High blood pressure and diabetes are common long-term conditions in Kenya — and easy to overlook, because for years they may cause no symptoms at all. Left unchecked, both can quietly damage the heart, kidneys, eyes and blood vessels. The good news is that regular reviews and steady treatment make a real difference.
Why check if you feel well?
High blood pressure is often called a silent condition: many people only find out when it is measured. The same is true of raised blood sugar in its early stages. A quick check at your next visit, or a health check at our GP clinic, is the simplest way to know where you stand.
What a chronic care review covers
- Your readings — blood pressure and weight and, for diabetes, blood sugar tests from our on-site laboratory, with results usually ready during the same visit.
- Your medicines — whether they are working, any side effects, and whether anything needs adjusting.
- Checks for complications — your clinician arranges the tests you need, many of them in our on-site laboratory, and advises you on other regular checks, such as eye examinations for people with diabetes.
- Everyday life — diet, activity, sleep and stress, with practical advice you can actually follow.
Staying on track between visits
- Take your medicines as prescribed, even when you feel well. Do not stop or change a medicine without speaking to your clinician.
- If you have a home blood pressure or glucose meter, keep a simple record and bring it to your review.
- Order refills before you run out: our pharmacy takes orders on WhatsApp and delivers free on orders of KSh 2,000 and above — or collect at the hospital at any hour.
- When your condition is stable, some reviews can be done by video consultation — but never use a video call for an emergency.
When to seek help urgently
Come straight to casualty — open 24 hours a day — or call +254 721 600700 on the way if you or someone with you has: chest pain or pressure; difficulty breathing; sudden signs of a stroke (a drooping face, arm weakness or slurred speech, even if they pass quickly); a severe headache, blurred vision or confusion with a blood pressure reading of 180/120 or higher; or — with diabetes — confusion, unusual drowsiness, vomiting or stomach pain, fast or deep breathing, or high sugar readings that stay high. For chest pain or stroke signs, call an ambulance (999 or 112) or have someone bring you — do not drive yourself.
If your sugar is low or you feel shaky, sweaty or muddled, take something sugary straight away — such as a small glass of fruit juice or a sugary soda — and check again after 10 to 15 minutes. Come in if it does not come up or keeps dropping. If someone with diabetes is very drowsy or cannot swallow safely, do not put food or drink in their mouth: lay them on their side and get them to casualty at once.
Book a chronic care review, call or WhatsApp +254 721 600700, or walk in to our GP clinic at any hour. Bring your national ID, your SHA or insurance card if you have one, your medicines and any home readings.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your own clinician.