One of the perks of being in the healthcare industry is that we often get free health tests provided by our suppliers or vendors. Before selling us anything, they are very obliging in giving us free demos or even supplying us with free test meters for self-monitoring. It is common to get glucose, uric acid, bone and cholesterol tests at local hospitals/labs but we normally need to wait a week or two for the blood test results. Thus, we are very happy if we do get the occasional self-run kits that can give you instant results. Imagine finding out your cholesterol, triglycerides, bad and good cholesterol levels with just a finger-prick and results in just under 3 minutes, within the comfort of your home.
I do encourage the 20 – 30 somethings to go for yearly blood check-up. More so for the elderly. From there, you can have an idea whether you are at risk of suffering from stroke, heart attacks, diabetes or even liver disorders. However, normal blood test does not include blood pressure monitoring. This, you can easily walk up to any local pharmacies and the health experts can do it for you for free (or a small fee).
Many people may experience high blood pressure (HBP) without realising it as most will not show any symptoms. The only way to know is through self-monitoring, or get some body to do the testing for you or when you start feeling dizzy, thinking that it may be due to your over-tight pants (I know of a person who is dear to me who thought just that and had all his pants altered!).
Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:
a) Systolic pressure (the top number in a reading) denotes when the heart contracts and forces blood through the arteries.
b) Diastolic pressure (the bottom number) reflects when the heart relaxes.
Normal blood pressure is a reading of 120 over 80 (often written as 120/80) or lower (but not too low until you have low blood pressure). It is important to note that blood pressure fluctuates. It is highest in the morning and lowest at night. In some people with blood pressure that remain chronically high, this is then known as hypertension.
High blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure at rest that averages 140mmHg or more, a diastolic pressure at rest that averages 90 mmHg or more, or both. Medical term is hypertension. Hypertension is defined as blood pressure averaging 140/90 or higher over at least three separate measurements.
Symptoms of high blood pressure may include headaches, bouts of dizzy spells, nausea and fatigue. Some people may even suffer from ringing of the ears. Common contributing factors for HBP include obesity, smoking, gender (men are twice likely to suffer from hypertension than women), a high-salt diet and family history. It is interesting to note that in 90% of people with hypertension, the cause is usually unknown.
High blood pressure is indeed a silent killer as it can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and kidney failure.
High blood pressure can easily be maintained with diet and lifestyle changes. Same as sugar, we Malaysians tend to consume way too much salt. Therefore, cut back on salt intake. Diet should be high in fiber and complex carbohydrates but low in animal produce, animal fats, highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. It is also important to cut back on caffeine and alcohol intake. Some people may need medication for extra help.
Quit smoking and to deal with stress, opt for relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation. Last but not least, maintain an ideal body weight (especially if you are heavy around the waist). In addition, you may consider fish oil and antioxidants to help reduce blood pressure and to protect the heart and blood vessels.
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