GP App

[Nanaeli]

so I had an echocardiogram in February and they said if I don’t hear anything they will review me in 12 months re my AF with a view to discharging me. This sounded great and I haven’t heard anything. However, I’ve just gone on my GP app tonight to check a blood test and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I seen that on my ‘conditions’ I had a new one in February 9th which is ‘diastolic dysfunction’

I’m now beside myself with worry, upset and angry all at the same time because I have never been told anything. I’ve obviously googled it as I can’t speak to anyone about it and it’s upset me further. What can I do. I want answers but I know I’ll be fobbed off and past from pillar to post tomorrow when I speak to my GP. Has this happened to anyone else and if so what did you do! 😢

[Ageingfast]

Dear Nanaeli

You have slightly high BP which you need to edge down. My ways of reducing BP included (1)more rational exercise, just a pleasant walk five days of the week, plus attending a relaxation course, which is fun and (2) using a tinnitus relaxer to get to sleep/ meditate during the day.

You say you are overweight. You need to get your weight down until you are in the good zone for BMi. My ways of edging my weight down were to exercise a bit more and to change my diet.

You don’t need to see your GP in order to deal with your weight nor your slightly high BP. You can do those yourself.

It takes time and determination.

But deal with these issues and your heart will love you.

Best wishes

C.

[Silvertail]

I have diastolic dysfunction, plus a couple of other problems I've seen on my reports as well, that were never mentioned to me. I figure that I would have been told about them if they were something to worry about. Hopefully, I'm correct.

[cotonh]

Certainly ask the GP to clarify or contact the cardiac department and ask for the same. Write a list of questions and explain that you have been to Dr Google and it has frightened you. Lots of people in here caution against using Dr Google and suggest just the British Heart Foundation site because Dr Google is unreliable and leads you up the garden path of anxiety.

My hunch is that many echocardiograms reveal abnormalities which do not need immediate medical intervention but are flagged up for the clinicians who can bear the result in mind in the future. Getting to work on lowering your blood pressure and loosing weight is the part you can do something about and your heart will certainly find it easier to work more easily if you can. Try and focus your energies on this endeavour if you can.

[fishonabike]

firstly, don't panic - there are lots of things written in medical reports and test results which look scary but are not

Diastolic dysfunction, like many conditions can range from very mild (just noticeable on a test result) to very serious, with lots of variation in between - like many things a mild issue can get worse and cause problems

your diastolic dysfunction may be mild and you may already be receiving treatment which helps to keep it under control ( i don't know you your full medical history) - your best bet is to ask the GP about it - it might help if you rehearse what you are going to ask and practice saying it out loud, so that you can be firm when you ask them to explain what this means - if you don't understand or are not satisfied with the explanation ask the to clarify - and there is also the Brirish Heart Foundation telephone helpline (see their websit) if you still are not clear on what this means for you

[Blackknight57]

Dr google is sometimes a bad thing.

Is your consultancy and gp in different trusts in England, nhs England is a mess. They don’t talk to each other

Did you see what your BP was? dystolic is the lower figure. It would be between 60/80 ish.