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Let me start off by saying I am not in the medical field and this is only my experience
Back story:
About 5 years ago, my blood pressure was increasing. I was having some kidney problems, but doctors decided that since my parents had high blood pressure, it was just hereditary. It steadily increased. I was tested by cardiologist, who determined that there was nothing actually wrong with my heart so it must be hereditary. Then I went to
Nephrologist (kidney specialist). She advised me that my renal arteries were fine and, once I healed from a bladder/ureter surgery and my hydronephrosis (swelling of my kidneys) went down, was considered healthy but with high blood pressure. She did note that I looked like I was dehydrated, as I had gotten kidney stones several times.
One of the best choices I made for tracking my blood pressure was my choice to go high tech. I got the Omron Evolv blood pressure cuff. It has an app, which records my readings for me and can email the readings to my doctor. Very convenient. I brought it to the cardiologist's office and they were able to verify that the readings were the same as their office. It also integrates with other apps like Samsung. In deciding on which one to buy, I considered several. Check out my post on that.
The image above is a screenshot of what the record looks like.
Process:
For those of you who don't know me, I tend to be stubborn and I research everything. I'm also not a fan of taking medicine just because. I prefer to look into natural ways to fix things or best understand the root of the problem, rather than just cover a symptom.
Given my research, I knew my heart was fine and ultrasound of kidneys and renal arteries were good also. I also found some research showing a possible link between hypertension and diabetes. Both my parents have hypertension and my dad recently has diabetes. My mom is starting to get it. I did not want to go that route.
Here is an interesting article I found on the subject.
The Ah ha moment came when I got a new scale. There are several scales on the market that do some really cool things. The one I got was able to put a small current through you to determine your hydration level among several other things. There are several options at different price points. The key is finding one that works for you an has an app. Some like the Withings scale can also integrate with other products, such as FitBit, Samsung, Apple, and more. This might not be right for everyone, but it was perfect for me.
I also found some great articles on the benefits of water.
The signs of mild dehydration are so similar to other things, most people might not equate it to dehydration.
Solution :
What did I figure out? My hydration levels needed to improve.
I used this site to figure out how much water I should be drinking.
It showed me that I should be drinking (3) 32 oz cups of water per day.
I was drinking what I thought was the right amount, but it was still not increasing. Then I realized, if I am drinking the right amount, how can it ever improve. I started drinking just a bit more than needed. That is when I started to see results.
As I got higher in my hydration level readings, I found that my blood pressure was dropping to really too low of levels. The doctor recommended that I reduce my medication. Then it got even lower and I reduced more. By the time my levels reached Healthy levels, I was off all the medications. The only times I notice blood pressure issues is when I haven't been drinking enough water.
Water really changed things for me. It might not be the fix for your blood pressure, but it worked for me. It has also has made other changes as well, but that is for another article.
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