing what Doc can do now. I just wish the nanobots would hurry up and get online.[8D]
  • 84Bravo184Bravo1 Member Posts: 10,461 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thank you for the positive words Michael.

    I am not worried about my outcome on this particular go around.

    I've been through it before.

    Quite a few advances have been made, since 2005. (Unfortunately, no Nano-bots as of yet.)

    I'm hopeful for a Spasmcreek, Cath Valve roll out implementation.

    I've got my fingers crossed.

    Again, thank you for the kind words.


    -Ken-
  • Marc1301Marc1301 Member Posts: 31,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by p3skyking
    I am glad you folks are doing that. Hurting and not knowing why is one of the scariest feelings there is.
    That "ignorance is bliss" is bulls#it.

    I think the next tool I'm gonna get is the O2 saturation meter. I already have the blood sugar meter. It can save you a trip to the ER or morgue.

    84, Best of luck to you on your procedure. You'll do fine. It's amazing what Doc can do now. I just wish the nanobots would hurry up and get online.[8D]

    Been using one of these for years. Actually made by a medical diagnostics company, and guaranteed accurate unlike some of the super cheapos on Amazon, and elsewhere.

    http://www.nonin.com/Finger-Pulse-Oximeter/Nonin-GO2-Achieve
    "Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here." - William Shatner
  • mogley98mogley98 Member Posts: 18,291 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    So curious what do you see on BP with A fib? I could google it but I will let ya'll tell me
    Why don't we go to school and work on the weekends and take the week off!
  • pwilliepwillie Member Posts: 20,253 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ...same problem last Sunday Mike....You go to Thomas? or some where in Mobile?
  • Marc1301Marc1301 Member Posts: 31,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mogley98
    So curious what do you see on BP with A fib? I could google it but I will let ya'll tell me



    A lot of the electronic ones have an arrhythmia detector built in.
    "Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here." - William Shatner
  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,500 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have what I like to call "Sphygmophobia" and what the Doc calls "White Coat Disease." Just knowing that they're going to take my BP at the doctor's office sends my BP skyward. Same thing if I use one of those testing machines at the supermarket. I can actually feel my pulse and BP going up as I sit down at one. Typically, I'll test at about 145/90 at the doc's.

    So I bought an Omron unit and use it at home. Sure enough, the first few times I used it, the numbers went up. But with regular use, I've gotten that "Oh, crap" pre-test rise to calm (or clam) down. I still always do two tests, about five minutes apart, and the second one is almost always lower. The last time was 139/75 and then 122/76.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by pwillie
    ...same problem last Sunday Mike....You go to Thomas? or some where in Mobile?


    North Baldwin. It's only ten minutes away if I drive fast.
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