In medical term Hypertension means HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

·       It is one of the most common cardio-vascular diseases.

·       Many people have Hypertension for years without any symptoms.

·       Uncontrolled pressure can cause significant damage to the body.

·       It is otherwise called as “SILENT KILLER’’.

FACTORSWHICH INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE:

LIFESTYLE:

Lack of adequate physical exercise and a sedentary lifestyleincreases the risk of high blood pressure

STRESS:

Physicaland emotional stress encountered in private life or work place increases Bloodpressure.

OBESITY:

Therisk of Hypertension increases with obesity

AGE:

HTmay be encountered at any age, but as one grows older , the chances of

Developinghigh BP increases.

DIETARY SALT INTAKE:
an excessive amount of salt in the diet can cause high BP

ALCOHOL:  Regular and heavy consumption of alcohol increases BP.

 Generally there are no symptoms for mild to moderately high BP.

The best way to check BP once in every three months

In few patients there may be symptoms like :

Lack of sleep

Giddiness

Blurred vision

Brain damage

Eye damage

Heart attack

Kidney failure

Patients with Diabetes and Hypertension need to be very careful as the above risks increase even further with Diabetes.

§  Do not check BP immediately after taking food

§  Do not check BP when you are tense

§  Do not check Bp immediatelyafter urination

§  Do not check BP immediately after you rush into a clinic. Wait till your breathing becomes normal.

ü Drugs alone may not be sufficient to control BP.


Lifestyle modifications arevery important to reduce BP

  1. Avoid excess strain andstress both in the office and at home.
  2. Should have a good sleep of6 - 8 hrs/day
  3. Reduce excessive salt indiet
  4. Avoid pickles, pappads andsalty fish
  5. Avoid too spicy foods
  6. Avoid oily and cholesterolrich foods
  7. Use only Safflower,sunflower or refined oils
  8. Increase green leafyvegetables in food
  9. Fresh fruits can be taken inlarge quantities
  10. Avoid smoking and alcohol
  11. Regular aerobic exerciseWalking/Skipping/Jogging/Swimming daily ½ to 1 hr preferably in the morninghours
  12. Reduce weight if you areobese
  13. With all the above measures,Drugs(tablets) are important in controlling BP
  14. Take your medicines regularly as prescribed by the doctor