Control your blood pressure

Dr. Ssilk Mar Sharma
World Hypertension Day is celebrated on May 17th every year. The main purpose of the day is to educate the general public and raise awareness of high blood pressure, also commonly known as high blood pressure. The extended theme of World Hypertension Day is to accurately measure, control and live longer blood pressure with the goal of raising hypertension (BP) awareness in all populations around the world. The main focus of this theme is on combating low awareness and accurate blood pressure measurements around the world, especially in low to middle income areas. This raising awareness task became even more difficult, especially as the second wave of Covid revived in our setup, but it still needs to be managed with all the resources available in both online and offline modes.
Symptoms of high blood pressure:
High blood pressure is generally a state of silence. Many people do not experience any symptoms. It can take years or even decades to reach a level that is so severe that the symptoms become apparent. Nevertheless, these symptoms may be due to other problems.
Symptoms of severe high blood pressure include:
*headache
* Dyspnea
*nosebleed
* Flushing
*dizzy
* Chest pain
* Loss of sight
These symptoms require immediate medical attention. Although it does not occur in all people with high blood pressure, waiting for symptoms of this condition can be fatal. The best way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to measure your blood pressure on a regular basis.
Adult blood pressure category
Blood pressure category Systolic blood pressure Diastolic blood pressure
Usually <120mm Hg and <80mm Hg
Rised 120-129mm Hg and <80mm Hg
High blood pressure
Stage 1130-139 mm Hg or 80-89 mm Hg
Stage 2140 mm Hg or 90 mm Hg
Hypertension emergencies: Hypertension is usually a chronic condition that causes gradual damage over the years. However, blood pressure rises so rapidly and severely that it can be an emergency medical treatment that often requires immediate treatment with hospitalization.
In these situations, high blood pressure can cause:
Memory loss, personality changes, poor concentration, irritability or progressive unconsciousness
* Stroke
* Severe damage to the main arteries of your body (aortic dissection)
* Chest pain
* heart attack
* Sudden failure of the heart pump, leading to backup of fluid in the lungs, causing shortness of breath (pulmonary edema)
* Sudden loss of renal function
* Complications during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia or eclampsia)
* Blindness
Prevention of high blood pressure
Healthy lifestyle changes help control the factors that cause high blood pressure.Here are some of the most common home remedies
Developing a Healthy Diet: A healthy diet for the heart is essential for reducing high blood pressure. It is also important for managing controlled hypertension and reducing the risk of complications. These complications include heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
A heart-friendly diet emphasizes foods such as:
*fruit
* Vegetables
* Whole grains
* Fish-like lean protein
Increased physical activity
Reaching a healthy weight should include more physical activity. Exercise not only helps you lose weight, but also helps reduce stress, naturally lowers blood pressure, and strengthens the cardiovascular system.
Aim for moderate physical activity for 150 minutes every week. It’s about 30 minutes 5 times a week.
Reach healthy weight
If you are overweight or obese, lose weight and gain weight with a heart-friendly diet
Physical activity can help lower your blood pressure.
Stress management
Exercise is a great way to manage stress. Other activities may also be useful. These include:
*meditation
* Deep breath
*Massage
* Muscle relaxation
* Yoga or Tai Chi
All of these are proven stress reduction technologies. Getting enough sleep can also help reduce stress levels.
Adopt a cleaner lifestyle
If you are a smoker, stop. The chemicals in cigarette smoke damage body tissues and harden the walls of blood vessels.
If you drink too much alcohol on a regular basis or are alcoholic, ask for help to reduce or stop drinking altogether. Alcohol can raise blood pressure.
Important message:
Proper management can control high blood pressure and prevent its complications.
Effective lifestyles and medications are available that can control high blood pressure in most people. The new drug provides better control while avoiding side effects that were previously limited in treatment.
Optimizing better health requires close cooperation between the doctor and the patient.
The latest evidence shows that people with uncontrolled or untreated hypertension may be at risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. It is also important to note that people with untreated hypertension appear to be at greater risk of complications from COVID-19 than those who manage hypertension with medication.
There is still no evidence that hypertension is associated with COVID-19 outcomes, or that the use of ACE inhibitors or ARBs is harmful or beneficial during a COVID-19 pandemic. The use of these drugs should be maintained for the control of blood pressure and should not be discontinued, at least based on current evidence at this time.
All hypertensive patients, especially those with other comorbidities, should get a jab to reduce morbidity and mortality, as covid vaccination is progressing at a faster pace. When it comes to vaccination, the benefits far outweigh the risks of people with cardiovascular problems. All hypertensive patients should have ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, or blood diluents before attending vaccination appointments, especially if there are cardiovascular complications such as heart chest pain or angina. It is advisable to take blood pressure medications such as.
The unintended consequences of discontinuing effective treatment of hypertension without appropriate alternatives titrated for blood pressure measurements under direct medical supervision have unnecessarily increased patients cardiovascular. And perhaps at risk of coronavirus. Moreover, as primary care prioritizes acute illness over routine contact (including blood pressure checks), managing such titrations makes the proposed strategy unrealistic and access to care. There is a risk of further diluting.
(The author is the Dean of Cardiology).
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