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Tag: hypertension

  • EFFECTS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ON SEX LIFE AND PROVEN NATURAL THERAPY THAT CURES HYPERTENSION.

    SPONSORED POST

    EFFECTS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ON YOUR SEX LIFE AND THE PROVEN NATURAL THERAPY FOR HYPERTENSION.

    High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms. But the impact on your sex life may be obvious. Although sexual activity is unlikely to pose an immediate threat to your health — such as a heart attack — high blood pressure can affect your overall satisfaction with sex.

    A link between high blood pressure and sexual problems is proved in men. For women who have decreased sexual satisfaction, it’s not yet proved that high blood pressure is to blame.  www.healthbeyonddrug.com/normalbp

    EFFECT ON MALE 

    Over time, high blood pressure damages the lining of blood vessels and causes arteries to harden and narrow (atherosclerosis), limiting blood flow. This means less blood is able to flow to the penis.

    For some men, the decreased blood flow makes it difficult to achieve and maintain erections — often referred to as erectile dysfunction. The problem is fairly common.

    High blood pressure can also interfere with ejaculation and reduce sexual desire. Sometimes the medications used to treat high blood pressure have similar effects.

    Even a single episode of erectile dysfunction can cause anxiety. Fears that it will happen again might lead men to avoid sex — and affect the relationship with their sexual partner.

    EFFECT ON FEMALE 

    High blood pressure’s effect on sexual problems in women isn’t well-understood. But it’s possible that high blood pressure could affect a woman’s sex life.

    High blood pressure can reduce blood flow to the vagina. For some women, this leads to a decrease in sexual desire or arousal, vaginal dryness, or difficulty achieving orgasm. Improving arousal and lubrication can help.

    Like men, women can experience anxiety and relationship issues due to sexual dysfunction.

    High blood pressure medication side effects in men: Sexual problems

    High blood pressure medications that can cause sexual dysfunction as a side effect include:

    ·         Water pills (diuretics). Diuretics can decrease forceful blood flow to the penis, making it difficult to achieve an erection. They can also deplete the body of zinc, which is necessary to make the sex hormone testosterone.

    ·         Beta blockers. These medications, especially older generation beta blockers such as propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL), are commonly associated with sexual dysfunction.

    This natural therapy is not just to lower the blood pressure but to release some biomolecues to the body which  check the root cause of increasing blood pressure.  Evidence from researches and alternative medicines have shown that the root cause of high blood preesure can be reversed and consequently eliminate high blood pressure and sexual problems attached to it.

