Know Your Blood Pressure - This World Hypertension Day

Check your blood pressure this World Hypertension Day, observed on 17th May. Get to know about this silent killer and spread awareness about hypertension.

To increase the awareness about hypertension among the masses, 17th of May is observed as World Hypertension Day. This day serves as a platform to increase the knowledge about hypertension, how one can actually control it efficiently, or avoid getting high blood pressure or hypertension all together. //

The theme for the year 2017 is 'Know Your Blood Pressure.' According to the World health Organization (WHO), hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure (BP), is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure, putting them under increased stress.

‘Blood Pressure is caused primarily due to sedentary lifestyle, growing urbanization, tobacco use and the increasing influence of the fast food culture.’

BP is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as the heart pumps it. The higher the pressure, the harder the heart has to pump.

Over a billion people all over the world suffer from hypertension and it is predicted to increase by 60 percent to 1.56 billion in 2025. It kills 8 million people every year worldwide and is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, foetal and maternal death in pregnancy, dementia and renal failure.

Two thirds of those with hypertension live in economically developing countries, including India. It is directly responsible for 57 percent of all stroke deaths and 24 percent of all coronary heart disease deaths in India.

New Guideline For Hypertension Treatment in the Elderly
The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) have released new guideline for hypertension treatment in older adults.

Sedentary lifestyles, growing urbanization, tobacco use and fast food culture are some primary causes for high blood pressure. It is called the silent killer as it presents very little symptoms.

Dr Tapan Ghose, director, Cardiology, Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, gives some valuable information below to recognize and manage hypertension effectively:

Potassium-rich Fruits and Veggies Help Fight Hypertension
Apart from avoiding sodium and reducing salt intake, including potassium rich foods help control high blood pressure.

Symptoms for Early detection:

Early-morning headache
Nosebleeds
Irregular heartbeats
Buzzing in the ears
Tiredness, dizziness, weakness
Nausea, confusion, anxiety
Chest pain, Muscle tremors, breathlessness

Causes:

Awareness Necessary to Tackle Hypertension Globally
Hypertension has been long recognized as one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and premature deaths worldwide.

Lack of exercise
Alcohol consumption, smoking
Obesity, Salt and Hypertension

Having excess salt places strain on the arteries, which carry blood, as a result of which, the tiny muscles in the artery walls become stronger and thicker. This makes the space inside the arteries smaller, raising blood pressure. The arteries gradually become so narrow that they clog up and the organs of the body receiving the blood become starved of oxygen and vital nutrients.

Prevention:

Learning to manage stress through regular exercise, yoga, meditation
Limiting intake of sodium by reducing the amount of salt
Having a healthy diet, avoiding food with high saturated fats
Maintaining a healthy weight
Being physically active
Avoiding tobacco use and reducing alcohol intake
Regularly checking blood pressure
Maintaining a healthy weight as per age and body type
Workplace wellness programmes to tackle hypertension
Using the stairs instead of the lift, elevator
Carrying home-cooked food instead of ordering take-out
Getting up frequently from work stations and walking around every hour
Staying calm under pressure and finding ways to manage workplace stress by taking a walk, deep breathing or talking it out with a colleague

Source-ANI