The objective of the present study was to understand how women with hypertension were affected by the diagnosis of the disease. Ten women with hypertension, members of an exercise program in a municipality of the State of Mexico participated in this study, which took place from March to October of 2007. To obtain the data, a semi-structured interview was conducted, applied on an individual basis. The interviews were analyzed using the theoretical content analysis of L. Bardin. From the analysis of the data, three stages were observed: 1) The initial response, fear or anguish 2) The moment the illness is diagnosed. 3) The adaptation to the new life style. Hypertension is something that these women must cope with from the moment they are diagnosed with the illness and even as they deal with it on a daily basis. These factors generate different types of feelings, such as anguish and fear. These women are forced to handle this difficult process.
Nursing; Hypertension; Women