     Click here …www.healthbeyonddrug.com/normalbp

  • Halting hypertension

    Halting hypertension

    •Cases of high blood pressure must be not be allowed to rise further  

    The findings of a recent survey which concluded that 1.13 billion people are affected by high blood pressure signal an urgent need to confront it with greater seriousness.
    Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is a non-communicable disease in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently above normal levels. By putting increased strain on the body’s major organs like the heart, brain and kidneys, it can lead to stroke, heart failure, and artery and kidney disease.
    The study found that the number of people living with high blood pressure had doubled in the 40 years between 1975 and 2015, but that while it had been declining in the developed world, it had increased exponentially in low and middle-income nations in Africa and South Asia. More men are hypertensive globally (597 million) than women (529 million).
    As a heavily-populated low-income African country, Nigeria is at the heart of these distressing figures. A University of Edinburgh survey claimed that the country’s hypertension rates were double those of its neighbours, and that one of every three Nigerian men is hypertensive; for their female compatriots, the figure is one in every four. 39 million cases are expected to appear by 2030, up from 20 million cases in 2010.
    A toxic combination of lifestyle, economic and environmental factors is thought to be responsible for the country’s predicament. The increase in the consumption of high-fat, high-salt processed foods, the reduced intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as increasingly sedentary jobs have contributed to making many citizens more prone to hypertension. Childhood poverty, which increases the possibility of poor nutrition early in life, may predispose more people to hypertension when they are older. Air and noise pollution could be another contributory factor.
    To make matters worse, Nigeria lacks the institutional armour and other defences that enable more developed nations to effectively manage hypertension. Routine blood pressure checks are relatively uncommon; very few Nigerians are covered by health insurance; there is insufficient public education on the dangers of hypertension and the best ways of minimising its negative effects. Even the country’s statistics on the condition are unreliable.
    If hypertension is to be properly addressed, it must be confronted with all the seriousness that it deserves. Any comprehensive response must be predicated upon the acquisition of reliable data seeking to understand how hypertension is spread, the most susceptible groups, areas where it is most prevalent, and so on.
    A viable next step would be wide-ranging public education and enlightenment campaigns aimed at informing the citizenry of the lifestyle choices and other factors that make it more likely for individuals to develop hypertension.
    It is particularly important that Nigerians understand that it is a condition which does not respect ethnic origin, social status, religious affiliation or educational attainment. Another message that must be driven home is the necessity of drastically cutting down on processed foods that are often replete with fat, salt and sugar. Obesity is not a sign of physical well-being; regular exercise is not meant for athletes alone; rest and recuperation are not synonymous with laziness.
    An increased screening regimen would ensure that the condition is identified more quickly and treated in good time. One way of achieving this would be to make comprehensive medical examinations a mandatory requirement for all employment, education and extended training programmes, and not just formal employment and tertiary education, as is currently the case.
    High blood pressure checks must be complemented by prompt treatment and medication. Increased efforts should be made to ensure that more anti-hypertension drugs are manufactured locally, and that culturally-relevant modes of treatment are developed.
    For a country that is already vulnerable to a host of serious diseases, Nigeria simply cannot afford to add hypertension to their number.

  • THE THERAPY THAT REVERSED MY DAD’S HYPERTENSION COMPLETELY

    Sponsored Post

    THE THERAPY THAT REVERSED MY DAD’S HYPERTENSION COMPLETELY

    We were all very much hopeful on not losing him (my dad). But we gradually began to lose faith on his chances of survival since almost everything we tried to bring down his blood pressure had failed but thank God “we finally saw the light after the end of a very long tunnel”. http://aloehealthshop.com.ng/hbp.html  restored our faith and made my dad a happy man once again.

    It  took us all by surprise when it  all started, daddy would complain of headache almost all the time he seem to get fatigued easily than he used to. We were all used to seeing dad wake up very early,whisk out of the house on week days. He was a bank manager so his work seemed more demanding. When all these started he became less efficient and was forced to resign earlier than expected.

    It got to a stage when dad could not see clearly.

    He couldn’t help to notice this since he was a lover of newspapers. He was at the hospital for checkups and to possibly request for a lens which would aid his vision. It was even more shocking when he got to know thathis blood pressure was on the high side.

    I think this revelation worsened everything, caused a tensed atmosphere and brought up varied symptoms on a daily basis.  On the 11th of December, 20014 we were given a scare mom was really panicking so were we. My dad’s eyes were wide opened, sweating profusely and complaining of something pounding in his chest ears and neck region. I have never anything like that in my life I was so scared we might lose him. We couldn’t even rush him to the hospital because of possible delay. Mommy called our family doctors in tears and he came around in a matter of minutes after the call. The doctor measured his BP using sphygmomanometer and it read 170/100.

    We were lucky to have dad back again with the help of the doctor perhaps with a limited life line. We were sure to put to proper monitoring his diets. The doctor had warned against the risk of too much intake of salt, red meat, alcohol and fatty foods.

    Daddy abstained from all these and mom made sure of that but this feeling of nervousness never stopped in dad. We decided to try out other possible means of helping dad overcome this even though the doctor said we could only help manage this condition.  We did not mind whether it was traditional or otherwise mom just wanted dad back. I saw an article online around March this year which was a testimonial of a survivor of a similar case to that of my dad, I did not totally fall for it but I told mom anyway. She opted for it at once but did not tell dad about this innovation since we were not certain about its potency.

