There is this false belief or erroneous impression that hypertension can be cured like other disease conditions; thereby making some patients not to want to continue taking their drugs the moment their condition improves. The moment they check their blood pressure and get a reading of 120/80mmHg or less, they conclude they no longer need to comply with their regimen.
However, the painful truth about hypertension is that it is an incurable condition that requires the sufferer taking his drugs for the rest of his life, except God performs a miracle on him.
We once had a patient who was on a regular medical check up in our company clinic: he was also on doctor’s prescriptions which were supposed to be adhered to, and only be changed after the doctor’s review. He adhered religiously to his drugs regimen for sometime. Suddenly, he disappeared and never showed up for review for over 6 months.
Then one evening as workers were closing for the day, we received a call that there was an emergency situation that required the doctor’s urgent attention. The young man suddenly started to experience bleeding from the nose (epistaxis). The ambulance rushed him into the clinic where attempts were made by our doctor to stop the bleeding.
After series of methods were tried and there was no success, he invited two other doctors from the other nearby company clinics. The young man kept bleeding profusely from the nose for upward of about 4 hours. Ice packs, adrenaline packs, digital pressure, etc. were applied, yet no positive result. Then they resolved to apply an in-dwelling catheter, which was inserted into the nostril and inflated. The ball eventually acted as a plug over the bleeding vessel and the haemorrhage stopped. He had to breathe with his mouth for the whole night.
He was very lucky the rupture had only occurred in the nostril and not in the brain; if it had occurred in the brain he would have suffered from stroke, and perhaps he would have died from the complications. Imagine the number of hours he bled from the nose and the failed attempts to arrest the bleeding. If it had been in the brain, there would have been unrestricted bleeding and his life would have been in serious danger.
There is a need to adhere to medical advice and never to assume you know more than the professional doctor. Don’t ever think hypertension would go away by itself or by merely taking your drugs for a few months. Always check with your doctor before adjusting the dosage of your drugs, and before going off the prescription for sometime if you ever need to do so.
You should not allow anyone to deceive you by claiming to cure your condition with whatever remedy. Be sure your doctor places you on close monitoring for a specific period of time, and that he’s satisfied with the result and claims (if you ever take alternative medicine) before you shout ‘eureka’.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Blood Pressure: What Does It Mean?
Blood pressure is the pressure or force exerted on the arteries by the blood as it flows or travels through them. It is usually measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) with the aid of a sphygmomanometer.
Two readings are important and should be noted while taking blood pressure measurement: they are the systolic and the diastolic pressure. Systolic is the pressure produced when the heart contracts, while diastolic is the pressure produced when the heart is at rest, and as the ventricles dilate and are refilled with blood. Systolic is therefore the upper reading while diastolic is the lower reading.
The normal range of blood pressure readings for a young adult is 100-120/70-80mmHg, though this may vary with age. Sometimes the formula 100±20/70±10 could be used to determine the normal pressure for a young adult.
How is it measured?
Usually the individual is made to sit down for at least 2-3 minutes before readings are taken. The cuff of the sphygmomanometer (Analogue or digital) is wrapped around his upper arm (whichever arm you choose) with the bottom of the cuff about ½” above your elbow. Place the earpiece of your stethoscope on your ears and place the diaphragm over the brachial artery (at the inside of the elbow) and inflate, Listening as you inflate (if using the analogue sphygmomanometer). Take the upper reading where you start to hear the heart beat and then the lower reading where the beating stops and record them. If the upper reading is heard at 120 and the lower at 70, the blood pressure is then 120/70mmHg. If you are using the digital sphygmomanometer, follow same procedure but without using the stethoscope. Press the button and the cuff is inflated automatically. The readings are displayed on the monitor, including the pulse rate.
Note that some factors affect the blood pressure. Some of the factors include Age, Drugs, Exercise, Position, body surface etc. For instance blood pressure slightly increases with age and in a person with a larger body surface.
