HYPERTENSION

What is hypertension?
Hypertension is commonly known as high blood pressure and is a condition that affects the amount of resistance your blood meets as it passes through blood vessels.

The arteries play a huge part when it comes to high blood pressure. If the arteries are narrow it becomes harder for blood to be pumped through and this tends to cause coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease restricts the flow of blood and causes blockages if untreated. This can lead to severe complications such as heart failure, heart attacks, stroke, aneurysms and kidney failure.

What are the symptoms?

• Sleep apnoea
• Thyroid disorders
• Stress
• Fatigue
• Lack of physical exercise
• Irregular heartbeat
• Vision problems
• Blood present in urine
• Chronic kidney disease

With hypertension it is crucial to have regular blood pressure readings even though symptoms might not always be present at first. A reading will determine the range of your blood pressure and possible treatments. A urine test or cholesterol screening may also be done to rule out any other factors before a hypertension diagnosis is given.

How can hypertension be treated and managed?

There are various medications that work to lower your high blood pressure. These medications slow down the heartbeat to reduce the force and the amount of blood being pumped through the arteries. This gradually lowers your hypertension. If the recommended medications don’t lower your high blood pressure, however, a surgical approach may be necessary. A stent can be placed in an affected artery to widen it so that blood can be pumped through with no resistance

Management of hypertension is crucial and requires various lifestyle changes that include diet and exercise. You may need to eat food with low salt content and engage in physical activity to keep your blood pumping and flowing freely throughout your body. A change of environment can also positively impact you by reducing your stress levels and keeping your blood pressure low.