Opinion: A surprising pandemic side effect: People are more engaged with their health
About a month ago, one of our patients, a man in his mid-40s, came to the clinic for an in-person visit for the first time in more than 12 months. For the past few years, he’s struggled with sky-high blood pressure and always seemed to be teetering on the edge of a major stroke. But this time his blood pressure was perfect.
The difference? Since he couldn’t get care in the clinic during the pandemic, he bought a blood pressure machine and used it often. With near daily feedback, he realized how important it was to take his medication on time, and that certain foods affected his blood pressure. He was also more motivated to make changes because, if he suffered a sudden health problem, he didn’t want to go to the hospital and risk getting Covid or finding out that there weren’t enough doctors to care for him.
