Blood Pressure

I think you all are missing a huge issue in this discussion. Truck driving school is Intense, Stressful, Physically and Emotionally Draining. You will have to adjust to a new sleep schedule, if you are lucky enough to be allowed any type of schedule during time OTR with your trainer. And thats just if you are single...add in the tension of having a family to support, bills to pay, and being away from those you love.....All of these factors will be a drain on your physical body...and all of these factors WILL RAISE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE. the human body reacts to outside stimuli by raising its ability to provide oxygen and needed nutrients to all parts of the body....this is why your blood pressure goes up. Caffeine: raises the heart rate Smoking: constricts the blood vessels Sodium (aka salt): adds fluid to your blood supply All of these factors raise you blood pressure.

I find it alarming that a person who is wavering on the cusp of hypertension...and going into a situation that will certainly be a stressful event for an extended period of time, wants to find a miracle cure thru fruits and veggies. If you want to research the effect of these things on hypertension , find out how many bananas you will have to eat, how many miles you will have to run/walk ( and you won't have the time during school, or OTR,btw), and exactly what your day to day diet would be in order to maintain a bp of 140/80 or less. More truckers have coronary episodes ON THE ROAD than they do at home...its the STRESS. We read about it all the time, wrecks that take lives, because a trucker blows a hose ( has a heart attack) while he's driving. Or he is found dead in his truck in some truck stop... If you want to play russian roulette with your health, fine. but to put other people's lives on the line, just because you are afraid of whats in a pill...thats stupid, and a risk that I wouldn't want to have to live with...if I survived the wreck. Man up...if you have a health issue, get it taken care of PROFESSIONALLY, by a licensed physician.

And I will bet you one thing. If you manage to get thru a DOT physical by eating healthy stuff, working out, and limiting your intake of certain things...I bet you won't have those luxuries when you get out on the road. And I bet when you go to take your next physical, you will have the same hypertension problem, only worse.

Yes, I have hypertension...and yes it is caused, and has been for many years, from stress. And yes, I take a very old, tried and true medication for it. If for nothing else, it takes away the headaches that hypertension gives you. Thats why I went to the doctor in the first place.......

It depends on how high your BP is. If you fall in a certain ranges they will issue you a medical card but require you to renew it more often. •140-159/90-99 for 1 year certificate •160-179/100-109 for a 3 month temporary certificate at examiners discretion •Greater than 180/110 is disqualifying

Hmmmmm.... Now I am confused a little here. I went and got my DOT physical the other day ($55) and I passed on everything except my BP. My BP was 142. They issued me a 3-month card. Now I thought it was supposed to be a 1-year card. Am I missing something here?

I start school on the 12th. A 3-month card will allow me to get my permit and attend school. But by the end of school, I will only have a month to a month and a half left on my card. I don't think any firm will touch me till I get a better medical card. I plan on going back before school starts to be measured again, but still, I thought 142 would get me a 1-year card.

I too am starting on the 12th and I was just UNDER the 140 and I know that when I get to school they are going to do their own test. They always do no matter if you have a card in hand or not. So I too was concerned and wanted to make sure that did not get in my way. I have been drinking nothing but water, losing some weight, avoiding salts, no beer, no coffee, and I've been walking several miles per day and.......this may sound weird, but I read something about it.......soaking in a HOT bath each day. I believe what that does is help the veins open up and the blood to flow better.

I make sure I have sat a few minutes before the measurement and I focus on something very relaxing and breathe very smoothly. It's easy to ruin a reading by being tense and not breathing correctly. RELAX and breathe as if you were sleeping.

I have a device for measuring my own BP and had it compared to having it measured at Walgreens and in just days I am seeing my BP down compared to what it was. Walgreens measured me at 120/80 and it had been 136/85.

You can do it!!!

EXCELENT REPLY Starcar!

That was very well put, and I couldn't agree with you more. But where health is concerned, FIND THE TIME to eat healthy and exercise. Park as far away from the diner as you can and take the long walk, or better yet, JOG! Once you get inside, don't order the Country Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Check out the salad bar! You can fill up on the stuff there and be a whole lot better off for it (and probably save a couple of bucks while you're at it). Just don't drown all the great greens in creamy dressings; use only enough to give it a little flavor. Or better yet, use the vinegar and oil types of dressings. They're much better for you and the vinegar can actually help lower your BP!

