The Blood Pressure Superthread

[Ismail27]

Hey everyone,
I have a question for my medical. i have blood pressure since i was born and i took medication since i was 9 and it doest give me trouble when i'm doing sport. I'm actually doing a lot of sport, i go to the gym almost everyday during past 5 month and i've been playing soccer and hockey 4 to 5 time per week since i was 8 years old, i called my recruiting center and ask for medical advice but they was busy so they asked me my phone number and never called me back, so i was wondering if i have any chance to success my medical. Because joining the infantry is my dream since i was young.

By the way sorry if i made mistakes, i'm francophone and i tried my best

 

[ModlrMike]

Firstly, no one here is going to be able to fully answer the question you've asked. Only the recruiting Medical Officer can do that.

Secondly, every case is assessed individually, and no two cases are alike.

Thirdly, you've taken medication every day since you were 9. Ask yourself what would happen if you suddenly ran out and couldn't get any more. How would that impact your ability to function? What burden might that put on others? Would you become so ill that you might need to be evacuated? These are some of the considerations that will be applied in determining your medical status.

Finally, you need to accept that everyone gets to apply, not everyone gets to join.

 

[Ismail27]

First, thanks for your advice, than the medication is only to regularise my blood pressure, i can spend a month or more without tank my medicine because my blood pressure isn't too high, so like you said i should contacted my recruiting center yesterday so i still wait to the officer to call me back for a professional answer.

 

[PMedMoe]

They might just say go through the process and see what Ottawa decides...

 

[brunet071]

The recruitment process was a wakeup call for me. I’m in my forties and never really felt like I needed to get checked out. I’ve been running anywhere from 30 to 60K a week for the last 20 years. My blood pressure came up high during my medical (143 on the first try and 131 on the second). Got the form to a doctor and all hell broke loose when they took my blood pressure and ECG. I ended up going back to the recruitment office with things like ''left ventricular over pressure’’ and ''blood pressure over limit’’ written on the form…
    I went back told the medic I was more concerned about having a heart attack on a long run than joining the army at this point. They kept my file in Montreal and waited for me to see a cardiologist.
I ended up going thru a series of tests (24hr blood pressure reading, echo, ECG with effort and a few more I don’t remember).  It turns out I have a possible slight permeable membrane between the left and right side of my heart and my average blood pressure is less then 125 during 24hours with spikes at 150 when I’m stuck in Montreal traffic. :rage: The cardiologist gave me the green light.  I’m starting BMQ this summer.
I’m also cutting out the alcohol and sodium from my diet for good measure.

I also have an awesome excuse why I can’t get my marathon times under 4 hours.

 

[Deleted member 102242]

Hi All,

I read here about someone failing the medical for high Blood Pressure. Does anyone know what the standard is?

I generally hover at about 134/86 or so, which is considered "pre-hypertension". I've seen a few doctors about it and they weren't too concerned, including a specialist.

However, the Air Force might be concerned. After eating stupid healthy for a week, I was able to lower it to 122/78, however, I'm still nervous about it. Does anyone know what the standard is?

 

[Loachman]

Seven pages of blood pressure stuff, FA22raptero. Please look for and read older threads on relevant subjects before posting questions and, especially, starting whole new redundant threads.

You are going to have a metric shit-ton of homework on your flying courses. You may as well get a teensy-weensy hint of that here.

 

[CombatDoc]

Keep eating "stupid heathy", stay away from alcohol, and get some exercise. And what Loachman said...

 

[Loachman]

Somebody close to me was diagnosed with high blood pressure as a teenager and was on medication for many, many years, but did as ArmyDoc says and now has blood pressure in the normal range and no longer requires medication.

Avoid junk chemical- and sugar-laced processed foods.

 

[Messerschmitt]

Keep eating "stupid heathy", stay away from alcohol, and get some exercise. And what Loachman said...

I was under the impression a glass of wine a day is actually good. Or when people say stay away from alcohol means don't get to the stage where you start feeling tipsy

 

[medicineman]

My version/the actual version of a glass of wine and what the average North American feels is a glass of wine tend to differ by several ounces. 

MM

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Yes, but there is a standard definition of a glass of wine, and it is the one used in the restaurant business: One glass = 125 ml. In many restaurants, that level is etched on the side of the glass for "proof" to the client (especially Americans who don't seem to understand that  a FULL glass serving of claret should only fill half of a red wine glass).

