My Mum’s blood pressure readings have left me puzzled.
She is right side paralysed, she is a right-handed person, but a natural leftie who was “forced” to use her right hand due to olden time beliefs.
Her BP readings are showing hypertension on the left side and “normal” on the right side.
Examples
Left Hand Side
Right Hand Side
176/136
115/54
194/150
110/52
188/170
106/54
Whilst I am not overly concerned about the “potential” hypertension, I am curious as to why there is this difference and I wonder if anyone has experienced similar.
A few things to note and take into consideration:
Readings taken with Mum lying down
Mum notoriously difficult to relax to take readings
Mum is not very active right now
She is not currently on Blood Pressure control medication.
Finally, and interestingly she has recently come back from a two week stay in hospital.
Whilst there she was regularly tested with the usual obs as per regulation (Blood Pressure, Oxygen saturation and body temperature) and was declared medically fit for discharge.
And - her BP pattern was the same during her hospital stay.
Observation - which you may or may not find of interest.
When the nurses tested the BP on the left arm and found she was in hypertension territory, they ignored this reading and took a reading from the right arm which was deemed “acceptable”!!
So medically fit for discharge or couldn’t be bothered to identify root cause or maybe this is normal?
Roland - she is right side paralysed (affected side as you call it), but the low readings are on the right side (non-affected). It seems weird to me. It’s almost as if there might be some sort of blockage or issue of the arteries on the functional side (which she doesn’t really use).
Not sure if this is a temporary blip caused by the stress from the recent stint prior to being admitted to A&E and then staying in bed in hospital for two weeks.
I am trying to get her active again, but she is still a bit delicate and so we are taking it easy. There are some noticeable changes in her (coming back stronger again?).
Well, it’s unclear which are the diastolic readings and which are systolic ;
The top number is the systolic pressure.
The bottom number is the diastolic pressure.
So when you see or say a blood pressure reading like 120/80 mmHg , it’s:
120 = Systolic (on top)
80 = Diastolic (on the bottom)
Those are normal / average readings by the way ; A BP of 194/150 in a stroke patient is critically high and indicates a hypertensive emergency . It means the patient is at extremely high risk. Taking the reading on the non-affected (strong) side is standard practice to ensure accuracy.
Accuracy: The affected arm may have weakness or abnormal tone, leading to an inaccurate reading.
The reading is still valid and alarming: A reading this high on the non-affected side confirms it is a true, systemic hypertensive crisis, not an artifact from the affected side. It reflects the actual dangerous pressure being delivered to the brain’s blood vessels.
My understanding is that a difference of 10 to 15 points between left and right isn’t unusual, but anything more than that should probably be mentioned to your doctor. It might be quite normal for your mum, of course, given the health situation she is in, and I’m sure she has had quite enough of doctors after her recent experiences.
I’m confused or you’re confused ! - I think stroke side is likely to be low because of low blood circulation ; hence the good side is trying to get it going. But I may have the wrong end of the stick / an incomplete picture or something…
Thank you for helping me understand this “puzzle”.
In case you missed it, the below from my initial post is important to note as it explains what happened whilst she was being cared for in hospital and her obs were taken regularly.
I only posted it here because I wanted to alert members of what goes on in hospitals and GP suregeries etc.
I repeat for clarification.
Mum had similar readings in hospital and no one took notice. HCAs and nurses fudged the figures (ignoring the high values from her “good” arm (non-affected) and taking the lower acceptable readings from the “bad” arm (affected).
She has been discharged as medically fit despite these readings whilst an inpatient!!!
I can categorically state I am not confused despite not having enough sleep or rest
I have stated the results in standard format systolic top and diastolic bottom
Just for a laugh (and I have to laugh, or else I will surely cry) , have taken more readings today and tried to get Mum to relax more. Also, I have taken readings from a wrist band rather than an arm cuff, but the results are pretty much the same.
Left Wrist (non-affected)
Right Wrist (affected)
174/65
141/58
163/65
123/63
162/66
125/63
Ignoring the first results as they are higher, it is seen that there is good readings i.e. within a few points of each other, but again, the discrepancy between left and right is there.
