Headaches convince Georgia mother of three to get help for high blood pressure

Georgia woman suffers complications due to high-blood pressure

Nearly half of American adults have high-blood pressure, but only 24% are said to have their hypertension under control. A Roswell woman experienced dangerously blood pressure levels during the pandemic.

ATLANTA - When Latoya Jordan and her family moved from New York to Roswell, Georgia, during the pandemic, she went for a year without seeing a doctor, or taking her blood pressure medication.

Then, the headaches began.

"I was kind of scared at first, because I knew my pressure was getting high, because I was having headaches, and I barely, rarely have headaches," Jordan says.

When the 42-year-old married mother of 3 finally found a primary care doctor, she was referred to Wellstar cardiologist Dr. Natasha Mamdani.

"When Latoya had first come to me, her blood pressure was extremely high," Dr. Mamdani says.  "It was in the 160/170 range, systolic, and the bottom number, the diastolic, was in the 100's."

That is dangerously high, and that was not Jordan's only problem.

"When they did an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of her heart, we also saw evidence of what's called hypertensive heart disease, meaning that the heart muscle had thickened because of having high blood pressure that was uncontrolled for a good amount of time," Mamdani explains.  "So, it was high time that we got her blood pressure into better control."

But Jordan resisted getting back on blood pressure medication.

"I wasn't a medicine person," she says.  "I didn't believe it taking all these different pills and believe in what the doctors said.  I was, like, 'They're doctors, they just want you to take this stuff.'"

Getting her blood pressure back on track, Dr. Mamdani says, was a challenge.

"Latoya has definitely been a piece of work," she laughs.  "She absolutely refused to take medications when I first saw her."

But Mamdani convinced Jordan to get her pressures back under control for her girls.

"I started taking my medicines, and we were trying out different medicines, to see which ones work and to keep it down," Jordan says, pausing.  "And, the medicine works."

Next, they focused on eating healthier and moving more.

"It doesn't have to be a proper exercise regimen that they have to follow, just be active, more around," Mamdani says.

Jordan now walks with her family.

"I'm eating healthier and clean," she says.  "I just started my little healthy kick, and I've lost 3 pounds now. I actually do feel better."

And Latoya Jordan has a message for other moms.

"You have to take time out for yourself, because no one is going to do it for you," Jordan says.  "So, go to the doctor, get checked, and take your medicine."

The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get tested.

If you're over 40 and at increased risk of hypertension, get your blood pressure checked at least once a year.

If under 40 and have no risk factors, you can get screened every 3 to 5 years.

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