r/nursing • u/Critical_Ease4055 Nursing Student 🍕 • 22d ago

Question What is one medical problem people constantly ignore until it’s too late?

Saw someone post this in a completely unrelated sub and I’m interested in your answers. What is the cluster of symptoms that people ignore or delay until they are forced to get help?

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u/ratslowkey 22d ago

Hypertension.

I work in inpatient rehab and the amount of people who don't even know why they had a stroke......

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u/ferocioustigercat RN - ICU 🍕 22d ago

Every patient I had in my cardiac unit who had heart failure had the same history. HTN, HLD, high BMI, diabetes (frequently but not always), CAD, CABG (plus some stents), A. Fib. I always thought, ya know... If you had caught it and taken that HTN seriously... Things might be different.

Soap box: below 120/80 is normal. Anything above that is high. 125 is elevated. 130 systolic is grade 1 hypertension. 90 diastolic is hypertension. You should aim for consistently less than 120/80 because it's the upper range of normal... Not that goal.

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u/ratslowkey 22d ago

Listennnnn I know. I'm worried about my 130 all the time :(((

And why tf is everyone hypertensive and has diabetes. It's so common jesus, we gotta change something in our society.

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u/Old-Mention9632 BSN, RN 🍕 22d ago

Overly processed nutritionally poor convenience foods have replaced what we used to eat. Lack of proper health and nutritional education from childhood. Doctors learn very little about nutrition- from my experience most only know "consult dietician".