Because of “fear of taking medicine”, various complications
Recently, 45-year-old Mr. Li felt dizzy, dizzy, unsteady walking, shortness of breath after activities, and symptoms continued to worsen, so he went to the Cardiovascular Outpatient Department of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. After receiving the consultation, Chief Physician Gu Minglin of the Department of Cardiology found that Mr. Li’s blood pressure was 176/110 mmHg. The electrocardiogram and color Doppler ultrasound revealed left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertensive heart disease. Brain CT showed lacunar infarction. Li The microalbumin in the urine of my husband also increased significantly. All these indicate that Mr. Li has suffered damage to the heart, brain, kidneys and other organs due to long-term high blood pressure and non-standard treatment.
▎There are many misunderstandings about hypertension, it is important to know blood pressure
Why is the incidence of hypertension in the population of our country high, but the awareness rate, treatment rate and control rate are at the “three lows”? Director Gu said that a very important reason is that there are still many misunderstandings in the public’s understanding of hypertension, such as no need for treatment if there is no symptom, the belief that antihypertensive drugs are dependent, and the side effects of drugs are overstated. Many hypertensive patients “follow their feelings” but ignore the fact that “blood pressure is measured, not perceived” until long-term irregular treatment or evasion of diagnosis and treatment, leading to serious heart, brain, kidney, and peripheral Complications such as large and small vascular diseases occur before medical treatment, and at this time some complications have caused irreparable consequences.
▎Know your blood pressure and learn to measure yourself
1. Know the normal value of blood pressure. According to current medical guidelines at home and abroad, the blood pressure of a normal adult should be less than 140/90 mmHg. When the blood pressure is not measured multiple times on the same day, the blood pressure in the hospital consulting room is higher than 140/90 mmHg, or the blood pressure measured at home is higher than 135/85 mmHg, the diagnosis of hypertension can be considered, and it is recommended to see a doctor in time.
2. Know the blood pressure measurement equipment. The current instruments for measuring blood pressure mainly include mercury sphygmomanometers, electronic automatic sphygmomanometers, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. For self-family measurement of blood pressure, currently the only recommendation is an electronic sphygmomanometer, which is a fully automatic upper arm electronic sphygmomanometer certified by international standards.
3. Know the precautions for blood pressure measurement. Do not smoke, do not drink strong tea or coffee, empty your bladder, keep your mood calm and relax your body before the measurement. It is advisable to sit on a comfortable chair with a backrest and rest for at least 5 minutes before starting the measurement. The midpoint of the upper arm cuff should be at the same level as the heart. Measure 2 to 3 times each time, at least 1 minute apart, take the average value, and note the record.
4. Know the blood pressure measurement cycle. Adults over 18 years of age without high blood pressure should have their blood pressure measured at least once a year. For newly diagnosed hypertension, early treatment, or patients whose blood pressure has not reached the standard after treatment, they should be measured continuously for 5 to 7 days before seeing a doctor; when the blood pressure is well controlled, it should be measured at least 1 day a week.
5. Know the benefits of self-measurement of blood pressure. Self-measurement of blood pressure can not only avoid “white coat hypertension” (short-term increase in blood pressure due to medical stress), improve the accuracy of hypertension diagnosis, and can significantly increase the awareness and control rate of hypertension, which is helpful for timely detection of hypertension Risk and monitor the control of hypertension, and control the harm of hypertension and its complications to the human body. Stay away from the risk of high blood pressure and start by paying attention to blood pressure health.
