Hypertension – Living with It, Dealing with It

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, as it is more commonly known, is one of the silent killers that plagues the general population. It owes its lethal efficiency to the fact that it goes on undetected for months, and even for years, up until a point where significant damage has already been done. Such as it was in my case, where I neglected and took it for granted, in spite of being aware of its past devastation on our family’s medical history. But that’s all in the past, and as I have always told myself, regret is one of the most futile and unproductive of all human emotions. So there’s really nosense in trying to undo what’s already been done.

What about you? Are you also suffering from Hypertension? You know you might be, and worse, you’re not even aware of it. This is a common enough scenario, especially for the population’s poorer class who’s financial capability to seek medical attention is virtually non-existent. Nobody could really blame these people the tendency to take for granted the sensibility of early detection through screening. But if you’ll ask me, however, this should not be an excuse.

Why is high blood pressure dangerous?

The higher the blood pressure, the harder the heart has to work to keep on pumping against increasing resistance. If, in the course of time, the heart muscles tires, it could eventually lead to heart failure. Because of the enormous burden it puts on the arteries, high blood pressure adds to their wear and tear, especially in the target organs, the brain, coronary and kidney vessels. Stroke and Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) are frequent and dangerous consequences of untreated hypertension.

Recognizing high blood pressure

High blood pressure is a Silent Killer simply because it doesn’t show typical symptoms that might serve as early warning signals. In fact, in certain cases, many people feel well and energetic despite their high blood pressure. There is only one way of finding out whether or not you have hypertension and that is to have your blood pressure checked. Measurements must be repeated at least once a year. If an elevated pressure is detected in time, early treatment can help prevent the possible fatal consequences.

Prevention of complications from high blood pressure

Bringing the pressure down relieves the strain on the heart and arteries; this lessen and often eliminates the dangerous consequences of elevated pressure. With proper treatment, high blood pressure can be normalized, or at least brought down to a tolerable level. The treatment does not call for any heroic measures; regular checking of the blood pressure, a few generally painless changes in one’s eating and living habits, and taking the prescribed medication everyday. If detected and treated in time, hypertension should not stop you in leading a normal and productive life. All that is required is determination and close doctor-patient cooperation.

Protect yourself against high blood pressure

A genetic predisposition is a frequent cause of hypertension. It “runs in the family”. Caution is advised if you have a family history of high blood pressure. Your way of living could have an important bearing on whether or when you will develop hypertension. If you are overweight, has a high sodium intake on your diet, under psychological stress, agitated and hyperactive, you’re more likely a candidate, or can exacerbate an existing tendency. Losing weight, cutting down on salt in the diet, and avoiding stress are useful precaution to help you keep your pressure down.

Protect your health why you still can and when you still can. As always, being well-informed is being well-prepared.

Tagged as: Dialysis, exercise, FAQ, Health, high blood pressure, hypertension, Journals, Kidney Failure, prevention, sodium, swine flu, tips, weight management

Article by Julius

Julius is a blogger and a freelance graphics artist undergoing dialysis treatment since 2003. An enthusiastic person by nature, he loves to write, blog, cook, read books, tinker around, listen to rock music, and do research.