I am delighted to inform patients that I am now in a position to offer this important service for free to GMS patients for the first time.
High blood pressure, in the long term, causes an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease and many other conditions. At the same time, some people have low blood pressure which can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, lightheadedness and headache, and can often go unrecognised.
The blood pressure varies from minute to minute depending on what one is doing. Because of this, taking a single blood pressure reading in the clinic can often give misleading results. This can result in patients with real blood pressure problems going unrecognised and under-treated. Equally, some people can be falsely diagnosed with hypertension and end up on potentially harmful medications that they do not require.
To address these shortcomings, it is being increasingly recognised that the most reliable way to assess blood pressure accurately is the use of a 24 hour blood pressure monitor. This is a small device which is relatively unobtrusive in use.
It is the best way to make an initial diagnosis or high (or low) blood pressure. It is also the best way to assess those who are already on treatment, and ideally should be performed on an annual basis.
We can now provide this useful service to our patients in Drumkeeran. Please speak with us to enquire about availability. There is a charge of 50 euro for private patients for the use of the device, the interpretation of the results and the implementation of any medication changes.
