Hypertension..... Check your Blood Pressure and know the risk factors

Dear Aunty Nurse Readers,

I would like you all to pay close attention to what you're about to read. I know that that life and death are in the hands of God, yet, he has given us the tools we need to survive and he would expect us to live our lives right.
 At community pharmacies in Lagos, Nigeria, its not uncommon to find a sign that reads. "Check your blood pressure here- Free". For most of them, the objective is just to lure you in by offering a freebie.

A sphymomomanometer is a device used to check your blood pressure

I have worked in a couple of places where such free offers are made and I haven't carried out any surveys but I've come across so many people with dangerously high blood pressures. The age range being between 25-60 years.

Notable Nigerian, Jaiye Aboderin,(May His Soul Rest in Peace), was reported to have died of Hypertension and was probably unaware of his condition before his passing.
I'd like to focus on a particular case of  Mr. Ejiofor (not real name), a fifty year old man who walked into the pharmacy. I was the only pharmacist on duty. He complained that his face felt heavy on one side and that he was unable to make a fist. He added that he felt like one-half of his body was heavy. I asked him to sit for about 30 minutes and I checked his blood pressure. The reading was about 199/126 mm/Hg.

Apparently, he had suffered a Transient Ischaemic Attack (like a stroke) and wasn't even aware that he was hypertensive in the first place. I had to intervene, I called a friend of mine. Dr. Temi Adaramewa of (www.abuledoc.com) and Dr. Oseme Ehriaka (SOS International).I described his condition as best I could and we deliberated on the subject, they recommended medication and of course, I advised him to go to the nearest hospital. Believe me, that was a life-saving intervention.

Next, is the story of a relative of mine. He looked well and had just formed a small group to work on an action plan, sequel to the meeting that was just held. As they were about to commence the meeting, four other men seated at the table noticed his face seem to twist/twitch and his hand seemed a bit contorted. He collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Less than 30 minutes after the incident, he passed away. He had suffered a haemorrhagic stroke.(When a blood vessel in the brain burts/breaks because there's too much pressure in it. Prior to his death, he was not on any medications and hardly ever felt ill. He had no clue he was hypertensive.

Now I know that some of you might feel a bit lost at this point so now I'm going to explain what hypertension with the simplest illustration I could come up with.

Hypertension can be likened to  a hose (your blood vessels) connected to a tap (your heart) so the tap pumps water (blood) into the hose. If the pressure of water coming from the tap is too high, then the tension in the hose becomes very high (hyper). So, hypertension is the state where that hose has too much tension all the time. 

If a person has a high blood pressure reading at one time, it doesn't necessarily mean that they have hypertension. Your blood pressure rises when you are very active(running, dancing etc), in health individuals, it returns to normal when you're at rest.

• Hypertension is a higher than normal blood pressure, specifically systolic (the number on top) blood pressure above 140 mm Hg and diastolic (number at the bottom) blood pressure above 90 mm Hg (140/90 mm Hg). Prolonged (chronic) high blood pressure is likely to induce cardiovascular (heart and circulatory system) damage or other adverse consequences.
• Pre-hypertension is systolic blood pressure between 120 -139 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure between 80-89 mm Hg. Pre-hypertension is an intermediate case between normal and high blood pressure.
• Normal blood pressure for adults is generally in the range of 90/50 to 120/90 mm Hg .
• Hypotension is an abnormally low blood pressure, usually below 90/50 mm Hg. In severe or prolonged cases, it can be a serious medical condition.

I also mentioned a condition called Stroke, a stroke is what usually results from a badly managed case of hypertension. It could either occur because the hose/blood vessel has become too full and burst or it has become blocked. The symptoms of Stroke were described by Mr. Ejiofor earlier.

Its important to check your blood pressure on a regular basis. Anyone can become hypertensive and sometimes, there are no symptoms except for headaches or even no symptoms at all. 

You are at a high risk of becoming hypertensive if you:

•  do not rest enough (at least 8 hours of sleep)
•  eat lots of junk food (meatpies, hot dogs and pizzas)
•  food with lots of salt and seasoning
•  have problems with your kidney
•  are Diabetic
•  smoke
•  are overweight or obese
•  have a family history of hypertension
•  do not exercise (sedentary lifestyle)
•  above 25 years and work in Lagos (I added this because of the stressful nature of the City)
•  are a male of African heritage 

In closing, I suggest that you do the opposite of the above where applicable and check your blood pressure monthly or every two months and lead a healthy lifestyle. 

Have a low tension day as you go back to work.

Regards,

Aunty Nurse 

References:

1. JNC 7 guidelines

2. http://highbloodpressure.about.com/od/understandyourrisk/tp/risk_tp.htm

3. Pharmacology, Hypertension.... Rang etal