Understanding Why I Needed an ABPM

Happy Friday Hivers!

I know you might laugh when I tell you this, but I'm actually afraid of having my blood pressure checked. I can't remember exactly when that fear started, but as far as I can recall, I've always been anxious about it.

What I dislike the most is the feeling when the blood pressure cuff starts to inflate. It gets so tight that I always feel like it's going to burst. Even though it may sound funny to some people, I'm not embarrassed to admit it because I've met others who feel the same way. It turns out I'm not the only one who's afraid of having my blood pressure taken.

Two weeks ago, I went to see a doctor because my acid reflux still hadn't improved even after almost a month. What made me even more concerned was what happened during one of our family gatherings. I suddenly felt extremely dizzy, and it made me wonder if acid reflux was really the only problem or if there was something else going on.

By the time I arrived at the clinic, I was experiencing severe pain in the upper part of my abdomen, and the dizziness was still intense. When the doctor checked my blood pressure, it reached 170/90. She measured it three times, and I admitted to her that I was actually afraid of having my blood pressure taken.

Deep inside, I was thinking that maybe my blood pressure was really that high, which could explain why I was feeling so dizzy. At that moment, I honestly hoped the doctor would prescribe medication for high blood pressure so the dizziness would finally go away.

However, the doctor didn't prescribe any blood pressure medication. Instead, she prescribed a one-month course of medicine for my acid reflux. She explained that since I was in pain, it was normal for my blood pressure to be temporarily elevated.

To be on the safe side, she recommended that I undergo an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) test. This involves wearing a portable blood pressure monitor for 24 hours so my blood pressure can be checked throughout the day and night. That way, she can determine whether my blood pressure is consistently high or if it only increases in certain situations, such as when I'm in pain or feeling anxious.

So yesterday, I was finally fitted with the ABPM device. Honestly, it was a bit of a hassle because I had to wear the blood pressure cuff and the monitoring device for a full 24 hours. As the nurse was putting it on me, I jokingly told her, "I feel like you're strapping a bomb to me," and she couldn't stop laughing.

Fortunately, most of my blood pressure readings didn't seem to be high. However, the final interpretation still depends on the doctor after reviewing the complete 24-hour report, so I'm hoping everything turns out normal.

This experience also made me realize that I should probably start accepting the possibility of having high blood pressure, especially since it runs in our family. Sometimes we convince ourselves that nothing is wrong because we don't want to believe it, but the reality can be different.

For now, all I can do is wait for the results and hope everything is fine. I really hope I won't need maintenance medication for high blood pressure because, honestly, that's one more thing I'd rather not have to worry about.

No matter what the results show, I'm grateful that I had the chance to get checked. Knowing the truth is always better than living with uncertainty, and if something does need attention, it's better to catch it early than ignore it.

Thank you for reading and see you on my next blog. Cheers!

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