Some terminologies you should know:
1. Normotension: this refers to normal blood pressure. It is the ideal for an individual, depending on his or her age.
2. High blood pressure: this is when the blood pressure is elevated above normal. Normally it is elevated above 140/90mmHg.
3. Hypertension: this is the persistent elevation of blood pressure above 140/90mmHg.
4. Hypotension: It is an abnormally low arterial blood pressure. This could be a reading of below 80/60mmHg.
An abnormally high blood pressure is dangerous just as an abnormally low one is. There should therefore be a balance. The best desired blood pressures should then be the normotensive pressure.
Two readings are important and should be noted while taking blood pressure measurement: they are the systolic and the diastolic pressure. Systolic is the pressure produced when the heart contracts, while diastolic is the pressure produced when the heart is at rest, and as the ventricles dilate and are refilled with blood. Systolic is therefore the upper reading while diastolic is the lower reading.
The normal range of blood pressure readings for a young adult is 100-120/70-80mmHg, though this may vary with age. Sometimes the formula 100±20/70±10 could be used to determine the normal pressure for a young adult.
How is it measured?
Usually the individual is made to sit down for at least 2-3 minutes before readings are taken. The cuff of the sphygmomanometer (Analogue or digital) is wrapped around his upper arm (whichever arm you choose) with the bottom of the cuff about ½” above your elbow. Place the earpiece of your stethoscope on your ears and place the diaphragm over the brachial artery (at the inside of the elbow) and inflate, Listening as you inflate (if using the analogue sphygmomanometer). Take the upper reading where you start to hear the heart beat and then the lower reading where the beating stops and record them. If the upper reading is heard at 120 and the lower at 70, the blood pressure is then 120/70mmHg. If you are using the digital sphygmomanometer, follow same procedure but without using the stethoscope. Press the button and the cuff is inflated automatically. The readings are displayed on the monitor, including the pulse rate.
Note that some factors affect the blood pressure. Some of the factors include Age, Drugs, Exercise, Position, body surface etc. For instance blood pressure slightly increases with age and in a person with a larger body surface.
Some terminologies you should know:
1. Normotension: this refers to normal blood pressure. It is the ideal for an individual, depending on his or her age.
2. High blood pressure: this is when the blood pressure is elevated above normal. Normally it is elevated above 140/90mmHg.
3. Hypertension: this is the persistent elevation of blood pressure above 140/90mmHg.
4. Hypotension: It is an abnormally low arterial blood pressure. This could be a reading of below 80/60mmHg.
An abnormally high blood pressure is dangerous just as an abnormally low one is. There should therefore be a balance. The best desired blood pressures should then be the normotensive pressure.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Am I Experiencing Hypertension?
I woke one morning feeling very terrible; my head banged as though there were people dancing masquerade inside my cranium. I tried to take my mind off the pain but just couldn’t: the more I tried to relax the worse the pain became. Several things began to race across my mind. Have I become hypertensive? I asked, talking to no one in particular. I finally decided to see my doctor and after series of tests I was told what I had was just malaria.
The doctor took time to explain to me what I should ask myself if I thought I was experiencing hypertension. So what are those questions to ask yourself?
1. Am I having a terrible headache? One thing that could be a warning signal that you may be experiencing hypertension is if you have severe occipital headache (at the back of your head) especially in the mornings.
2. Am I losing sleep? Losing your sleep or suffering from a medical condition known as insomnia could be a warning that you may be having hypertension especially if you have no other way of explaining the cause of your sleeplessness.
3. Do I have any difficulty breathing? One other way you could know if you may be experiencing hypertension is if you suddenly begin to suffer shortness of breath. This should serve as a signal that you may be having a mild form of complication already setting in.
4. Am I dizzy? This is a feeling of unsteadiness or haziness and is usually accompanied by anxiety. If you are sure that that describes the symptom you have you need to see the doctor to find out if you are having hypertension.
