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Hypertension challenges?

Posted , 7 users are following.

mjhilley
mjhilley

Hi, 

I'm a Product Design student at the University of Dundee, Scotland.

I'm currently working on my final year project. My aims are to develop a product which helps patients better manage their hypertension.

To make sure I tackle the most significant issues facing hypertension management I'd love to gain insight from those dealing with the condition day-to-day.

So my question is:

What do you think are the toughest challenges facing patients in terms of managing their condition?

Thank you all for your time.

(Please feel free to get in contact if you have any questions!)

Thank you for you help.

Regards

1 like, 76 replies

76 Replies

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  • helen_07568
    helen_07568 mjhilley

    Posted

    The thing that baffles me is when people have resistant hbp when meds won.t work on it at all what help is there for those poor souls? taking toxic rx drugs that are not even working well thats very disheartening to me. 
    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 helen_07568

      Posted

      Quite agree Helen but some of the responsibility lies with us.  There is no point in staying on heavy duty medication if it isn't working and we need to monitor ourselves and take up issues like these with our doctors. 
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 Alexandra123

      Posted

      Yes  alot  of people are wrongly diagnosed on 3 high readings at different times in the docs office, that happened to me so yes we must monitor ourselves we are responsible for our own wellbeing..home bp monitors can cause alot of worry because of some high readings, but also some relief at the normal ones.... even if you wear a 24 hour monitor unless you are reallycool I amsure they still don.t get true readings as you would be anxious everytime the cuff inflated   
    • Fisherman
      Fisherman helen_07568

      Posted

      So i'm not the only one who gets anxious when the cuff starts to inflate??!! Hooray, I thought it was me! That's why I thought it would be great to have a device invented that removes that anxiety at a time when you should be chilled!!! The way technology is moving these days I think something will be invented given time.
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 Fisherman

      Posted

      Yes nerves are the culprit and if you can.t calm them well its medication  rock and a hard place
    • Fisherman
      Fisherman helen_07568

      Posted

      Well Helen I'll soon find out about whether nerves/anxiety affect my readings as seeing GP in about 2 hours time. I suspect my readings will be thru the roof even tho my early morning ones at home were fine.

      My wife who is type 2 diabetic has read about a marvellous device that is like a smokers patch which you wear on your arm and if you need a reading at any time you 'swipe' it with a small hand held monitor and you get a blood glucose reading immediately. The technology is out there but I guess there has to be a proven demand. She just hates having to prick her fingers whenever she needs a reading, plus the cost of the little strips is quite high.

    • derek76
      derek76 Fisherman

      Posted

      You can buy testing strips on EBay quite cheaply. Even more cheaply if you buy short dated ones. I doubt if age makes any difference to test strips.
    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 mjhilley

      Posted

      Thanks mjhilley.  Fascinating stuff.  Amazing what they come up with.  Re the first, perhaps I'll email my friend in South Korea and see if she can send over supplies!  Re the second.  Inappropriate bleeping could be a problem.  I'm thinking of Derek and the day after tomorrow!
    • Fisherman
      Fisherman helen_07568

      Posted

      Hiya. Well that was a weird appointment at docs. Took in my little black book with all my numbers in and all she did was congratulate me and said keep doing what you're doing and do have little treats like wine/beer and naughty foods every now and then. This from a GP who not too long ago said don't drink any alcohol or eat the 'wrong' types of food! Plus she didn't even take my bp, just relied on my readings (although I do suffer from white coat syndrome) Basically I think I am now on the self help plan!! Oh yes, I am still to take the ramapril and statins. 
    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 Fisherman

      Posted

      Sounds eminently sensible.  Might I ask how much ramapril you take, which statin and the dosage?
  • jennifer01117
    jennifer01117 mjhilley

    Posted

    Hi, good luck with the product. havimg suffere hypertension for 55years and been on meds which do not do their job all that time. they certainly make their side effects known and I have just had new medication which upset my sysyem for a week before christmas. 

    why so many side effects. the more sophisticated the drugs now the worse they are

    no back up when you begin a new drug and very difficult to speak to a G.P

    24hour BPassessment is agonising if you havd very high BP

    BP monitors are a trigger with many people for raising BP

    Living with a time bomb

    very little time with a consultant who really knows. most sem to stick a finger in th air and come up with yet another drug

    have been reading  the hidden cause of high blood pressure by Samuel J Mann. wish this was read by wver medic.

