Dear P.,
I was diagnosed with hypertension at about age 33. I was not one to take meds either, not even birth control pills. Couldn't even remember to take my vitamins on a daily basis. I had a sinus infection when I presented to my Doctor. My Bp was high. He recommended that I track my bp several times daily, then come back in a month with the journal, which was when my well womens visit was scheduled. I got a wrist cuff that inflates automatically. I tracked my bp, first thing in the morning, after lunch, during work, when I felt stressed, when I went to bed. You get the picture, becuase I was convinced it was dietary, I had eaten to many salty chips, or hadn't drank enough water, or I was worried or stressed. ANd although those things can raise your BP, they usually don't consistently elevate it, it is usually a spike that you can correlate with the event. Anyway, my BP was consistently high, so at the tender age of 33, I was placed on BP meds and have taken them faithfullly for the last 5 years.
Hypertension is called the silent killer for a reason. I will also tell you that the longer you are hypertensive and go without treatment the more damage you are doing to your body. You may not see any problems however until you are older, because that is how high BP is and how it silently does its damage and while it goes untreated or undetected. Silently causes damage over the long haul and then it is to late to correct the damage only treat the symptoms. Damage include kidney damage, vascular damage and cardiac damage from a heart that has been working hard for years. It can also lead to pulmonary hypertension that is worse than just hypertension.
I would recommend a lower salt diet, cut out all soft drinks except for the occassional treat. Exercise. Lose a little weight. Those are all factors contributing to the problem. Mine is mainly hereditary. Because even with all those things and supplements, vitamins etc. mine is still to high to be healthy over the long term.
I would recommend the journal for a week before starting your meds. Then would start them and continue the journal to track and see if the med is indeed helping or making you go to low. I also would seek a second opinion. I think that one BP might not be enough to start on meds, but certainly needs to be checked out and should be a red flag. With your reluctance to take meds, you may need the information in the journal to give you some insight and some more information to take back to the doctor anyways. I would encourage you to to take heed and know that you may not have any complications for years to come and that hypertension is nothing to dismiss so easily as stress or anxiety or even diet. Please do something and also educate yourself so you will be around a long time for the amazing kids you have. After all the best thing you can do for yourself is to take care of yourself, whatever that might be, meds or not, so you will be around a long time for your family.
BTW, I am also an RN and my knowledge of doing the right stuff did not keep me from being hypertensive. But my cholesterols are fabulous!
Good luck,
L.