So in your standard 750 ml. bottle of wine, there are 6 glasses. So that for instance, when they advertise that men should have no more than three glasses a day, it means a bottle should last you two days at the very least, or that you have to invite a friend over  ;D.

 

[NickNML]

Sorry if this question has been asked before, I remember watching an old basic up episode, maybe the first season, where a couple guys got to basic but couldn't do the fitness test because of blood pressure being high (whatever that test was at the time since it was old). They were then put into that other platoon to get healthy etc.

My question is how common is this? I tend to always get a little anxious in anticipation of a blood pressure test and end up with high blood pressure. That usually comes down a bit once it is taken again a few minutes later.

I may be over thinking it considering I passed the medical and was anxious during that test as well. As well I'm sure everyone there is feeling pretty anxious about everything. But I'd hate to get there and have something like that set me back, escpecially where I'd consider myself to be a pretty health concious guy.

 

[Inspir]

That's pretty common and it's called White Coat Hypertension and is caused primarily by anxiety. PSP staff will know how to work around this which usually involves you chilling out and relaxing. Some people have a similar issue with tachycardia (high pulse rate), which you can try to remedy in the same way or try some vagal maneuvers. Some common vagal maneuvers can include gagging and coughing, bearing down like you're taking a crap, or immersing your face in ice-cold water. Just note that vagal maneuvers won't do much for your blood pressure, if at all.   

 

[ballz]

It's been a while since I was at basic so this may have changed (unlikely) but if none of that works, they will send you to see the MO. If the MO clears you, you're good to go. We had a marathon runner go through this and then smash the beep test with a 14.

 

[NickNML]

Good to know it's relatively common, I did see a lot of people posting previously about the "white coat syndrome" thing. Guess the medical staff there probably see all sorts of varying blood pressure. But I'm an otherwise healthy individual so I guess I shouldn't be to concerned.

 

[mariomike]

I did see a lot of people posting previously about the "white coat syndrome" thing.

Even has a thread of its own, 

White coat syndrome
https://army.ca/forums/threads/108988.0

 

[Swally]

Morning all.
This is a medical question. I'm in the enrollment.
The reason I'm posting this in general is because I'm hoping to hear from current service people.
Most of the replies coming from the medical enrollment page seem to be "talk to the medical officer" and I'm not at that stage yet. I have another month or two before my medical appointment so I'm looking into what I can do between now and then to improve, in my case, blood pressure. (I take a pill a day since my mid 20s. 37 years old now, everything fine.)
I have read all 8 pages of the blood pressure megathread.

For those who got through with blood pressure or on some sort of medication, what were your experiences?

For those who are already in the CF and later found out you had high blood pressure or needed meds, did anything in your trade or career change for you?

Thank you very much!  ;D

 

[BeyondTheNow]

Morning all.
This is a medical question. I'm in the enrollment.
The reason I'm posting this in general is because I'm hoping to hear from current service people.
Most of the replies coming from the medical enrollment page seem to be "talk to the medical officer" and I'm not at that stage yet. I have another month or two before my medical appointment so I'm looking into what I can do between now and then to improve, in my case, blood pressure. (I take a pill a day since my mid 20s. 37 years old now, everything fine.)
I have read all 8 pages of the blood pressure megathread.

For those who got through with blood pressure or on some sort of medication, what were your experiences?

For those who are already in the CF and later found out you had high blood pressure or needed meds, did anything in your trade or career change for you?

Thank you very much!  ;D

It's understandable that you're seeking reassurances from members who made it through who are in similar situations as yourself (i.e. taking the same/similar medications), but it doesn't work like that. The main reason people say to speak with your MO about health-related issues is because even if it seems like someone might be in a similar situation as you, their overall hiring process could've been vastly different. Everyone's individual medical situation is unique and assessed as such. (i.e. some people with Asthma get in, some don't. Some people who take medication regularly get in, some don't, etc.) There are many factors taken into consideration when the medical portion of the recruiting process is being done.

All you can do is prepare for each aspect as much as you can. Answer truthfully when it comes time. If you manage to hear from someone whose circumstance matches/is similar to your own, great, but don't count on your outcome being the same as theirs.

 

[Swally]

True yeah. And part of why I'm asking is reassurance that it is still possible to get in.
But there are two other parts of my question that I'm looking for answers to too namely what people have done to "prepair" for the medical because I have two months to get ready.
The other part is if BP changes anything in your career. Like if I were to get in, and then in 5 years I'm told I've got high BP, sorry you're stuck in an office for the rest of your career now.

Know what I mean?