CarlaSee Posted May 28, 2018 Report Posted May 28, 2018 About 2 years ago my husband was diagnosed with Baroreceptor failure. I have just now started looking for some sort of BP monitor that my husband can wear at all times, especially while he is at work, so he can tell when his BP goes either too high or too low. We don't need it to connect to a smart phone or log any information. My husband is 65 and has no interest in getting a "smart phone". He has Baroreceptor failure from throat cancer treatment in 2006, (14 point radiation treatment and chemotherapy). He has been diagnosed with dysphagia because of the scar tissue in his throat. He has to use a feeding tube part of the time, (he should be using it all the time...BUT...). He gets pneumonia or bronchitis from time to time because he aspirates on just enough fluid, etc., to cause problems. He has been diagnosed with heart beats that are, "too slow, too fast, and missing beats" so he is on heart meds.. He has also been diagnosed with a completely blocked left carotid artery and a partially blocked right carotid artery. The blockage is from scar tissue from the radiation treatments. Because of these blockages he has to keep his blood pressure on the high side to force the blood flow to do what it needs to do. The doctors want his BP to be around 190/100. He is not to take his hypertension medication until his BP reaches 220/120. The danger of stroke is highest when he has LOW BP. The last 4-5 months he has been struggling to keep his BP over approximately 85/64 and lower. He can only take 2 hypotension pills a day but they don't seem to be able to get his BP back up so he has to turn to the stockings, laying down with his head low and feet raised, drinking salt water, (putting it in his feeding tube), etc.. When his BP is low he loses control of his right side and falls. He also becomes very confused. It's difficult for him to put a BP cuff on during the middle of his work day so he can monitor his BP so we just need some type of "watch" he can wear that he can just push a button to see what his BP is whenever he feels the need to check it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you. Quote
corina Posted May 29, 2018 Report Posted May 29, 2018 Very sorry your husband is struggling. I don't know if there's some kind of equipment he could use, perhaps anybody else? Quote
Missy M Posted May 29, 2018 Report Posted May 29, 2018 Does his heart rate typically go up when his bp drops? I ask because my daughter recently got an Apple watch. She was able to set it to notify her when her heart rate drops too low or goes too high. So if your husband’s heart rate typically goes up when his bp drops down, he might consider an Apple Watch and set it to alert him when his heart rate hits a certain point. That might clue him in to take his bp. It’s just a thought. Quote
bombsh3ll Posted May 31, 2018 Report Posted May 31, 2018 I am a doctor in the UK and as far as I know there are no long term wearable BP devices (unlike heart rate) as a cuff typically needs to inflate around the arm to take a reading. You can get BP monitors that go around the wrist rather than the arm that your husband could use periodically without needing to remove his clothing but these are notorious for being inaccurate (even in "normal" people and probably more so in people with dysautonomia who can have poorly perfused extremities). When I had my stand test to be diagnosed with POTS I had a Finapres finger BP reader on that was inflating and deflating constantly, in addition to the arm cuff, but I don't know how affordable or practical this would be on a day to day basis. Missy's suggestion about a heart rate device is really good if this correlation applies to your husband. I wear a garmin vivo smart watch but I find the heart rate readings quite inaccurate compared to my previous Polars with chest straps, however the latter never lasted long (1-2 months) as the strap battery couldn't be changed or recharged. If there is something with a chest strap that syncs with a watch that is rechargeable or you can replace the battery that would be best. Quote
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