Dot Physical

Proper medical testing protocol of blood pressure requires 5 minutes of no activity and no talking by the subject (you) to achieve an acurrate reading. Insist on your quiet time before the test is taken. Most nurses and office staff like to do many things at once while they talk to you and you answer and then they measure your BP. Just calmly talking raises everyone's BP. If your BP is already high or borderline that boost from talking is going to be significant to your final reading.

 

The DOT MD is not your friend and not your personal doctor. Treat him like an IRS auditor. Tell him as little as you can and nothing he doesn't need to know. Get a personal doctor if you need to talk about your health. This applies to the office staff and nurses working with the DOT MD.

 

They will calculate your Body Mass Index, look for BMI calculators online. If your BMI is over 35? they will assume you have sleep apnea no matter what you tell them. Also if your neck size is above 17?? sleep apnea is assumed and a sleep study is in your futue. can you swear on a stack of Bibles you hiccup in your sleep and never snore? Don't bring it up. You may have to pay for your sleep study and or sleep machine or the company may pay and charge you a weekly fee to pay off their expense. It varies by company. You don't ask the IRS about questionable tax situations you have someone ask them about a theoretical taxpayer if you are smart. Your interest is your health and your career. His interest is sending anyone not clearly without sleep apnea to an expensive sleep study.

 

I know truckers that have insomnia and they use Nyquil and get a good sleep during their 10 hr. break.

 

Once you have an official entry in your medical history and records I would assume anyone can find that info. In other industries before "ObamaCare fixed everything just right" you could visit a doctor under an assumed name, pay cash, and be completely honest before going to your career-threatening health professional. Now anything you tell one doctor may be spread like STDs during Fleet Week. They can't end your career over something they don't know about. It pays to lose weight, lower your BP, stop snoring on your own so I would suggest all of us do those things. I would research ways of doing those things without generating medical records. They're are many people that have done these things and some that understand the techniques to measure these items that may temporarily improve your readings. Some people report fast weight loss on low carb high protein diets whiel taking a multivitamin at recommended levels. Stay well hydrated, avoid salt like the plague.

In an unrelated item I hear Google has entries for temporary lower of blood pressure. I know you and I don't have any need for that but someone told me the reading is interesting.

 

I don't know but others here do know all the details.