Hi Ayna,
Do you have low blood pressure? Sometimes the body notices that your BP is too low, so it automatically raises your heartbeat to increase the BP to a normal rate for you. It is our survival mechanism that everyone has.

If we lose a lot of blood, our BP drops, so our heart rate goes up then too to keep your heart pumping. Again another survival mechanism built into all our bodies.

If you're stressed or anxious, then the heart rate goes up and BP too. That is why a doctor or nurse waits awhile and then takes it again if you are the nervous type.

They used to call that the "White Coat Syndrome." See a doctor's coat and you get nervous or stressed. It happens to people with normal BP and HR too. Being fearful of what the doctor may say does it.

Before you take your pulse (don't use your thumb, it has it's own pulse) use pointer and middle finger, sit and rest for twenty minutes, do not eat or talk, smoke or drink caffeine or alcohol.

Then take it. Take it for one full minute, not 15, or 30 seconds to be sure. It varies in one minute perhaps different from a 30 second count.

I have "white coat syndrome" with some doctors. With others I am fine and always have been. We bought a blood pressure monitor for us at home and have had it for quite a few years now. We check now and again. There has never been a problem. BP and pulse are fine. I have pretty much always been in the 90's and it's normal. 60 to 100 is normal for healthy adults.

I've checked it prior to this in stores and that isn't very reliable either especially the one time when a lady's two kids were roaring around and asking me if I was done yet. They wanted to get on the machine. Obviously, they liked to "play" on it. I got up and left that time.

Hi AynaDee,

I just got the same DVD. They spend a lot of time stopping to take their heart rate on it, don't they?

I found that getting mine isn't exactly easy, and I don't trust the results I've been getting. The beat "disappears" on me, and I have trouble coordinating my counts with the actual beats. Obviously I need more practice.

Is it possible you haven't been getting an accurate count too? I think this whole procedure is tricky enough that it would be easy to get it wrong....

I had an ultrasound on my kidneys yesterday. All is normal there so I will be meeting with my PCP next week. My resting heart rate is in the 90's. So I will let you know what she says about a high rate. According to my physical therapist, the cardiologist may be the next step since blood pressure is high as well.