5. Any palpitation? Do you have any rapid and forceful contraction in your heart? Then there is need to ask if you are becoming hypertensive. It could just be a warning sign or it could also be another condition. You need to see a doctor to be sure what it is.
6. Chest pain? Is there any chest pain or any heaviness on your chest? They are a warning that should not be overlooked. Find out what exactly might be responsible for such pain or heaviness.
7. Am I urinating frequently? That you urinate frequently could be a sign that your kidneys are experiencing some kind of distress as a result of hypertension which may have affected the vessels of your kidneys
8. Do I see clearly? If you are no longer seeing clearly or you feel there is reduction in your visual acuity this might well be a warning to you too. Don’t play with it; inquire further by visiting your doctor.
9. Sexual difficulty? Are still enjoying sex with your spouse the way you use to some years back? A sudden or gradual decline in your sexual capacity or libido may just tell you that hypertension is already with you. Don’t conclude you have it, you need to see the doctor for proper investigation.
10. Buzzing in your ears? Has there been buzzing, ringing or roaring sound in your ears of recent? If there has then there is the possibility that you may be experiencing hypertension. You need to be concerned even if the ringing or roaring is mild
11. A feeling of rotation? One more question you need to ask yourself is if you have a feeling of rotation inside you or in your surroundings. This could mean that there is serious problem somewhere in your system.
However, you should not conclude that you are experiencing hypertension because you have one or more of the afore-mentioned symptoms. You need to see a doctor for investigations to be carried out before you make your conclusions.
The doctor took time to explain to me what I should ask myself if I thought I was experiencing hypertension. So what are those questions to ask yourself?
1. Am I having a terrible headache? One thing that could be a warning signal that you may be experiencing hypertension is if you have severe occipital headache (at the back of your head) especially in the mornings.
2. Am I losing sleep? Losing your sleep or suffering from a medical condition known as insomnia could be a warning that you may be having hypertension especially if you have no other way of explaining the cause of your sleeplessness.
3. Do I have any difficulty breathing? One other way you could know if you may be experiencing hypertension is if you suddenly begin to suffer shortness of breath. This should serve as a signal that you may be having a mild form of complication already setting in.
4. Am I dizzy? This is a feeling of unsteadiness or haziness and is usually accompanied by anxiety. If you are sure that that describes the symptom you have you need to see the doctor to find out if you are having hypertension.
5. Any palpitation? Do you have any rapid and forceful contraction in your heart? Then there is need to ask if you are becoming hypertensive. It could just be a warning sign or it could also be another condition. You need to see a doctor to be sure what it is.
6. Chest pain? Is there any chest pain or any heaviness on your chest? They are a warning that should not be overlooked. Find out what exactly might be responsible for such pain or heaviness.
7. Am I urinating frequently? That you urinate frequently could be a sign that your kidneys are experiencing some kind of distress as a result of hypertension which may have affected the vessels of your kidneys
8. Do I see clearly? If you are no longer seeing clearly or you feel there is reduction in your visual acuity this might well be a warning to you too. Don’t play with it; inquire further by visiting your doctor.
9. Sexual difficulty? Are still enjoying sex with your spouse the way you use to some years back? A sudden or gradual decline in your sexual capacity or libido may just tell you that hypertension is already with you. Don’t conclude you have it, you need to see the doctor for proper investigation.
10. Buzzing in your ears? Has there been buzzing, ringing or roaring sound in your ears of recent? If there has then there is the possibility that you may be experiencing hypertension. You need to be concerned even if the ringing or roaring is mild
11. A feeling of rotation? One more question you need to ask yourself is if you have a feeling of rotation inside you or in your surroundings. This could mean that there is serious problem somewhere in your system.
However, you should not conclude that you are experiencing hypertension because you have one or more of the afore-mentioned symptoms. You need to see a doctor for investigations to be carried out before you make your conclusions.
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