Visiting the Hypertension Unit

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1 Visiting the Hypertension Unit General Internal Medicine (GIM) Information for patients and families visting the Hypertension Unit at Toronto Western Hospital Read this information to learn about: What hypertension is How our unit can help Appointments and follow-up visits Tips for living with high blood pressure What is hypertension? Hypertension is also called high blood pressure. High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is usually higher than normal. If it s not treated, high blood pressure can damage the blood vessels and arteries of your major organs including your heart, brain and kidneys. High blood pressure makes it more difficult for your blood to travel from your heart to other parts of your body. Please visit the UHN Patient Education website for more health information: University Health Network. All rights reserved. This information is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only. Author: Heather Sutton, RN Revised: 11/2016 Form: D-5399

2 How can the hypertension unit help? Our goal in the unit is to control your blood pressure so we can help prevent long-term problems. We do this by: assessing (checking) your blood pressure arranging for any tests that you might need lowering your blood pressure by doing one or both of these things: prescribing you medicine teaching you how to make healthy lifestyle changes Eventually, you will return to the care of your family doctor. How do I make an appointment? We need a referral letter from another doctor (usually your family doctor) to see you in this unit. Your family doctor s office will contact us and schedule your first appointment. They will tell you when your appointment will be. We need 48 hours notice to cancel this or any other appointment. The hypertension unit is open Thursday afternoons 2

3 Where do I go? The unit is located in the Toronto Western Hospital. Go to the 8th floor of the East Wing. The phone number is Transportation There isn t a lot of affordable parking around the hospital. If possible, use public transportation (TTC). There is a free shuttle bus service between Toronto Western Hospital and the Toronto General Hospital (at College Street and University Avenue) every 15 minutes. How should I prepare for my first appointment? To prepare for this appointment: bring your Ontario health card (OHIP) bring all of your medicines in their original bottles wear loose sleeves that are easy to roll up Please schedule about 2½ hours for this visit. 3

4 What can I expect? If this is your first visit, you will come to the unit on a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday. 1. The receptionist will: check you in measure your height and weight ask you if you need to use the washroom. Your bladder should be empty. 2. A nurse will come to take your blood pressure. It is best not to read or talk because it will increase your blood pressure 3. A doctor will talk to you about your medical history and do a physical exam (check-up). What can I expect at follow-up visits? Your follow-up visits will be on a Thursday. These appointments will be shorter (about 45 minutes). Once again, we will take your weight and measure your blood pressure. Then you will meet with the doctor. Will I have to do anything at home? We may ask you to use a machine called an ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitor. This monitor accurately measures your blood pressure as you do your normal daily activities. The monitor is about the size of a CD (compact disc). You wear in a pouch at your waist for 24 hours. A rubber hose goes from the monitor to a blood pressure cuff on your arm. It automatically inflates and deflates the cuff every 20 minutes. It also records your blood pressure on a computer chip in the monitor. This monitor can tell us how often you have high blood pressure on a regular day. 4

5 What can I do to help control my high blood pressure? Have your blood pressure checked regularly by your doctor. Find out what your healthy weight is and try to keep it. Avoid salty foods. Eat low-fat foods. Don't smoke. Avoid second-hand smoke. Limit how much alcohol you drink. Keep active. Follow your doctor's advice about exercise. Take your medicine as prescribed. Don't miss a single day. To help you remember: keep your medicine where you will easily see it get used to taking it at the same time each day Never increase, reduce or stop taking it without talking to your doctor. Check with your doctor before taking any new medicines. Some medicines you can buy without a prescription can increase your blood pressure. 5