HYPERTENSION

Hypertension refers to having a consistently high blood pressure reading. It's a pretty common medical condition, especially as people age. Let's find out a bit more.

WHO GETS HYPERTENSION?

Hypertension tends to occur in people with unhealthy lifestyles, especially people who eat foods high in salt, or are overweight.

It is also more common in families with a strong family history of Hypertension. So if your parents or siblings all have Hypertension, you do want to get yourself checked regularly!

DO I REALLY HAVE HYPERTENSION?

Some people feel a bit nervous when they visit their doctor's clinic, and their blood pressure may shoot up a little bit.

It is worthwhile to consider investing in an automatic blood pressure monitor, and check your readings at home to see if they really are elevated.

Past guidelines have stipulated a blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg as being the cut-off to diagnose Hypertension, but more recent evidence suggests that maintaining a blood pressure below 130/90 is healthier for your heart, especially if you have medical problems like Diabetes or High Cholesterol levels.

When you get to the doctor's clinic, try to have some time to sit quietly for a few minutes, to calm yourself down before having your blood pressure checked.

Otherwise, it may be falsely higher than your usual levels (especially if you had just walked over to the clinic).

Make sure you do not have any caffeine and do not smoke for half an hour prior to taking your blood pressure.

If your blood pressure is very high, your doctor may choose to re-check it with a manual blood pressure cuff instead of an automatic one. Don't worry, it isn't very uncomfortable at all!

WHY SHOULD I BOTHER?

Hypertension can progress and damage important organs like your heart and kidneys over time.

It's easy to ignore this condition if you feel fine, but do remember that you may actually feel fine right up to the point when someone discovers that you have a serious medical condition (like a heart attack or kidney failure), by which time it may be too late to make a meaningful change, and you may suffer from some degree of disability.

Hypertension can be a silent killer. Take the time to get checked, and take the doctor's advice seriously.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?

The first, and most important, part of managing this condition is a healthy lifestyle.

If you take the best medications available, regularly, it won't very much if you do not set your lifestyle in order.

Also, if your Hypertension is in an early and mild stage, it may actually improve on its own by you changing your lifestyle, without the need for medications.

DIET

Your diet control is key to your lifestyle changes.

Reduce your intake of salt, as it can cause water retention and increase your blood pressure. Try not to salt your food when cooking or eating, and be careful of hidden sources of salt.

For example, fish soup is a very healthy dish, but can actually be very high in salt. Processed foods are also loaded with salt, so eating things like these regularly will affect your blood pressure levels.

The simplest way to start eating a healthy diet is to prepare your own food at home. You can control the amount of oil and salt that goes into your food, and make sure you don't overdo it. You can't control any of these things when you eat outside of home, so you won't know what you're putting in your body.

Try to follow a generally healthy diet, low in unhealthy fats and sugar, since obesity itself can increase your risk of developing Hypertension, and also increase your risk of getting a serious problem like a heart attack or stroke.

We have some articles on a healthy diet on our website, check them out here.

EXERCISE

As with other chronic conditions, exercise plays an important role in helping you control it.

Try to squeeze in some regular exercise, 3 to 5 times a week. This keeps you fit and trim, and helps you manage your blood pressure levels.

Do different forms of exercise, such as a mix of Cardio and Resistance training to help increase the beneficial effects of exercise.

Check out our 'BASIC EXERCISE' page to learn more about how to exercise.

SMOKING

Smoking is terribly unhealthy for you, and is a big no-no for people trying to improve their health.

Smoking itself can raise your blood pressure and heart rate, and keep it elevated for an extended period.

It also increases your risk of getting a serious problem, like a heart attack, or a stroke.

Once you quit, your risk of getting a heart problem does not really go back to the baseline level for some time, but the risk is significant reduced.

Speak to your pharmacist to try out some Nicotine patches and lozenges to wean yourself off smoking!

STRESS

High stress levels will push your blood pressure levels up.

It's easier said than done, but managing your stress levels at work or at home will help you manage your Hypertension better.

Check out some of our articles on Mental Health to learn more.

WHAT OTHER THINGS SHOULD I CHECK?

If you have Hypertension, make sure you go for regular health screenings, at least yearly.

Hypertension can affect your heart and kidneys over time, so it's important to check your Electrocardiogram and kidney function tests annually.

It's also important to screen for high cholesterol levels and Diabetes, since a combination of these conditions with Hypertension is even worse for your health.

Most basic health screening panels will check your lipid and fasting glucose levels.

MONITOR YOURSELF

You can buy a blood pressure monitor and check your blood pressure at home.

The normal blood pressure is 120/80, and anything above 140/90 indicates high blood pressure. Like we've talked about above, try and target a blood pressure reading below 130/90, especially if you have any kidney problems, or are Diabetic.

Check your blood pressure in the mornings and evenings on 2 to 3 days a week, and record the readings in a chart, along with the time of day you measured it, and show these readings to your doctor so that they can manage your medication doses with you better.

You can also download and print a blood pressure monitoring chart by clicking here, so that you can check and chart your blood pressure readings at home.

DO I NEED MEDICATIONS?

If you've tried changing your diet and lifestyle but are still having trouble controlling your blood pressure levels, you may need to be on some oral medications.

There are several broad categories of medications that can be used to control your blood pressure, and some medications may be more useful if you have other medical conditions (like kidney disease).

As with any medication, all have potential side effects, although not everyone suffers from these side effects. Speak to your doctor about the medications you can try and any potential side effects.

If you are one of the unfortunate few to have some side effects with your medications (like some leg swelling with a medication called 'Amlodipine'), do go back and see your doctor and let them know what you're going through.

The medications and their doses can be changed, and substitutions made for medications that don't quite agree with you.

The worst thing you can do is to simply stop the medication and just ignore your condition until the next doctor's review. Your blood pressure may shoot up, and may be then more difficult to control when you finally do go see a doctor.

I FEEL GIDDY

Blood pressure readings that are dangerously high or low can both trigger episodes of giddiness.

If you feel very giddy, or like you are about to faint, try and get to a clinic so that the doctor can check you, and your blood pressure reading, and help you.

If you are going to a new clinic for this, be sure to bring all your regular medications along so that the doctor can better understand how to help you.

WRAP IT UP!

Hypertension is a potentially dangerous disease, but thankfully, it can be managed with lifestyle changes and medications. Get yourself checked regularly, and be strict with your diet and exercise. You can do it!