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High blood pressure is often called ‘the silent killer’ as it often shows no symptoms for a long time. A person suffering from it might still feel fine even if his/her blood pressure is on the higher side. That’s the reason, many people do not even realise that they are hypertensive and need medical intervention. Most of the time it is identified when one goes for a routine check-up or specific check-ups for any other diseases.
Hypertension related symptoms include headaches, dizziness, lack of concentration and fatigue that aren’t very specific in nature and can be easily missed. Untreated hypertension can damage your organs and lead to many other problems such as strokes, and kidney or eye damage. Therefore if your blood pressure is high and you don’t know it, you’re putting yourself at risk.
Dr Santosh Kumar Dora, Senior Cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai says there is no complete cure for hypertension, the best way to manage it is through a healthy lifestyle. Dr Dora lists lifestyle changes you can try to control hypertension.
Foods containing high fats and salts such as fried snacks and bakery products are avoidable. One can follow a DASH (Dietary approach to stop hypertension) eating pattern that consists of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, no fat or low-fat milk and milk products, whole-grain foods, fish, poultry, beans and seeds, and unsalted nuts. This diet pattern is high in fibre and can help to maintain an effective metabolism. Portion control is equally important.
Obesity is one major risk factor for hypertension which can trigger other lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Weight is considered healthy when the body mass index is between 20 to 25. Daily exercise for 45 minutes to 1 hour should be part of your routine.
Managing stress is quite important to keep your blood pressure in check, consult a stress management consultant for advice if need be.
Alcohol and smoking are the two worst enemies of your body, consumption of both can lead to hypertension and should be stopped completely. Binge alcoholism causes a spike in blood pressure and should be avoided.
Patients already suffering from hypertension should monitor their BP regularly, take prescribed medicines regularly as suggested by their physician and follow a healthy lifestyle. Normally the medications begin when blood pressure levels remain excessively high over a short period of time – but it’s up to your doctor whether or not you should be taking any medication for your specific form of hypertension.
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