Now if I could only follow my own advice, I wouldn't be sitting here right now trying to figure out how to get MY OWN BP down before my DOT physical!

In the meantime, go take a pill. I think your BP went up a couple of points just typing that reply!

Now I am confused a little here. I went and got my DOT physical the other day ($55) and I passed on everything except my BP. My BP was 142. They issued me a 3-month card. Now I thought it was supposed to be a 1-year card. Am I missing something here?

Steven N.

Doesn't matter WHAT your physical results were pre-employment other than to let you know what might be a problem (like BP). You HAVE to have a new/different physical by the company who will be hiring you EACH time you begin or change employment. The steps outlined here are all good to help you get a good result. The length of the DOT card you receive will depend on what factors show up on the physical. More than 140/90 could be a deal killer if the company says so - this means you MUST take steps to get under those limits if you are prone to exceed them. Also, if the first test puts you over the limit (but not by much) you can ask the medical person to give you a few moments and RETEST which will give you a chance to settle down and relax. Do everything you physically can to minimize your BP as some of those steps will have immediate effects. Good luck,

Jopa

My hypertension , prior to medication intervention was 180/ 140....I SHOULD have blown a hose. With medication, it runs a sweet 120/60..and the drug I take has no adverse reactions...its a very old drug..which are the ones I prefer...let them practice on someone else....The nice thing about having my hypertension in check ?? No migraines..no sleepless nights...no eye pain...no heart palpation's...no chest/neck pain. If any of that is familiar....go to your doctor.

My hypertension , prior to medication intervention was 180/ 140....I SHOULD have blown a hose. With medication, it runs a sweet 120/60..and the drug I take has no adverse reactions...its a very old drug..which are the ones I prefer...let them practice on someone else....The nice thing about having my hypertension in check ?? No migraines..no sleepless nights...no eye pain...no heart palpation's...no chest/neck pain. If any of that is familiar....go to your doctor.

Starcar, I had the same situation. I was routinely in level 2 hypertension (for those that don't know, my bp was routinely between 177-180/140-144. I had migraines for three days straight, and I couldn't do anything during those three days except work, and I would struggle through that. I popped Advil and Excedrin like candy. Eyes always hurt, chest problems, limbs hurting, any type of loud noise would irritate me, it was bad. I went through like that for more than five years never knowing that I had high blood pressure until "doctor mom" told me to get my black you know what in there and get my bp checked or she would personally get the ugly stick on me. Now you know if your mom tells you she's going to get the ugly stick, you BETTER listen to what she says. I'm 33 years old and I'm still afraid of the "ugly stick." LOL.

After going on medication for bp, (along with drastically changing my diet) my bp now is a robust 116/84, and hardly ever goes above 125. If you're going over 135/85 it's too high (according to the chart at Kaiser). I haven't had a headache or migraine in the last year since I've taken the medication, no problems with my eyes, and I don't have qeausy feelings anymore. I cut out the fried food, ate a lot of baked food, lowered the salt (I used to pile it on, seasoned or regular). You may want to try eating fruit as often as you can, mix in the vegetables (before, my only "vegetables" were sandwiched between a 1/4 pound of cow meat and a sesame seed bun) and eat nuts, like almonds and walnuts. Just do something about it before it gets you, no telling what kind of irreversible damage I did to my body in those five years, they don't call it the silent killer for nothing...

Does Swift have a resting heart rate policy? Like a too high or too low? I know the BP for getting hired on with swift needs to be controlled/treated to be at 140/90. What about RESTING HEART rate?

Does Swift have a resting heart rate policy? Like a too high or too low? I know the BP for getting hired on with swift needs to be controlled/treated to be at 140/90. What about RESTING HEART rate?

They'll simply take your blood pressure when you're sitting in the medical office. They won't do a test first thing when you wake up. Is that what you're referring to?