Blood pressure for DOT physical

If you are 23 years old and have high blood pressure, you need to get to the docs and be checked out because you should not be driving at all, it may be something serious and you could be a hazard to every one on the road in this job.

 

Calm down. Im 29. My blood pressure was 125/95 before my dot physical. I asked my dr about lowering it, he said it was nothing to worry about, some people just have a highet bottom number. Then I told him I need a dot physical, so he recommended a strict diet and garlic for a few weeks. Then I was 121/83 for dot
Yoi dont know the op s situation

 

Also, blood pressure varies drasticly throughout the day

 

My family doctor did my fathers as well as my DOT physicals till he retired in the middle 90s. I remember asking him about my blood pressure. He told me I have declared you fit to drive, go, I got other people to see. As we have debated I don't like the capricious way the FMCSA did those regulations. A medical person with no knowledge of your medical history is not in a position to say one way or another and is forced to render a decision on a drivers fitness to drive just to please a regulation. More weight needs to be given to the family doctor's medical opinion, this also applies to sleep apnea.

 

Neither do you.

Too many people at that age have other issues which effect the BP that can be an indicator to something else. Taking the "white coat" syndrome out of the equation, to have it at an early age means there is more to it than he or the DOT doc may find, so the best solution is to have a PCP look into it, at least one visit may discover something else wrong and may fix something that would be harmful in the long term.

The other issue is this idea of this short term get by attitude with the DOT physical, most don't do much other than just get by, and this is one reason why we have these stupid regulations and guideline.

 

I agree with the first part. My point is maybe he has a regular dr. And his regular dr is ok with it. Slightly high blood pressure alone is not a problem, it may be a sign of a problem it may not. People are all differant

 

Why would you get stresses by a rushing Dispatcher what is the worst thing that he would do If you where late? can you get fired if you have the attitude Ill get there when I'll safely get there.

 

At age 54 my blood pressure has always been to the high side. I'm 5' 10 240 lbs and need to lose 10-15 lbs from sitting around too much this winter. I stopped drinking coffee and refrained from cookies and junk for 5 days before the exam.

Had DOT physical done at local hospital ($73) where I had my last one 2 years ago. Nurse took my blood pressure and it was high; so high she wouldn't even tell me! Yikes! She had me undress, slip into a gown and lay on the exam table on my Left side until the doctor came in. ( yeah, yeah, yeah, spare me the comments!) Felt much better because my pants were fitting alittle too tight!

Doc arrived, told me to think happy thoughts, inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth (was never really sure how to breathe during these things) and he checked my pressure again; 135/75! Bingo, I'm good to go for another 2 years. Then they handed me a stack of paperwork: Medical Exam Report Form (4 pages) and the Medical Exam Certificate. Took this paperwork to local OH BMV, the woman took the Medical Exam Certificate, entered the information and handed it back to me. I did not see her scan it. When I asked about a Medical Card, she was alittle fuzzy but said she thought from now on I'd have to have the full sheet Certificate with me when driving. Sharing this with you all as in all the years I've had exams, even before I started driving 3 years ago, never had my family doctor have me relax and lay on my left side. But it seemed to work.

 

Didn't read through the whole thread, but did want to offer up my experience.

At my last DOT physical, the nurse practitioner doing the exam took my blood pressure as one of the first "items", then proceeded to work through some other stuff like reflexes, vision, and then took my blood pressure again. Finished off the remaining items like the hearing "exam" and a few questions and then took my blood pressure again.

She told me that she takes multiple readings and then takes the lowest reading and that is the one that goes on the long form. She also said that some people may have a higher than normal BP if they're "holding it" in preparation for the urine screen, so she takes a reading before the urinalysis and then two after to see if the patients BP drops after they urinate in the collection cup.

 

The new system is supposed to do away with the need to even carry the small card, much less the long form.

It's funny how every state does things a little differently, and not many seem to understand the whole picture.
Not enough, if any, real training I guess.

In MN they scan my little card, but have no interest in the long form. They don't even look at it.
And from what I have heard, it is the long form that they are supposed to scan in because they want your full medical form on file.