I am not going to rush to the GP as I really have no faith in what they do - they have never understood Mum and very few people do. She is a one off !!
I bought a blood pressure reader when, suddenly, I had two blood shot eyes within six months, now attributed to too much essential oil in the bath. I got rid of it when I noticed I was noting down contrary results and began obsessing over what I had recorded. My stroke consultant, initially, advised me five years earlier not to do home tests as there is little point and it can just create unwanted anxiety. I don’t know how much of this is worthwhile advice. I have a friend who calls me up and gives me his readings throughout the day and also the readings of his partner. I don’t know what to say but I guess if BP is an issue, it may need to be followed up with meds or lifestyle changes, but it is one of those things that can fluctuate depending on so many triggers, it is difficult to say. I have also known people who have had consistent hypertension all their life and have lived without medication, just adapted their daily routine to manage it as best they can. I don’t know much about it to be frank (not honest as I don’t want to confuse the matter further )
my blood pressure was higher after i had a seiza , i had left of seiza tablets and didnt take 10 migrams bp the doc procribed as they made me tired , im having to take medication bp ten when i was originaly on 5mg for two years at least. why has my blood pressure gone up. got doc on 2nd of january , i am 79
Good to hear from you. Hope your appointment goes wellon 2nd and they mamage to sort your BP for you. If the meds are making you tired see if they will prescribe a different one.
@ManjiB Forgive me for pointing this out ; there’s been a misunderstanding. Her right side cannot be both affected and non-affected. Would you mind setting the record straight ?!
Hello Roland - you are absolutely right. I seem to have caused some confusion here by having a senior moment as well as fat finger trouble.
Having re-read my posts, and unless I am still confused, the information I have includedi n the tables is correct. First table is date from readings taken using the arms and the second table with data from wrists.
Left Hand Side
Right Hand Side
176/136
115/54
194/150
110/52
188/170
106/54
Left Wrist (non-affected)
Right Wrist (affected)
174/65
141/58
163/65
123/63
162/66
125/63
She is right side paralysed (affected side).
This is the side that has “normal” readings.
Her left side is the non-affected (good) side and has the higher readings.
And so it makes sense when you suggest
I hope that I have not confused things further but I believe we are now on the same page and so it was me who though not confused, had inadvertently caused confusion with fat finger syndrome.
I don’t think you had the wrong end of the stick - I had written this sentence wrong
It should have said
“she is right side paralysed (affected side as you call it), but the low readings are on the LEFT side (non-affected)”
or even
“she is right side paralysed (affected side as you call it), AND the low readings are ALSO on the right side”
I hope I have managed to clear any confusion (at least for now).
Thank you for getting me to set the record straight
BP is a hard one to manage. I have had remarkable results Earthing ; because I have reduced my BP considerably, and I managed to increase circulation. It’s hard enough trying to understand my own BP ; let alone anyone else’s. So many factors are involved.
Thanks Roland - I have got a grounding wristband for Mum as she can’t access earthing.
Not sure if the wristband is working or not as I haven’t tried to measure voltage or anything but it is being used. The aim is to get her more active once she has recovered from the hospital stint.
Yes, good plan. Getting her moving and thus getting her lymphatic system circulating will take her to the next level.
The Core Truth: Movement Powers the Lymphatic System
Unlike the circulatory system (which has the heart as a pump), the lymphatic system relies on muscle contraction and movement to circulate lymph fluid. This fluid is crucial because it:
Removes Waste: Carries away toxins, cellular debris, and excess fluids.
Supports Immunity: Transports white blood cells and filters pathogens through lymph nodes.
Reduces Inflammation: Helps clear the byproducts of inflammation from tissues.
When she moves, she is literally “pumping” her lymphatic system, enhancing its ability to cleanse and protect her body.
I just wish I could get her to do more of these activities, but her care schedule makes it tricky. But the plan is to build on what she has already achieved and which I keep saying is quite remarkable for her and her starting baseline.
Let’s see how we get on.
Please keep the tips coming as they really are a breath of fresh air for us.
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