    good luck

    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 jennifer01117

      Posted

      Hi there Jennifer, what drugs do you take for hbp, you must have alot of experience to help people on this forum after 55 years of taking medication, surely like samuel mann thinks we should treat the cause instead of adding more and more drugs. He thinks its more down to our emotions when very young that were never addressed at the time I don.t think he is wrong do you??? 
    • derek76
      derek76 helen_07568

      Posted

      After 55 years it is proof that even with the advances in medicine there is not a drug that controls BP. Proof though that Jennifer still being with us that it is not the killer some believe and that the timer on her bomb is set to infinity.
    • Fisherman
      Fisherman helen_07568

      Posted

      So Dr.Samuel Mann's idea is that bp can be established at a young age and influenced by emotions? Have I got that right? I confess that I have not read his book. Why is it that more GP's don't realise that its better to treat causes rather than just prescribe drugs to treat symptoms? I will see about obtaining Dr Mann's book and read his opinions.
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 Fisherman

      Posted

      yes you have got that right, you can google some of his pages,   gps give out drugs to people who show in surgery with high bp I had 3 high readings and ended up on atenolol,  now I don,t take it just walk 30 mins a day you know thats a better choice, emotions play a big role in bp readings esp in doctors surgery, once you get that white  coat thing going on its curtains lol have a great new years eve and also 2015
    • Fisherman
      Fisherman helen_07568

      Posted

      I do suffer dreadfully from white coat syndrome. I even get anxious when taking my own readings so you can imagine what I am like in a docs surgery! Crazy really cos all my friends think I'm quite a chilled guy. Healthy New Year Helen. ...  keep walking!
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 Fisherman

      Posted

      I am chilled about everything but taking my bp its mad is.nt it and this afternoon it was 122/69 after  walk but always get a higher reading first time 133/76 was the first  my new years resolution is to get my head around this white coat thing,,  breathing through the nose i find is the best good luck

       

    • derek76
      derek76 Fisherman

      Posted

      Few people develop it at an early age. It is a diease of the middle aged and elderly.

      I had a stressful job and a very stressful family death but I did not develop BP until six years after I retired.

    • derek76
      derek76 helen_07568

      Posted

      I used to regularly walk up to six miles a day but it did not cure my BP and I still got readings of up to 210/110
    • derek76
      derek76 Fisherman

      Posted

      I'm a real cool Guy just like you but that does not stop white coat syndrome.
    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 derek76

      Posted

      the six miles walking would still have done you good, relaxation is the only cure for white coat  2015 a year to chill out that can only do us good, happy new year to you!
    • jennifer01117
      jennifer01117 helen_07568

      Posted

      thanks for the comments helen and derek. its really interesting to hear what we say like I am really cool guy etc. i feel like that, calm and cool, but since working with Dr.. manns ideas I realize Ihave hidden feelings on many past situations and amazed how upset I have got when allowing myself to think through some of them. have also just received information about the renal denervization in Bristol. they really want me to do it and I am in a big tiz. got G.P appt on friday morning and will discuss and ask if there is any counselling on N.H.S. as I want to try this route first.see what happens after friday but I am going equipped with book as he looks at the B.P drivers I.e heart, kidneys and looks at matching medication. jennifer
    • derek76
      derek76 jennifer01117

      Posted

      I would jump at the chance of renal denervation. As I have said I first tried to get on one of the early trials in 2011 and again in 2013.

      When I see the consultant at the hypertension clinic next week I will tell him that the procedure is again being done after it was halted last year for further research into its benefits. It also helps with and has cured some of T2 diabetes.

      You don't need counciling it is a safe procedure and while some patients have not benefited from it they have not been harmed by it. I have 'renal denervation' on Google alerts and get a link to nearly everything that is said about it.  

      I used to have contact with Medtronics UK representative before she moved elsewhere and she said. "My mother has had it done recently in Manchester with good effect"

      They do a lot of kidney tests and scans to make sure that you are a suitable candidiate. Mine satisfied them but they then said that my (labile) BP was not consistently high enough.

      I'll PM you a link to recent reports.

        

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