2018 was a really tough year for my mom. She was hospitalized three times for the same issue — her blood pressure was dangerously high.
The first time, she had a bad headache and noticed that her blood pressure was 170/95. We rushed her to the hospital, and she was admitted. After several rounds of medication, she was released with instructions to take two BP medicines. Two months later, she was back at the emergency room, and then again 6 months later. It was awful. Even as a doctor myself, I felt helpless and very worried about what could happen.
Hypertension or high blood pressure can lead to severe health problems including heart attacks and stroke. Aneurysms can also form, which means the blood vessel walls can weaken and bulge out — and if they rupture, that could cause death. High blood pressure also puts a lot of stress on the heart, since it needs to pump harder, which can lead to heart failure. Also, kidneys can be affected, as well as vision, and even memory. Needless to say, my sisters and I were very worried about my mom. How could we change this trajectory?
My mom’s doctors had given her a stern talking to and suggested that she really needed to change her lifestyle if she wanted to avoid the serious problems that can come from high blood pressure. At first, it seemed like their message was falling on deaf ears.