    We skeptically visited the link (http://aloehealthshop.com.ng/hbp.html), put a call through for the natural supplements and were overwhelmed with the result we achieved shortly after. The doctor asked in disbelief what we had used on dad but mom concealed the truth since she feared any possible criticism from the doctor might not go well with her.  As at 9th of November (2016) my dad’s BP already read 120/80. He is happy and healthy again and now hoping to rejuvenate his passion for hard work on agriculture this time. We might just have to get used to seeing dad whisk out of the house at early hours once again.

  • EFFECTS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ON SEXUAL LIFE AND PROVEN NATURAL THERAPY CURE FOR HYPERTENSION

    Sponsored Post

    DISCOVER HERE NOW THE EFFECTS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ON YOUR SEXUAL LIFE AND THE PROVEN NATURAL THERAPY THAT CURES HYPERTENSION.

     

    High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms. But the impact on your sex life may be obvious. Although sexual activity is unlikely to pose an immediate threat to your health — such as a heart attack — high blood pressure can affect your overall satisfaction with sex.

    A link between high blood pressure and sexual problems is proved in men. For women who have decreased sexual satisfaction, it’s not yet proved that high blood pressure is to blame.  www.healthbeyonddrug.com/normalbp

    EFFECT ON MALE 

    Over time, high blood pressure damages the lining of blood vessels and causes arteries to harden and narrow (atherosclerosis), limiting blood flow. This means less blood is able to flow to the penis.

    For some men, the decreased blood flow makes it difficult to achieve and maintain erections — often referred to as erectile dysfunction. The problem is fairly common.

    High blood pressure can also interfere with ejaculation and reduce sexual desire. Sometimes the medications used to treat high blood pressure have similar effects.

    Even a single episode of erectile dysfunction can cause anxiety. Fears that it will happen again might lead men to avoid sex — and affect the relationship with their sexual partner.

     

    EFFECT ON FEMALE 

    High blood pressure’s effect on sexual problems in women isn’t well-understood. But it’s possible that high blood pressure could affect a woman’s sex life.

    High blood pressure can reduce blood flow to the vagina. For some women, this leads to a decrease in sexual desire or arousal, vaginal dryness, or difficulty achieving orgasm. Improving arousal and lubrication can help.

    Like men, women can experience anxiety and relationship issues due to sexual dysfunction.

    High blood pressure medication side effects in men: Sexual problems

    High blood pressure medications that can cause sexual dysfunction as a side effect include:

    • Water pills (diuretics).Diuretics can decrease forceful blood flow to the penis, making it difficult to achieve an erection. They can also deplete the body of zinc, which is necessary to make the sex hormone testosterone.
    • Beta blockers.These medications, especially older generation beta blockers such as propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL), are commonly associated with sexual dysfunction.

     

    This natural therapy is not just to lower the blood pressure but to release some biomolecues to the body which  check the root cause of increasing blood pressure.  Evidence from researches and alternative medicines have shown that the root cause of high blood preesure can be reversed and consequently eliminate high blood pressure and sexual problems attached to it.

    Click here …www.healthbeyonddrug.com/normalbp

  • HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE : The Alternative Therapy Now Proven To Cure Hypertension.

    If you have being battling high blood pressure and its complications for long this is a good news to you.

     

    You can end the journey of agonising high blood pressure and its complications in 2 to 4 weeks from now. click this link after reading this piece www.optimalandhealthy.com

     

    High blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.

     

    But it is now proven you can get over high blood pressure permanently without been stock to a life time of blood pressure medication.

     

    Evidence from researches and alternative medicines have shown that the root cause of high blood pressure can be reversed and consequent elimination of high blood pressure is possible through alternative therapy, a therapeutic approach different from conventional medicine. Discover how at www.optimalandhealthy.com

     

    Before you jump and try something new in your quest to overcome high blood pressure and its complications you need to know a few things about your drugs, how they actually work and what makes the lasting difference.

     

    Most blood pressure lowering drugs work is to lower the blood pressure not to address the actual cause of high blood pressure. The reason they have to be taken for a life time.

     

    But Nutritherapy is not to lower blood pressure but to release essential biomolecules to the body that address the cause of the increasing blood pressure.

