World Hypertension Day 2020- Measure your Blood Pressure, Control it and Live Longer

The Contributing Factors, Symptoms & Prevention: Things you wish you knew; you don’t have to wish again, now you know!

World Hypertension Day is marked globally on the 17th May to encourage people to effectively manage their health with hypertension and to the other population leading a healthy lifestyle free from Hypertension to maintain their status. As a call to join in the movement to sensitize the globe on Hypertension; we welcome you to another year of positive global awareness of Hypertension and much more, as we make collective efforts to effectively promote its prevention, detection, and control in our various capacities all around the globe.

The theme for this year; “Measure Your Blood Pressure, Control It, Live Longer", focuses on increasing high Blood Pressure (BP) awareness in all populations around the world.  

@BecomingAWoman community joins the global community to celebrate this day by lending our support to promote this noble course through our platforms. This movement requires a NOW urgency and always.

As a young employee, I wanted to check my BP using the sphygmomanometer, I wasn’t sick, just wanted to know my status and I did get good numbers, and then my supervisor at that time giggled at me and sounded aloud, “as expected”; you are a young girl with nothing serious to worry about like; no kids, no husband, and the list went on just to justify my numbers.  And I pondered for a while if it was okay to attribute all those as the causes of BP related challenges. This season of Celebration, I want to debunk that erroneous thought to highlight facts about Hypertension and how to lead a healthy lifestyle amidst confronting challenges of life. Stay Tune…

We only know what we know which implies you can only apply what you have knowledge of. Today marks another year to sensitize us on tips to stay healthy with or without hypertension.

FACTS ABOUT HYPERTENSION!

1. Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. 
2. Hypertension is prevalent in Africa with Nigeria as the leading country. 51% male and 49% female (WHO 2017). 
3. An estimated 1.13 billion people worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries (WHO 2019).
4. Largely poor healthy lifestyle (poor diet, physical inactivity, etc.) is one of the major causes of hypertension.
5. It is the N0. 1 contributing to global death. 
6. Only ½ of people with high blood pressure are aware of it! 
7. “Do You Know your Numbers???” @BecomingAWoman. 
8. It is often detected too late and it is a silent killer- “E NO DEY SHOW FOR FACE”- @BecomingAWoman.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 

• AGE 
• SMOKING
• FAMILY HISTORY 
• DRINKING ALCOHOL 
• OBESITY
• LACK OF EXERCISE 
• STRESS
• UNHEALTHY DIET
• POOR DRUG COMPLIANCE 
• POOR MONITORING (BP CHECK)

PREVENTION

•  Get regular blood pressure check up
•  Eat a healthy diet and reduce sodium(salt) intake (<5g daily)
•  Develop a bespoke exercise regimen and keep at it
• Reduce smoking until the habit is eventually stopped
• Do not self-medicate
• Reduce alcohol intake
• Take quality time off to get refreshed.
• Purchase a portable digital BP monitor to keep track of your numbers and if you already have one, it's about time you used it. 

SYMPTOMS

• This can include early morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heart rhythms, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears. 
• Severe hypertension can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, confusion, anxiety, chest pain, and muscle tremors. 

    "Only a regular check can ascertain your status" @BecomingAWoman

    "Make do with the Tools Highlighted Above to Stay  Healthy and to Function at your Optimum Performance in Health and Sound Mind" @BecomingAWoman