High diastolic blood pressure

[biitsy]

Been having issues over the last 6 months (and increasingly severe for the last 3 months after I had COVID) with feeling dizzy and like I am about to faint, with some shortness of breath and a pounding chest. I went to my doctor thinking that maybe it was just stress or anxiety. My blood pressure was 160/120 which clearly is not great!

I had an ECG, and shows that I have an enlarged right atrium and possible arrhythmia. I am yet to see a specialist and waiting for my first appointment. I also had a blood test showing that my red cell count was higher than normal

I have been recording my blood pressure regularly at my doctors request and although it is not nearly as scary as my initial reading with the doctor, it is becoming clear that when I feel dizzy, the second number is high, where the first one is relatively normal at the moment.

Does anyone else have this? On average, my blood pressure is around 115/90 and my resting heart rate is normally around 62bpm

Is it possible to have a normal heart rate with an arrhythmia?

Thank you in advance

[biitsy]

Thanks for your response,

I have found that changes in lifestyle (cutting out caffeine, alcohol, smoking) has helped calm down the dizzy episodes and palpitations, to where I recover from them quicker even though they still happen most days, sometimes several times in a day.

My blood pressure is very similar to yours, averaging at 122/87 over the last couple weeks, and my heart rate has been at 62bpm, then jumps up to 97bpm without any real change in activity levels, and then can go down to 52bpm.

I am hoping that I can get to the bottom of it soon, as when I have days where I'm not that effected, I always seems to convince myself it is all in my head, or I'm being dramatic, and that there isn't actually something wrong, despite being told that the ECG picked up that something is not right.

Have you always has issues, or did your symptoms occur later in life?

[biitsy]

It's strange how these things can suddenly appear. My blood pressure is something that previously, has always been really good. Sorry to hear about the issues your family has also, my grandfather has an irregular heartbeat, and my uncle has also had 6 heart attacks .

I only went to the doctor as I had fainted after a dizzy spell in the new year and was getting increasingly out of breath. My doctor is reluctant to put me on BP medication as my systolic pressure isn't too bad and they want some more specialised advice before I take anything.

I am so very tired, and often wake up short of breath and can only do light activity.

Yes, agreed. I spent far too much time on google, getting myself worked up. Especially as I'm 28 but I'm sworn off googling too much until I managed to get in and see someone