     

    For example the component of a nutritherapy that I have known for years and that I can certified to reverse high blood pressure completely is nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a component of endothelial-derived relaxing factor within blood vessels.

     

    The endothelium is the lining inside blood vessels. This nitric oxide relax and dilate blood vessels and increases endothelial flexibility. This alone effectively takes care of arterial constriction (narrowing of the arteries) which is the primary cause of high blood pressure.

     

    As against the mechanism of action of blood pressure lowering drugs.

    For example the popular blood pressure lowering drug Amlodipine is well known for it ability to generate erectile dysfunction in men

     

    Amlodipine (Amlodipine 5mg or Amlodipine 10mg) is a Calcium channel blockers (CCB).

    Calcium channel antagonists or calcium antagonists are several medications that disrupt the movement of calcium ion (Ca2+) through calcium channels. Amlodipine inhibits calcium ion influx across cell membranes.

     

    Recent study show that 75% to 80% of men that have being on Amlodipine for up to six months developed erectile dysfunction (weak erection of the penis) as side effect alongside other conditions like pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest or chest pain or heavy feeling, Sexual dysfunctions especially weak erection, Feelings like something is moving around your chest, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder e.t.c

     

    This difference in mechanism of action draws the demarcation line between conventional medicine and alternative therapy.

     

    Conventional medicines work by inhibiting one normal biological process or the other to effect blood pressure lowering. But alternative medicine works at the fundamental level to correct anomalies that give rise to the disease

     

    Other components of this certified high blood pressure therapy are:

    Fatty Acid. One of the causes of high blood pressure is the build up of cholesterol in blood vessels. Fatty acid remove cholesterol, slow the development of plaque in the arteries and reduce the chance of abnormal heart rhythm.

     

    Natural Coenzyme Q-10. Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is a vitamin-like substance found throughout the body, but especially in the heart, liver, kidney, and pancreas. CoQ10 normalize blood pressure by decreasing resistance of blood vessel walls.

    Improves the metabolic function of the cells and the antioxidant properties of coenzyme Q10 help normalize cellular chemistry and promote optimal tone and compliance of the elastic vessel walls.

    Garlic allicin. The active ingredient in garlic is known to be allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate).

    Breakdown of this compound results in hyperpolarization of the vascular smooth muscle cells. Hyperpolarization of these cells causes vasodilation or vascular relaxation that facilitates regulation of blood pressure.

     

    The synergetic effects of these natural medicines naturally help to treat the high blood pressure effectively and permanently.

     

    For details and how you can start your treatment right away visit www.optimalandhealthy.com

     

  • HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE : The Alternative Therapy Now Proven To Cure Hypertension.

    Sponsored Post

    If you have being battling high blood pressure and its complications for long this is a good news to you.

    You can end the journey of agonising high blood pressure and its complications in 2 to 4 weeks from now. click this link after reading this piece www.optimalandhealthy.com

    High blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.

    But it is now proven you can get over high blood pressure permanently without been stock to a life time of blood pressure medication.

    Evidence from researches and alternative medicines have shown that the root cause of high blood pressure can be reversed and consequent elimination of high blood pressure is possible through alternative therapy, a therapeutic approach different from conventional medicine. Discover how at www.optimalandhealthy.com

    Before you jump and try something new in your quest to overcome high blood pressure and its complications you need to know a few things about your drugs, how they actually work and what makes the lasting difference.

    Most blood pressure lowering drugs work is to lower the blood pressure not to address the actual cause of high blood pressure. The reason they have to be taken for a life time.

    But Nutritherapy is not to lower blood pressure but to release essential biomolecules to the body that address the cause of the increasing blood pressure.

    For example the component of a nutritherapy that I have known for years and that I can certified to reverse high blood pressure completely is nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a component of endothelial-derived relaxing factor within blood vessels.

    The endothelium is the lining inside blood vessels. This nitric oxide relax and dilate blood vessels and increases endothelial flexibility. This alone effectively takes care of arterial constriction (narrowing of the arteries) which is the primary cause of high blood pressure.

    As against the mechanism of action of blood pressure lowering drugs.

