N.A. is a 48 year-old female, married, a teacher, who resides at barangay Delusom. N.A. has been experiencing headaches since year 2013. She has never been to the hospital or the RHU, thus she never had the chance to get her blood pressure (BP) checked. During one of the Mass BP taking of the medical students, she decided to involve herself in the activity and let her BP be checked. She was flustered to find out that she had a high blood pressure. The first reading of her BP was 150/100 mmHg and the second reading was 140/100mmHg. Upon digging her family history and lifestyle, it was found out that both her parents had hypertension. She loves salty foods such as dried fish and canned goods. Since she is a teacher, she is able to walk a little for exercise however her weight maintains to be high. She was advised by the medical students to go to the RHU for check-up and for medication prescription. She was told that her BP was high thus she needs a maintenance medication. She heeds the advice and went to the RHU. True enough, she was diagnosed as having Hypertension by the Municipal Health Officer. At the same time she was prescribed with Aspirin and Metoprolol accordingly. She was given such medication for free.
N.A. was compliant to her medication for the next 3 months. However, after feeling better with no signs and symptoms of hypertension, she decided to stop taking her medication. She also stopped going to the RHU every month for the free medication. Accordingly she was okay. The medical students came back to the community for the next exposure. This time, they implemented Hatak Alta Presyon lectures in the barrio hall. She was able to listen to one of the lectures and was able to participate again during the Mass BP Taking. Again, it was found out that her BP was 150/100mmHg during the first and second readings. She was asked about her maintenance medication and she narrated her history of diagnosis. Again, she was asked to go back to the RHU to continue her medication. She was also added in the master list of hypertensives in barangay Delusom. Series of lectures were done by the medical students about hypertension and whenever she gets her BP checked, she was advised to continue her medication.
N.A. is a member of the community health team (CHT) in the barangay, thus she also became one of the “BP Patrollers” or the core group to counter hypertension. She was asked by the medical students to participate to be able to help fight the detrimental effects of the illness. She undergone the 2-day training and was later on appointed, along with the other 11 members, by the barangay council as one of the barangay Delusom BP Patrollers. More than anyone else, the BP Patrollers were closely acquainted to the medical students thus every now and then she was advised by them to go back to the RHU and continue her maintenance medication. By this time, she already started attending activities like Hataw and Hatak Alta presyon lectures. Accordingly she also cut down her salty food intake.
The night of September 2015, she noticed a feeling of combined dizziness, nausea and weakness. Knowing that these are signs of hypertension, she immediately asked her son to rush her to the hospital for check-up and was later on admitted due to high blood pressure. Her initial BP upon arriving at the hospital was 250/120mmHg. She was given oral meds with little help thus admission was essential. She stayed at the hospital for 3 days and was allowed to go home afterwards.
That was the turning point. She then started to be religiously compliant to her maintenance medication. She was still very supportive of the series of lectures about hypertension and was the living proof that hypertension can be prevented with healthy lifestyle. Being a BP Patroller, she continued to advise hypertensive individuals to go to the doctor and drink their maintenance medication. Furthermore, she led a good example by trimming down salt and fat from her diet and walked as much as possible for exercise. Often times, she also participates during the Hataw.
At present, N.A maintains her BP at 120/80 mmHg or 120/90 mmHg. She never misses a single day of her maintenance medication. N.A. not only improved her lifestyle but also became an ambassadress for good health and hypertension prevention by being one of the BP Patrollers in the community. The medical students were with her in this journey and will forever support her in this fight against hypertension.
N.A. was compliant to her medication for the next 3 months. However, after feeling better with no signs and symptoms of hypertension, she decided to stop taking her medication. She also stopped going to the RHU every month for the free medication. Accordingly she was okay. The medical students came back to the community for the next exposure. This time, they implemented Hatak Alta Presyon lectures in the barrio hall. She was able to listen to one of the lectures and was able to participate again during the Mass BP Taking. Again, it was found out that her BP was 150/100mmHg during the first and second readings. She was asked about her maintenance medication and she narrated her history of diagnosis. Again, she was asked to go back to the RHU to continue her medication. She was also added in the master list of hypertensives in barangay Delusom. Series of lectures were done by the medical students about hypertension and whenever she gets her BP checked, she was advised to continue her medication.
N.A. is a member of the community health team (CHT) in the barangay, thus she also became one of the “BP Patrollers” or the core group to counter hypertension. She was asked by the medical students to participate to be able to help fight the detrimental effects of the illness. She undergone the 2-day training and was later on appointed, along with the other 11 members, by the barangay council as one of the barangay Delusom BP Patrollers. More than anyone else, the BP Patrollers were closely acquainted to the medical students thus every now and then she was advised by them to go back to the RHU and continue her maintenance medication. By this time, she already started attending activities like Hataw and Hatak Alta presyon lectures. Accordingly she also cut down her salty food intake.
The night of September 2015, she noticed a feeling of combined dizziness, nausea and weakness. Knowing that these are signs of hypertension, she immediately asked her son to rush her to the hospital for check-up and was later on admitted due to high blood pressure. Her initial BP upon arriving at the hospital was 250/120mmHg. She was given oral meds with little help thus admission was essential. She stayed at the hospital for 3 days and was allowed to go home afterwards.
That was the turning point. She then started to be religiously compliant to her maintenance medication. She was still very supportive of the series of lectures about hypertension and was the living proof that hypertension can be prevented with healthy lifestyle. Being a BP Patroller, she continued to advise hypertensive individuals to go to the doctor and drink their maintenance medication. Furthermore, she led a good example by trimming down salt and fat from her diet and walked as much as possible for exercise. Often times, she also participates during the Hataw.
At present, N.A maintains her BP at 120/80 mmHg or 120/90 mmHg. She never misses a single day of her maintenance medication. N.A. not only improved her lifestyle but also became an ambassadress for good health and hypertension prevention by being one of the BP Patrollers in the community. The medical students were with her in this journey and will forever support her in this fight against hypertension.