30/10/2024
Every day in my clinic, I see between 75 to 100 patients. Many of them are hardworking villagers or laborers from the estates nearby. Their hands are calloused from working under the sun, their bodies often weary from long hours of physical labor. They’re here for various complaints, but very few ever think to check their blood pressure. In fact, most have never had it checked before stepping into my clinic.
Taking blood pressure readings for each and every patient is time-consuming, but I do it because I know how dangerous high blood pressure can be. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, doesn’t announce itself with pain or discomfort. Instead, it creeps up quietly, building over the years, and if left untreated, it can cause catastrophic damage.
The Night I’ll Never Forget: Mrs. Silva’s Story
I often share one story with my patients — a story that still haunts me today and reminds me of the silent devastation hypertension can cause. During my internship, I worked the night shift in a busy hospital. One evening, Mrs. Silva, a school teacher in her early 40s, was rushed into the ER. She had collapsed at home, unable to move one side of her body. Her two children, a 7-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, stood by her side, clinging to each other, their eyes wide with fear.
After assessing her condition, we ordered a CT scan, hoping for the best. But the scan showed a grim picture — Mrs. Silva’s brain was filled with blood, a result of a massive hemorrhagic stroke caused by years of uncontrolled high blood pressure. Blood had pooled, causing severe damage, and we knew her chances of survival were slim.
I’ll never forget breaking the news to her children. Her son, too young to understand, looked up at me and asked, “Will our mother be okay?” His sister, trying her best to be brave, just held his hand, her face pale. Their father had passed away a few years earlier, and now they were facing the possibility of losing their mother too.
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, Mrs. Silva didn’t make it. Her children were left without parents, her daughter forced to step into a parental role far too soon. The thought of their faces, the way they clung to each other in shock and grief, still stays with me. I see their faces every time I speak to a patient about blood pressure, hoping that perhaps this story will resonate and encourage them to take their health seriously.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is a condition where the force of blood pushing through your blood vessels is consistently too high. This heightened pressure strains the arteries, making them less flexible, narrower, and more prone to clots or ruptures. Narrowed arteries make it difficult for the heart to pump blood, putting extra strain on it, which can lead to severe health complications.
Imagine your arteries as a garden hose. When the water pressure is too high, the hose might swell, leak, or even burst if left unchecked. Similarly, persistently high blood pressure can “burst” arteries, leading to strokes, heart attacks, kidney damage, and more.................