    For example the popular blood pressure lowering drug Amlodipine is well known for it ability to generate erectile dysfunction in men

    Amlodipine (Amlodipine 5mg or Amlodipine 10mg) is a Calcium channel blockers (CCB).

    Calcium channel antagonists or calcium antagonists are several medications that disrupt the movement of calcium ion (Ca2+) through calcium channels. Amlodipine inhibits calcium ion influx across cell membranes.

    Recent study show that 75% to 80% of men that have being on Amlodipine for up to six months developed erectile dysfunction (weak erection of the penis) as side effect alongside other conditions like pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest or chest pain or heavy feeling, Sexual dysfunctions especially weak erection, Feelings like something is moving around your chest, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder e.t.c

    This difference in mechanism of action draws the demarcation line between conventional medicine and alternative therapy.

     Conventional medicines work by inhibiting one normal biological process or the other to effect blood pressure lowering. But alternative medicine works at the fundamental level to correct anomalies that give rise to the disease

    Other components of this certified high blood pressure therapy are:

    Fatty Acid. One of the causes of high blood pressure is the build up of cholesterol in blood vessels. Fatty acid remove cholesterol, slow the development of plaque in the arteries and reduce the chance of abnormal heart rhythm.

    Natural Coenzyme Q-10. Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is a vitamin-like substance found throughout the body, but especially in the heart, liver, kidney, and pancreas. CoQ10 normalize blood pressure by decreasing resistance of blood vessel walls.

    Improves the metabolic function of the cells and the antioxidant properties of coenzyme Q10 help normalize cellular chemistry and promote optimal tone and compliance of the elastic vessel walls.

    Garlic allicin. The active ingredient in garlic is known to be allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate).

    Breakdown of this compound results in hyperpolarization of the vascular smooth muscle cells. Hyperpolarization of these cells causes vasodilation or vascular relaxation that facilitates regulation of blood pressure.

    The synergetic effects of these natural medicines naturally help to treat the high blood pressure effectively and permanently.

    For details and how you can start your treatment right away visit www.optimalandhealthy.com

     

  • HYPERTENSION ALERT!!!My diet and lack of exercise contributed greatly to my health complications’

    HYPERTENSION ALERT!!!My diet and lack of exercise contributed greatly to my health complications’

    Mr. Adeniyi liked to eat a lot of salt with his food. Whatever he ate, whether it was a Chinese takeaway or fish and chips, Mr. Adeniyi would always add plenty of seasoning.CLICK HERE  https://goo.gl/IhlylD
    Although he didn’t consider himself to be unhealthy, Mr. Adeniyi didn’t exercise and was overweight, which earned him the nickname Chunky.
    The excessive salt Mr. Adeniyi was adding to his food had raised his blood pressure to dangerous levels.High blood pressure caused his arteries to fur up and put extra strain on his heart.
    Most people with high blood pressure don’t have any symptoms, but the condition sharply increases the risk of having a stroke.CLICK HERE   https://goo.gl/IhlylD
    tnmdoctormalehealth-520x260In December 2003, Mr. Adeniyi, who ran a courier business in Lagos, collapsed on someone’s doorstep during a delivery.CLICK www.quicktoheal.com.ng/hyper “I had a feeling like vertigo and I felt dizzy,” he says. “I knocked on the door and I told the person who answered that I was feeling unwell. I collapsed moments later.”
    He had lost the use of his right side and his speech was slurred. Hospital tests confirmed he had had a stroke caused by a blood clot.Mr. Adeniyi  was  in hospital for a week, where he was given physiotherapy and speech therapy. He took medication to control his blood pressure and cholesterol. CLICK HERE https://goo.gl/IhlylD
    The medication worked for a while till he got back to his old ways which almost got him down with stroke again. His wife who ran a supermarket who also suffered from the same SILENT KILLER DISEASE CLICK HERE https://goo.gl/IhlylD   was introduced to this life saving opportunity that solved her problem permanently.
    CLICK HERE https://goo.gl/IhlylD now to know the secret that saved her husband, father, uncle and she.‎

  • ‘25 per cent of adult Nigerians have hypertension’

    Over 25 per cent of adults in Nigeria have heart-related ailments while 18 million lives are lost yearly across the world to cardiovascular diseases.

