Hyper Speed, Hyper Stress

Sharon Jane Akinyemi

Sharon Jane Akinyemi

One day my friend Flora and I were discussing the challenges of time. We admitted that like most people we were in constant juggling act trying to find enough time and energy for family, work  and career, not to mention a few moments here and there for things like exercise and relaxation.

It seemed like almost everyone we knew complained that there was never enough time to do all the things they wanted or needed to do.

The pressure out there is much coupled with this fast-paced world, where most people’s lives are moving too fast. We run out of time, money, and energy on a regular basis. Our relationships are strained, our minds overstimulated, our bodies neglected, degenerating and left to waste slowly as a result of some  killer disease like hypertension.

High blood pressure or hypertension has been called the “silent killer.” It develops with little or no symptoms. The recent available statistics  about hypertension both in Nigeria  and other parts of the world is alarming and the future appears bleak.

Studies carried out recently by experts  showed that  about 57 million Nigerians are hypertensive. Reports also indicate that more Nigerian men suffer high blood pressure than their female counterparts due to reasons attributable to lifestyles.

This revelation was made at a press conference organised by the Nigerian Medical Students Association of Nigeria (NMSAN) to mark the World Health Day in Benin City.

National President of the association, Bashir Maru, said one in three adults worldwide are affected by high blood pressure and implicated in over 18 per cent of death globally, adding that poorer people are worse off.

“For Nigeria, about 22 per cent of the population are affected by high blood pressure, and it is called a silent killer, because it doesn’t show signs or symptoms till it might be too late.

According to the bodies, the number of Nigerians living with high blood pressure is estimated at about 56 million, even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) calls for intensified efforts to prevent and control hypertension. They also raised alarm over the proliferation in Nigerian markets of fake blood pressure measuring devices and popular diets like some brands of noodles that account for 61 percent of daily salt requirement in the smallest pack .

When hypertension is advanced it can cause , irregular heart beat, headaches, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, dizziness and vision problems or eventually heart failure. More women than men die of the complications of high blood pressure, which include kidney failure, heart failure, and stroke. That’s the bad news.

According to Medilexicon’s medical dictionary, hypertension means “High blood pressure; transitory or sustained elevation of systemic arterial blood pressure to a level likely to induce cardiovascular damage or other adverse consequences.”

The normal level for blood pressure is below 120/80, where 120 represents the systolic measurement (peak pressure in the arteries) and 80 represents the diastolic measurement (minimum pressure in the arteries). Blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called prehypertension (to denote increased risk of hypertension), and a blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered hypertension.

The good news is that high blood pressure is preventable and can also be controlled for those who already are battling with it. You don’t always need prescription of medication to lower your blood pressure. By making some lifestyle changes, you can lower or prevent high blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure  you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down.   If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delay, or reduce the need for medication.

Here are some lifestyle changes you can make to prevent/control high blood pressure.

•Exercise Regularly

Regular physical activity -at least 30-60 minutes most days of the week- can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimetres of mercury (mmHg). And it doesn’t take long to see a difference. If you haven’t been active, increasing you exercise level can lower your blood pressure within just a few weeks. If you have prehypertension (systolic pressure  between 120 and 139 or diastolic  pressure between 80 and 89), exercise can help you avoid developing full blown hypertension. So if you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.

Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program me. Your doctor can help you determine whether you need an exercise restrictions. Even moderate  activity for 10 min at a time such as walking and light strength training can help.

•Eat A Healthy Diet

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Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products and going easy and gently on saturated fat and cholesterol laden foods can lower your blood pressure by up to 14mmHg. It isn’t easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips you can adopt a healthy diet

•Monitor  what you eat, how much and why.

•Take more of fresh fruits and vegetables, they are the best sources of potassium. Potassium can lessen the effect of sodium (common salt) on blood pressure.

•Shop wisely. Make a shopping list before heading to the Market  to avoid picking junk food. Read food labels when you shop and stick to your healthy eating plan when you are dining out too.

•A salt-free diet is healthy in lowering pressure. Choose low-salt  alternatives of the food and beverages you normally buy.

•Eat fewer processed foods

• Don’t add salt to already prepared foods .

• Avoid Drinking Alcohol

As much as you can, avoid drinking alcohol . Alcohol can be bad for your health. If you drink more of alcohol it can actually raise your blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness  of high blood pressure medication.

If you are a heavy drinker, suddenly eliminating all alcohol  can actually trigger severe high blood pressure for several days. So when you stop drinking do it with the supervision of your doctor to taper off slowly.

Avoid Smoking.

On top of all the other dangers of smoking, the nicotine in tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mmHg or more for up to an hour after you smoke. Smoking throughout the day mean your blood pressure may remain constantly high.  Avoid second hand smoke. Inhaling smoke from others also put you at risk of health problems including high blood pressure and heart disease .

Reduce Your Stress Level

Stress and anxiety can temporarily  increase blood pressure. Take sometime to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finance or illness. Once you know what is causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.  If you can’t eliminate all of your stressors you can at least cope with them in a healthier way. Take break for deep breathing exercises. Get a massage. If self doesn’t work, seek out a professional for counselling .

. Monitor your blood pressure from time to time. Get a blood pressure monitor for your home and office use.

•Balanced Life

A  life of balance requires sacrifice. You must invest  in things that have long-term value over short-term gain. I have learnt that we are like airplane- we can only hold so much luggage. If we get overloaded, we may go down. And despite our best efforts, when we take on too much, we don’t really do well at anything . In essence, to live in balance , we have to minimise our load.

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