One can identify a person suffering from Hypertension. High + Tensions.
1. Taking fewer tensions to the heart: It is easier said than done but one can make it possible by making Impossible = I am Possible.
2. Low Blood Pressure: There is no illness called low blood pressure for a person doing routine duties. Any person with genuinely low BP will be hospitalized eg. blood loss, dehydration and shock.
Quacks mint money by feeling the pulse of an anemic woman and giving her therapy by I/V fluids and some women do like the attention meted out by their families by calling a 'doctor' in middle of night and the family remains grateful for life to the quack/ doctor for sparing time to treat low blood pressure which was never a disease. It is safe to have BP in the lower range. Normal BP is around 120/80.
3. Eat less salt: Avoid every packed food including chips, meat, fish, sauces, achars, ready to make dough etc as salt is added to every item to be cooked later as salt is preservative which does help packed foods with a longer shelf life. One spoon of common salt for a healthy adult is enough to sustain.
4. Counter the effect of sodium in salt: It can be done by taking more potassium through citrus fruits, berries, Indian gooseberry (Amla) and other seasonal fruits and vegetables. I have never met a person dying of extra potassium consumed through Foods.
5. Take medicines despite normal BP: Some medicines protect the heart by keeping it in a relaxed state. Some of the medicines are ACE inhibitors and Beta Blockers like Atenelol, Metoprolol etc to be taken in morning in minimal doses, especially by people with a strong history of heart attacks, previous heart surgeries or interventions, just before exams or interviews. These medicines are given to youngsters suffering from Migraine.
Do not check BP often despite a machine at home. High BP can be controlled but cannot be cured. It is like wearing spectacles. The eye power keeps changing with age but one has to wear spectacles for life. If defective eyesight is part of an ageing process, so is high BP. Keep BP in a safe range of 120/80 or lower.
Important to share:
The old machines with Mercury were more reliable and despite the ban by Govt. due to Mercury, these machines are still around at some places. Do not trust the newer varieties which display BP. These machines do show erratic readings.
If reading is shown on a higher level, either change the cells or wait for a while before rechecking BP or check BP from another arm. Reading shown may Be normal.
Treating high blood pressure requires lifestyle modifications besides few medicines only.