    The Executive Director Nigerian Heart Foundation, Dr Kingsley Akinroye, gave the statistics in Lagos at the launch of the National Heart Awareness Campaign in commemoration of the World Heart Day.

    He said the risk of suffering from the disease was rising while government and organisations should reduce the causes of death and disability arising from heart-related ailments.

    Dr Akinroye urged individuals to have regular blood pressure checks and modify their life styles to avoid stress.

    According to him, everyone should focus on nutrition, physical inactivity, alcohol and tobacco intake.

    The expert advised all to do daily exercises, sleep moderately and take little alcohol, if at all.

    He warned against what he called the commonest risk factor of heart disease in the country: salt in food and sodium in water.

    The theme for this year’s campaign is: Spread the Heart Message, a drive it planned to take to corporate organisations, factories, schools and restaurants.

    Dr Akinroye recommended a daily intake of less than three grammes of salt, not more.

    The foundation chief regretted that the Tobacco Control Bill, which was signed two years ago, had not been implemented.

  • Hypertension: How to tame the silent killer (3)

    Disorders of hormones such as thyroid disease for example hyperthyroidism (overacting thyroid) may lead to raised blood pressure in individual sufferers.  High blood pressure very often coexists or be part of the disease of diabetes mellitus.

    High Blood Pressure in a Peculiar Situation (Pregnancy and in Children):

    As a junior doctor decades ago, I was witnessing a young lady in labour in a government hospital. She had become unconscious of her environment although she could still respond to conversations with her carers. Suddenly she started telling those of us who were present that she wanted to “fly” and that she should be allowed to fly away in the midst of labour. She got to this stage because of a deadly, brutal form of blood pressure that affects pregnant women. In her case, she was suffering from preeclampsia- a vicious killer of pregnant women.  Depending on the origin, hypertension in pregnant women may be pregnancy-induced hypertension, hypertension-in-pregnancy and both can lead to preeclampsia or eclampsia. The latter two constitute extreme medical  emergency. Therefore, all pregnant women should have their blood pressure measured as soon as possible and same should be kept in check in each antenatal attendance.

    High Blood Pressure in Children: Blood pressure in children is not expected to be raised except in rare circumstances.  Thus, a notice of high blood pressure in children is an indication of an underlying disease. The attending doctor is likely to raise an alarm on this finding and parents should take any raise blood pressure in children extremely seriously.

    Symptoms and signs of High Blood Pressure: Very frequently, there may be no symptom at all until late in the disease. Finding that a person has a raised blood pressure may be an accidental discovery by a doctor or a nurse who is checking for something else or it may be a discovery as part of routine monitoring. There is no blood test or imaging test that will say a person has high blood pressure other than clinical findings, although investigations may follow discovery of raised blood pressure as a step to finding the cause of the hypertension.

    Therefore, in most cases, the blood pressure is slow crawling and silent hence the name, silent killer.  When the pressure has been raised to a certain level that the body, kidney and heart or brain can no longer tolerate, symptoms may begin to appear.   If the symptoms were to appear, it comes in form of headache, visual impairment, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, awareness of the beating of the heart or palpitation and vomiting, nose bleed as well as chest pain.  In some complex situations, the legs may be swollen especially if the heart is starting to fail.

    Dangers and complications of High Blood Pressure: The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk of injury to the heart and blood vessels in major organs of the body such as the heart, the brain and kidneys. Overall, raised blood pressure is the most important preventable cause of heart disease and stroke in the entire world.

    If left untreated, high BP (Blood Pressure) can lead to a heart attack, an enlargement of the heart and ultimately can cause a stroke (blood in the brain or absence of enough blood/oxygen) supply to the brain. Hypertension is also known to cause kidney failure, blindness, and cognitive impairment.

