Overview Of Hypertension
Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality, with significant health care costs for individuals and society.
Hypertension has now become a public health problem and yet people are aware of it and even fewer access effective treatment.
With the ongoing demographic transition in many part of Sub-Saharan Africa, people are changing from rural,manual work to urban lifestyle, hence the risk of hypertension increases.
Possible Risk Factors For Hypertension
Major risk factors for hypertension among people in the society includes
Age,
Race,
Education,
Smoking,
Metabolic syndromes, ( obesity, dyslipidemia and diabetes).
Manifestation of end-organ damage at the time of diagnosis,
Family history of cardiovascular diseases,
It’s a Surprise that,
Hypertension is usually asymptomatic until overt end-organ damage is imminent or has already occurred. Therefore the diagnosis of hypertension depends on measurement of blood pressure and not on symptoms reported by the person.
Effects of Hypertension
Sustained arterial hypertension damages blood vessels in kidney, heart and brain and leads to an increased incidence of renal failure, coronary disease, heart failure, stroke, and dementia.
However, fewer than half of the patients with hypertension receiving pharmacological treatment have adequate blood pressure control. The main reasons for this are therapeutic inertia, lack of adherence to treatment, and unhealthy lifestyle (i.e., excess dietary fat and salt, sedentary lifestyle, and overweight). Cardiovascular risk and mortality are greater in hypertensive patients who are receiving treatment but have suboptimal control of blood pressure.
IMPORTANT WAYS TO LIVE A LIFE WITHOUT HYPERTENSION
1. Maintain Your Body Physically Active; Being physically active have shown to reduce the risk of developing hypertension which can cause cardiovascular diseases. One of the famous Author Ellen G. White once said “Moderate exercise everyday will impact strength to the muscles,which without exercise became flabby and enfeebled. By active exercise in the open air every day,the liver,kidney,and lungs also will be strengthened to perform their work.” Child Guidance 339.3. Therefore performing outdoors regular exercise will help you to maintain proper blood circulation within the arteries and veins of your body.
2. Feed your body with a diet less of fatty and salt foods; Researchers shows that people taking higher fatty and salt diets are associated with hypertension and cardiovascular problems, salt has a tendency of increasing blood osmolarity in so doing water retention which increases arterial blood pressure. On the other side fatty food increases the level of cholesterol in the body with then can form clot and increases resistance in arteries and veins in the body. But I stead take a lot of green vegetables with a lot of natural fruit and whole grains, these are of much more important for your health.
3. Get fresh air; Fresh air is the precious gift from God, we were meant to get pure air from the atmosphere perhaps during this period of lock down many of us are staying within the house all day long, take time to open up your windows and door so that sun rays and fresh pure air from outside may reach the house. “ Your lungs, deprived of air, will be like a hungry person deprived of food.Indeed, we can live longer without food than without air,which is the food that God has provided for the lungs.” Child Guidance 339.4
4. Have a close relationship with God; Our precious Heavenly Father and wants us to live in a perfect health life, without any complication of disease, God always reminds us to tell all our needs and wants to him. He never tired to lifting us from life burden of diseases, he loves us, he care for us, even more than that he has millions of ways to make COVID19 ends, what he needs from your is your trust to him alone.
The choice of maintaining your proper healthy lifestyle is of much concern during this period of pandemic. May I take this opportunity to remind you that following a proper health lifestyle will be of much benefit for you and your loved ones. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your eyes,nose and mouth. Avoid going to clouded places. Put on your face mask. Together we can fight COVID19.
Prepared by;
Stephenson Daniel
