17/05/2023
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HYPERTENSION.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). It is common but can be serious if not treated.
Most people with high blood pressure may not feel symptoms. The only way to know is to get your blood pressure checked.
Things that increase the risk of having high blood pressure include:
# older age
# genetics
# being overweight or obese (Check your BMI)
# not being physically active
# high-salt diet
# drinking too much alcohol
Modifiable risk factors include unhealthy diets (excessive salt consumption, a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats, low intake of fruits and vegetables), physical inactivity, consumption of to***co and alcohol, and being overweight or obese.
Non-modifiable risk factors include a family history of hypertension, age over 65 years and co-existing diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease.
SYMPTOMS
Again most people with hypertension donβt feel any symptoms. Very high blood pressures can cause headaches, blurred vision, chest pain and other symptoms.
Checking your blood pressure is the best way to know if you have high blood pressure. If hypertension isnβt treated, it can cause other health conditions like kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.
People with very high blood pressure (usually 180/120 or higher) can experience symptoms including
severe headaches, chest pain, dizzines, difficulty in breathing, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision or other vision changes, anxiety, confusion, buzzing in the ears, nosebleeds, abnormal heart rhythm.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and a high blood pressure, seek care immediately.
Although individuals can measure their own blood pressure using automated devices, an evaluation by a health professional is important for assessment of risk and associated conditions.
PREVENTION
Lifestyle changes can help lower high blood pressure and can help anyone with hypertension. Many who make these changes will still need to take medicine.
These lifestyle changes can help prevent and lower high blood pressure.
# Eat more vegetables and fruits.
# Sit less.
# Be more physically active, which can include walking, running, swimming, dancing or activities that build strength, like lifting weights.
# Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity.
# Do strength building exercises 2 or more days each week.
# Lose weight if youβre overweight or obese.
# Take medicines as prescribed by your health care professional.
# Keep appointments with your health care professional.
# Don't eat:
- too much salty food (try to stay under 2 grams per day
-eat foods high in saturated or trans fats.
-smoke or use to***co
-drink too much alcohol (1 drink daily max for women, 2 for men)
-miss or share medication.
COMPLICATIONS
Among other complications, hypertension can cause serious damage to the heart.
Excessive pressure can harden arteries, decreasing the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. This elevated pressure and reduced blood flow can cause:
# chest pain, also called angina;
# heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked and heart muscle cells die from lack of oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart;
# heart failure, which occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to other vital body organs; and
# irregular heart beat which can lead to a sudden death.
# Hypertension can also burst or block arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, causing a stroke.
In addition, hypertension can cause kidney damage, leading to kidney failure.
CHECK YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE TODAY!
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