No Place Like Home: Monitors Help Manage Hypertension
Uncontrolled high blood pressure--or hypertension-- is called "the silent killer" because it has no symptoms but can lead to heart attack, heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, kidney damage, vision loss and memory loss, among other problems. Unfortunately, one in every four American adults has hypertension, often related to obesity, diabetes or other conditions.
Being diagnosed with hypertension once meant frequent trips to the doctor to monitor your condition. Thanks to advances in home monitoring devices, almost everyone with hypertension can better manage the condition.
"Home blood pressure monitoring has come a long way," said Joseph Stegmuller, DO, a family practitioner on staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. "In conjunction with regular medical check-ups, the latest monitors provide a reliable and accurate way to monitor and manage hypertension and other diseases." Some of the newest models have memory functions, Bluetooth® technology and tracking software.
According to a joint statement by the American Heart Association, the American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, home monitoring offers many benefits. Because blood pressure can be checked several times each day, home monitoring may be a better tool to diagnose early hypertension. It also may lead to better control by demonstrating how exercise and dietary changes affect blood pressure or by identifying when medications need to be adjusted. And monitoring blood pressure at home helps distinguish between "white-coat hypertension," high blood pressure that occurs only in medical settings, and untreated hypertension.
One of the most important new features of home monitors is the ability to store readings. Many models can store 60 readings or more, allowing you to keep track of your readings and store results for your doctor. Some of the newest technology allows you to track your blood pressure on your computer and send results immediately to your doctor's office.
The Lourdes Wellness Center offers FREE blood pressure and glucose screenings in the lobby of Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center across from the Gift Shop the second Wednesday of every month from 9 to 11 a.m. No appointment necessary.
Joseph Stegmuller, DO For more information about Dr. Stegmuller or another Lourdes expert, call 1-888-LOURDES (568- 7337) or visit the Lourdes Health System Web site at www.lourdesnet.org and click on "Find a Physician."
