true blood pressure readings

I understand that a higher blood pressure (say, 135/80 and up) does more damage to blood vessels than the lower readings. My husband and I both, after sitting quietly, and taking it a few times! can get readings at home of about 120/75 or even lower. The first reading after sitting down might be 135/80. But we both are very active (both 54) and run around all day at work, and when we check it then, it can be as high as 140/85 or so, sometimes higher, sometimes lower. Does that mean all day while we area running around, and the blood pressure is higher, we are damaging blood vessels?  What is the TRUE reading, the one while you are forcing it down while relaxing, or the one that we live with all day while we are so busy? Most people live running around doing things, so shouldn't that be the truer reading, over the one where people spend just a few minutes a day relaxing?  I find this very confusing. Our doctor agrees, and says it is silly to take it while relaxing, because few people live their lives that way. What is the answer here?

[Barbarella]

Yes, this is very confusing.  A Hypertension Specialist told me to "sit quiet for 15 minutes and then take my BP because everybody's BP goes up when doing things i.e. physical or mental".

Our doctor however says "he wants a reading when I stop whatever I am doing and take my BP".  I however listen to the Hypertension Specialist, he is the Specialist in that field, not our doctor.

Also, when you buy BP monitors some of them if not all of them say do NOT take your BP while under stress because it can cause a "false" reading.

Sometimes people, me included, who have anxiety over their BP, wondering if it is high will have their first one or two readings high even at home.

[Barbarella]

I forgot to mention that it also depends on the doctors.  I had a doctor tell me that a BP top # of 150 was a "normal" BP another doctor got hyper because of 135/85.

The Hypertension Specialist told me that even people with normal or low BP their BP can go up temporarely during physical exertion, mental excitement/upset as in finding out very good news or bad news, during sex, during suspense, afraid of your BP outcome/white coat hypertension.  But he told me if your BP is always elevated/high when at rest then it needs to be looked into.

[bugs53]

Thank you! I think your last sentence esp. makes the most sense. Maybe they want us to rest to see if it is still high then, and that is the true reading. Let's see if some other people can also shed light on this confusion. Any experts out there? :-) Bugs.