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High Blood Pressure

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​​​Introduction ​​To High Blood Pressure

​​Your blood pressure never stays the same. It changes when you exercise or feel fear or pain. It also increases when you get older. But some people have high blood pressure all the t​ime, which puts a lot of stress on their artery walls.​​

This can lead to further problems, such as a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and eve​​​​n ​blindness.​

What Are The Symptoms

You may have heart failure if you have the following symptoms:

  • Nausea


  • Blurred Vision


  • Vomiting

  • Headache

  • Shortness Of Breath

  • Breathlessness

  • Fatigue


What Causes It

About 10 per cent of patients have high blood pressure because of kidney disease, problems with their endocrine system (which are linked to glands in your body that produce hormones), and narrow arteries or abnormal blood vessel.

For the 90 per cent of patients, there is evidence that says they may have high blood pressure because of their lifestyle or because the condition runs in the family. Their risk factors include:

  • Family history of high blood pressure

  • Obesity

  • Smoking

  • Excessive salt intake

  • Sedentary lifestyle

  • Excessive alcohol intake

  • Feeling constantly stressed


How Is It Diagnosed

Your doctor will diagnose if you have high blood pressure by doing the following:

  • Look at your medical history


  • Check if you show signs of complications, such as heart failure


  • Carry out blood and urine tests

  • Perform an X-ray of your chest


  • Ask you to go for an electrocardiogram, which measures how well your heart is pumping blood


How Is It Treated

If you have high blood pressure, there is no cure for it. But you can control the disease and keep it from getting worse. You can change your lifestyle to keep yourself healthier or take medication to keep your blood pressure under control.



How To Prevent It

You can lower your chances of getting high blood pressure by doing the following:

  • Reduce your body weight, if you are overweight

  • Cut down on the salt and sugar you eat

  • Eat more fibre

  • Quit smoking

  • Exercise regularly

  • Avoid too much alcohol

  • Manage your stress better

Useful Resources

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