High blood pressure

[Crieagle]

Hang in there Gram, you are going the right way about things. Doc nabbed me a couple of years ago and warned me to pack in fags more exercise etc.

Reduced salt, off fags for 9 months and excercise. Took a couple of months but pressure is back to normalish 135/76 made a big difference to my sac. Have put on a few pounds but working on that.

Its pretty unfair though add more weight to my waistline and still need to add more lead to my belt.

[Jay_Benson]

Hi and welcome to the boards. Best of luck with the doc - make sure that they know you want to go diving so that they can prescribe an acceptable drug - they probably won't want to stop you diving.

[scuba steve irl]

docs want to get you back to YOUR life asap . and if you a diver that means divin .

tell what you are and what you do they are mostly always willing to help .......

[Scubee]

Go to a doctor who specialises in diving related medicine. there are plenty round the country - you could do worse than to see Oliver Firth. He works at E-Med, St Johns Wood, where the London Diving Chamber is.

Hypertension (controlled) is not a bar to diving. Nor are many of the medications that you could be put on to control it. Apparently, these days, young people (i.e. not OAP's) aren't put on beta blockers, which are contraindicated for diving. i am on ACE inhibitor, have been for 4 years, with no issues.

[Gram43]

Originally Posted by Crieagle

Hang in there Gram, you are going the right way about things. Doc nabbed me a couple of years ago and warned me to pack in fags more exercise etc.

Reduced salt, off fags for 9 months and excercise. Took a couple of months but pressure is back to normalish 135/76 made a big difference to my sac. Have put on a few pounds but working on that.

Its pretty unfair though add more weight to my waistline and still need to add more lead to my belt.

The thing is I haven't smoked for over 25 years, me and missus Gram43 eat very healthily (at least we think so), always have our main meal at lunchtimes as we work from home, so no heavy grub in the evening. As for drink, well we have cut right down and I admit that this could have been a cause, but we were never excessive.

So, when I go back to the nurse for the ECG in a couple of weeks time, my new regime should have had chance to kick in more and may/may not make any difference. I hope she's a nice nurse.

Plus, I wanted to get a check up as heart disease and diabetes run in my family, so best be safe than sorry, as I don't want ill health to be my inheritance. My mother was dogged with heart problems which killed her about 5 years ago.

As for exercise, we went out with the dogs today to have a walk along the river Tweed for a change, crapish day and the main paths were closed. We found another path a little further in a village called Norham and we got to the riverside via a nice walk through a graveyard. By the time we got to the riverbank the sky was black, we walked about 50m and the heavens opened and presented us with the most amazing and seriously heavy hail storm I've ever witnessed. We were lucky, having waterproofs on, sadly the dogs looked like walking snowmen.

Happy Easter everyone!

[Crieagle]

Good luck with ECG.

Yes happy easter. Bloody weather.

Glorious sunshine here, and a balmy 22C

[Allan Carr]

I've been on ACE inhibitors and statins for the last 5 years with no problems. High Blood Pressure and high cholesterol run in my mum's family so even though I've never smoked and eat a healthy diet (5 or more a day regularly), it's something I've inherited.

[seahound]

I have a diving holiday booked for 6 weeks time.
Once I get a letter from my GP and send it to the medical referee how long would it normally take? This is assuming that all is ok which I strongly suspect it is

[Allan Carr]

Shouldn't be a problem. Dr. Ian Sibley-Calder turned mine around in a couple of days.

[HughH]

Originally Posted by seahound

Hi
I was looking for some advice. I am a qualified diver and have been diving for a few years. Unfortunately I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure with kidney problems. Has anyone out there had similar. I guess I will need to get a dive medical. Will I be ok for diving ??

The high blood pressure can be brought down by correct diet, regular exercise, I wear a heart rate monitor when exercising to ensure I don't over do it. Pills should be the last resort. Have a word with your doctor before starting an exercise routine.