High blood pressure treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes, you can. The doctor will want to discuss your current condition, medical history as well as any symptoms or signs of high blood pressure that you’re experiencing.

Before offering a high blood pressure diagnosis, the doctor will want you to have your blood pressure evaluated.

If the doctor does give you a high blood pressure diagnosis, they could suggest additional testing to check for any underlying conditions.

The doctor will also use this information to make appropriate suggestions for high blood pressure treatments, based on your condition.

Blood pressure is the combination of your cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance. Your body’s goal is to maintain healthy organ perfusion (the rate at which blood reaches tissue). So, if an organ isn’t receiving enough blood, your body will send signals to increase blood pressure, and improve the perfusion.

Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is the result of too much resistance to blood flow through your arteries.

When blood passes through your arteries, the more space it has to move, the less resistance it faces. When artery pathways become narrow, the resistance increases, causing your blood pressure to rise. This means that your body has to work harder to achieve the same healthy level of organ perfusion.

The majority of people won’t show symptoms or signs of high blood pressure, even when blood pressure tests show dangerously high levels.

When blood pressure reaches severe levels, there are some signs of high blood pressure to watch for, such as:

• Vision problems
• Chest pain
• Confusion or nervousness
• Nosebleed
• Sudden bouts of fatigue
• Severe headaches
• Irregular heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Pounding in your ears, neck or chest
• Blood in urine
• Unexplained or excessive sweating
• Flushing in the face
• Insomnia
• Bloodshot or blood spots in eyes

If you believe you could be experiencing signs of severe high blood pressure, you should immediately seek medical attention.

For many people who experience primary hypertension, the cause is multifactorial and may not be fully understood. It appears as small changes, and gradually increases over a long period of time.

While we understand many factors can contribute to hypertension, one direct cause may not be able to be identified. However, there are some factors that are known to increase the risks of experiencing hypertension. Some of these include:

• Age
• Obesity
• Being inactive
• Family history
• High-sodium diets (greater than 3gm/day)
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Reduced nephron number
• Race

When you first speak to a doctor about high blood pressure, they’ll want to have a physical exam performed, and discuss your medical history.

They will want to know how long you have had high blood pressure, and if you have ever had it investigated in the past.
They will also want to know if your family has a history of hypertension. Hypertension is often called the “silent killer” because people with hypertension will rarely experience any high blood pressure symptoms. They may ask you to take a few blood pressure readings at home to help rule out “White Coat Hypertension” or help diagnose “Masked Hypertension”.

The most direct way a doctor will provide a high blood pressure diagnosis is by having a blood pressure test administered at a clinic. This will give a clear indication of your current blood pressure.

The first thing that will normally be suggested for managing high blood pressure symptoms is making changes to your lifestyle.

There are certain things you can do to help reduce your blood pressure, including:

• Losing weight (to a healthy BMI of 18.5-24.9)
• Getting more regular physical activity
• Eating a well-balanced diet, including less salt (less than 3mg/day)
• Limiting the amount of alcohol that you consume to less than two beverages per day, or by abstaining from alcohol completely
• Quitting smoking
• Avoiding illegal drugs and medications that are known to cause spikes in blood pressure

If you’re showing symptoms or signs of high blood pressure, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor.

In many cases, changing your lifestyle and dietary habits can help you maintain healthy blood pressure. However, in some cases, the doctor may need to perform additional testing to diagnose underlying conditions causing your high blood pressure.

If you have an underlying condition that’s causing your hypertension, you may require prescription high blood pressure medications to treat your symptoms.

A doctor from Maple will be able to arrange for essential testing you may need. They can also recommend any necessary treatments, so you can maintain a healthy blood pressure.