High blood pressure

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I know this lady whose had bp like 140-150/ 90 something for like almost 10 yrs w/o any blood pressure meds. She's somewhat obese. I keep trying to tell her to go to the doctor but she has no health insurance. Am I correct in telling her she's heading for heart attack or stroke? Which one? She says she feels fine. Can ppl normally feel fine before they have heart attacks and strokes?

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

There's a reason they call hypertension "The Silent Killer".

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

yes, people can feel perfectly normal. The first symptom may be a heart attack or stroke. It may take that to get her attention.

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Specializes in interested in NICU!!.

I cannot image going WITHOUT my bp medinice. I can feel the heahache coming if I even take it late. Cannot even imagine 10 yrs. without it!!

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I cannot image going WITHOUT my bp medinice. I can feel the heahache coming if I even take it late. Cannot even imagine 10 yrs. without it!!

Yes, 10 yrs! People just don't care. She says she might take some aspirin to thin the blood since she can't see doctor right now. No money!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

A lot of people figure that since they feel fine, there is no reason to do anything differently. You'll see this with not only hypertension, but things like diabetes as well.

Just took care of a guy who, the day after a massive MI that almost killed him, went outside to smoke. Refused the patch, refused Chantix, refused Ativan, refused everything.

You cannot make people take their own health seriously. They either do or they don't. Many will verbalize barriers that prevent them from doing so (such as no money), and when you offer assistance with overcoming that barrier, will come up with another one. The fact is that these barriers are really just excuses, and they do not *want* to make changes.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.
Yes, 10 yrs! People just don't care. She says she might take some aspirin to thin the blood since she can't see doctor right now. No money!

A stroke or MI is far more expensive than a doctor visit.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

If you are a nures you should know this.

Praiser:heartbeat

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They don't call HTN the "silent killer" for nothing.

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
If you are a nures you should know this.

Praiser:heartbeat

She is a student.

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

i am 27, 5'6 and 126 pounds.

i am very healthy, have good muscle tone, and low body fat %.

i have htn. 160/112 was a reading that really freaked me out one day!

i have taken bp meds since i was 24.

htn is a silent killer, and the longer you have it untreated, the more problems you may have in the long run. if i do not take my meds i do feel headachey, and just 'not right'.

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Specializes in interested in NICU!!.
i am 27, 5'6 and 126 pounds.

i am very healthy, have good muscle tone, and low body fat %.

i have htn. 160/112 was a reading that really freaked me out one day!

i have taken bp meds since i was 24.

htn is a silent killer, and the longer you have it untreated, the more problems you may have in the long run. if i do not take my meds i do feel headachey, and just 'not right'.

me too, i'm 26, 5'2, and 100 pounds.

i've taken bp meds since i was 23-and that's when i actually knew what 'hereditary' meant.

is yours hereditary as well?

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