    Treatment of High Blood Pressure: In a lot of cases, notwithstanding the age, raised blood pressure is treatable especially if it is detected early. The challenging part of managing blood pressure especially in Nigeria is the denial of the illness by the patient. This is complicated by religious indoctrination that denies evidence of existence of the disease.  The second problem is compliance with treatment. I have been asked to see a young patient who was brought to me listless and unconscious at the verge of death due to high blood pressure. The fundamental problem is not the fact that she has high blood pressure but of the fact that she denied the illness and refused to comply with the prescribed medications. After her near-death ordeal however, she learnt her lesson to comply with medications, in a hard way.

    That said, there are various medications that exist and are available to treat high blood pressure. Such treatment will be individualised depending on the person’s tolerance and acceptability of the therapy.

  • Hypertension: how to tame the silent killer (1)

    In my youth, living in the midst of my family in those days, frightening stories of a mysterious and unseen killer used to be told. It often goes thus: a supposedly healthy individual, be it female or male had in a typical night retired to bed. Prior to going to sleep, he or she may have had an altercation with a neighbour. In the alternative, he or she may be perfectly well and just returned from the farm or local market, had a meal with the rest of the household and thereafter retired to sleep. However, in the middle of the tranquil night, the person having a supposed rest with his or her family began to struggle for survival. In the course of the raging personal battle, he or she may have shouted for help as being attacked by a mysterious and unseen intruder. He or she may also be gasping for breath because she feels suffocated and in the grip of death. On waking, the apparently healthy person that went to bed last night had by this morning become paralysed on one side of his or her body. If the person who suffered the paralysis is alive, he or she is lucky. On the extreme, he may not actually be alive to tell the event that happened at night. Such story, the victim might say, is that he saw a body coming through the window usually, delusional, at night and that on upon entry, began to press him down the bed and suffocating him or her.

    In the local folklore, the paralysis is often attributed to a supernatural and cryptic attacker called “oro” or pronounced as word in Yoruba Language. Further, the attack may wrongly be blamed on the neighbour who had previously had an argument with the victim. The neighbour acting on malice is believed to have transformed to or have sent a third party called “oro” to attack the victim.  The tale that I have narrated above is rampant in many Nigerian and African cultures albeit in different versions and nomenclature.

    However, unknown to the people who believes in the folktales that I told above, the tragedy that befalls such individuals that I have illustrated above causing sudden death or stroke with paralysis have its foundation in high blood pressure or in medical terms Hypertension (that is, a tension of the blood flow through the body that is high{Hyper}). Again, the stroke and paralysis that occurred at the time of the alleged malicious attack are due to high blood pressure disease.

    Therefore, in the coming weeks, I will be dealing with the scourge of a disease that is popularly called the silent killer— a rampant and ferocious attacker: a ubiquitous and serpentine enemy lurking in our midst.

    What is Hypertension? Let us borrow a leaf from the World Health Organization (WHO) to help us with the definition:  “Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump.”

    To a lot of my clients, they will often ask me, what does the upper and lower readings of blood pressure mean? According to WHO, “normal adult blood pressure is defined as a blood pressure of 120 mm Hg when the heart beats (systolic) and a blood pressure of 80 mm Hg when the heart relaxes (diastolic). When systolic blood pressure is equal to or above 140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure equal to or above 90 mm Hg the blood pressure is considered to be raised or high.”

    If we are to write the first set of figures as the reading for an individual, it will be written thus: 120/80mmHg. The upper one is systolic and the lower one is the diastolic blood pressure readings.

    Some factors that affect blood pressure readings (not the cause of high blood pressure which I shall deal with later on): Age is a crucial factor in the readings of blood pressure. Normally, except there is some interventions, the more an individual ages, then the more the progressive hardening of the blood vessels and hence the higher the blood pressure. A child’s blood pressure is rarely measured clinically except there is a good clinical reason to do so. A person who is 20-30 year old and weighing normally, should have a reading in or around 120/80mmHg. A person who is 60years and above may have a blood pressure reading of say 150-160/85 without much concern. The circumstance where and when the blood pressure is measured is of paramount importance. Someone who had just failed an examination or heard of the demise of a relative might have his or her blood pressure raised. Different social and geographical locations may also affect blood pressure readings.