Every time the human heart beats, it pumps blood to the body through the arteries. The force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries causes pressure. Blood pressure varies naturally with activity, rising during exercise or times of stress, and falling when we rest. It also varies amongst individuals.
Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the arteries have persistently elevated blood pressure. It affects as many as 1 in 5 Namibian adults.
What causes hypertension?
The cause of hypertension is unknown in 90 to 95 percent of cases, referred to as ‘essential’ or ‘primary’ hypertension. In a few cases, the cause of hypertension is known. This is called secondary hypertension causes of which include kidney and blood vessel abnormalities, as well as adrenal and thyroid problems or tumors.
Though most of the time the exact cause of hypertension is unknown, several lifestyle and genetic factors may contribute. These include:
Smoking: Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict, which raises blood pressure
Obesity and being overweight. Extra weight can put more stress on your heart.
Diabetes
Sedentary lifestyle- regular physical activity not only helps you lose weight but also lowers your blood pressure
High levels of salt (sodium) intake- Salt causes your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.
High levels of alcohol consumption- Drinking more than two alcoholic drinks per day may worsen hypertension
Stress –acute pain or stress can raise blood pressure. Chronic stress triggers bad coping methods like overeating and smoking which can lead to high blood pressure.
Aging- blood pressure increases with age as arteries become less flexible
Medicines such as birth control pills and steroids
Genetics and a family history of hypertension- hypertension tends to run in families and is more common in men than women
What are the symptoms of hypertension?
Hypertension is a silent killer as most people will NOT have any symptoms, but that doesn’t mean it is not harming your body. Periodic blood pressure screenings are critical, even when no symptoms are present.
Extremely high blood pressure may lead to some symptoms however, and these include:
Severe headaches
Fatigue or confusion
Dizziness
Nausea
Problems with vision
Chest pain
Breathing problems
Irregular heartbeat
Nose bleeds
Blood in urine
How Does Hypertension Affect Your Health?
When your heart pumps blood, it travels through a network of blood vessels that become smaller and more delicate. The tiniest blood vessels, known as capillaries, supply your body with oxygen. Increased pressure within this system requires your heart to work harder and can damage the vessels and the following organs:
Your brain. High blood pressure can cause tiny blood vessels inside your brain to rupture, which can result in a stroke.
Your heart. The heart is a muscle that requires oxygenated blood which, if lacking or is blocked can cause angina or a heart attack. Over time, the pressure of having to work harder can weaken your heart leading to heart failure
Your eyes. If a blood vessel inside the eye ruptures from hypertension, it can cause blurred vision and even blindness.
Your kidneys. If blood vessels inside the kidneys become too narrow, these organs can lose their ability to filter waste products out of your blood, leading to kidney failure, which may require dialysis or a transplant.
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How Can You Lower Your High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is a treatable condition. Lifestyle changes and in some cases medication helps lower blood pressure.
When your blood pressure is raised, your doctor will make an assessment to exclude an underlying cause, look for risk factors and determine whether vulnerable organs, in particular the heart, kidneys or eyes are damaged.
Unless one has severe hypertension, most doctors recommend starting with these lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure:
Stop smoking
Lose weight
Limit alcohol and caffeine
Exercise regularly
Eat a healthy, low salt, low fat diet
Reduce your stress levels
If there is severe hypertension or if lifestyle changes alone are not effective enough, your doctor may prescribe one or more antihypertensive medications.
The medicines prescribed will depend on various factors, such as the blood pressure level, your age, the presence of other conditions such as diabetes, and in women pregnancy. You may need to take medication for the rest of your life to keep your condition under control. Remember: Stopping medication on your own can increase your risk of heart disease or death.
If you are having trouble controlling your blood pressure, work with your doctor to find out how you can better manage risk factors. With the right combination of lifestyle changes and medication, you should be able to control your high blood pressure over time.
*Dr Gina Rusike operates from Khomasdal , Windhoek, and can be reached a ginarusk@yahoo.com.