FACTS VS MYTHS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
While high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer,” it has no obvious symptoms, according to the American Heart Association. It’s known as the “silent killer” because some people don’t know they are hypertensive until they experience a stroke or heart attack.
By definition, Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing or the force applied/exerted by blood circulation against the wall of the arteries. The arteries are a type of blood vessel. They work to carry blood away from the heart, they are the major blood vessels in the body. Therefore, high blood pressure or hypertension is a condition in which blood pressure is elevated to high levels over a prolonged period of time. It can be extremely damaging to the body if left untreated.
It’s one of the most common and most dangerous conditions, yet also the least detectable. In fact, high blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms.
There are lots of surprising facts about hypertension and yet, surrounded with common myths which we are dispelling in order to arm you with facts, providing you with clear picture of the issue.
Some facts and myths are discussed below:
1. MYTH
"Only older adults have high blood pressure"
FACT
"Young people also have high blood pressure"
Surprisingly, we have a significant percentage of young people who have high pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) - "High blood pressure doesn’t just happen to older adults. Nearly 1 in 4 adults aged 20 to 44 have high blood pressure."
"High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke, a condition that is on the rise among younger people. Experts think the increased risk for stroke in this age group is a direct result of the rising rates of obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes conditions that are preventable and treatable."
2. MYTH
"Hypertension has significant signs and symptoms"
FACT
"Hypertension usually do not have any signs and symptoms"
With this condition, a lot may be at stake because most people don’t know they have it and at such place the state of their health at high risk of other health conditions. Which is why routine check of blood pressure is the number one step to easily detecting hypertension. In the event you have consistently elevated values, reach out to your your doctor for further evaluation.
3. MYTH
"I can barely do nothing for the prevention of high blood pressure, it is a family condition"
FACT
"The risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes".
There might be a family history of high blood pressure, if one of your parents or closer relatives have had the condition you may have it too, but if you adopt some styles of living it will help you reduce the risk.
Some of those things you need to do :
1. Engage in Stress Management
2. Exercise daily at least 15-20minutes
3. Avoid too much alcohol intake
4. Maintain healthy weight
5. Adequate sleep also help reduce the risk of high blood pressure
6.Reduce salt intake.
4. MYTH
"High blood pressure is curable".
FACT
"High blood pressure is a chronic disease meaning it’s a lifelong condition. It can be controlled by medication, lifestyle, diets and habits but cannot be cured."
Many people who are under medication believed that if their blood pressure rate has reduced to normal, they need to stop. However this is wrong, you should not stop taking your medication or lifestyle modification as advised by a qualified medical doctor. If you stop, the blood pressure may rise again.
5. MYTH
"High Blood Pressure is more common in men as women".
FACT: Age is a determinant. It depends on age.
Tina Dovinto at Keck Medicine of USC writes -
“Before the age of 50, hypertension is more common in men than women, but after menopause, a woman’s risk increases and can even be higher than a man’s,” Garg says.
"Women have a few additional considerations for high blood pressure. Taking birth control pills may raise their risk of hypertension. Women with high blood pressure may have a greater risk of complications during pregnancy; and women who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy are more at risk of having high blood pressure later in life".
