How to Drive Home the Importance of Blood Pressure Checks

To help patients understand the importance of regular blood pressure monitoring, compare it to checking the gauges on a car. It's better to have the car serviced when a gauge reads a little high or low than to wait until the warning light comes on. With the human body, blood pressure readings function like a gauge of circulatory health. A rise in blood pressure, although asymptomatic, is a signal that corrective measures are needed. If patients wait until they experience symptoms-the body's "warning light"-to seek medical attention, the damage could be irreversible.

- Tammi Jones, RN
   Surry, Va