As we commemorate World Hypertension Day on May 17th, we invite you to dive into this blog and uncover the ins and outs of hypertension , what it is, why it poses a significant threat, and most importantly, what steps we can take to prevent or manage it.

What exactly is hypertension?

Well, let’s start with a quick rundown of blood pressure and how it operates. Blood pressure refers to the force exerted by blood against the artery walls—an essential mechanism to ensure proper blood flow to our organs and tissues. Throughout the cardiac cycle, we experience fluctuations in arterial pressure. When the ventricles contract, we observe a peak known as systolic pressure, and the lowest level corresponds to ventricular relaxation, called diastolic pressure. Hypertension occurs when this pressure exceeds the normal range, potentially leading to damage in organs like the heart, brain, vision issues, and various arterial and kidney ailments.

Why is it so Important to Control Blood Pressure?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hypertension is one of the leading causes of premature death in the world.It is known for being a “silent killer” and perhaps the most dangerous because it usually does not present symptoms. When they do occur, the most frequent are: headache, feeling of numbness, suffocation, tiredness, nosebleeds,abnormal heart rhythm, blurred vision and chest pain.

Hypertension can lead to significant damage to health and even death if not treated on time. Hypertension highly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease development , especially heart disease (heart attack, heart failure), stroke, embolism or kidney failure.

Factors that increase the risk of having high blood pressure include:

• Older age 
• Genetics
• Being overweight or obese
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Unhealthy diets (high salt, saturated fat and trans fats consumption)
• Consumption of tobacco and alcohol
• Previous diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease

How do I know if I have hypertension?

The only way to diagnose hypertension is by measuring blood pressure either by a health professional or  through self-checking. If the measurement is high, more measurements must be made over time to confirm the diagnosis.