Head, Department of Medicine of General hospital educates public on hypertension

General Hospital, Ijede has marked the year 2021 World Hypertension Day. 

Speaking at the event, Head, Department of Medicine, Dr. Ogo-Oluwa Adeyemi explained hypertension as a persistent elevated blood pressure or the elevation of the blood pressure above a predetermined set-point, noting that it is persistent if not well managed which can lead to destruction of other organs in the body. 

According to him, "If it is the brain, we have a stroke; if it is the kidney, we have kidney failure; hypertension can also destroy the blood vessels and cause those parts of the body affected to decline and decay in function, which could also lead to amputation. Hypertension has also been known to accelerate the onset of dementia."

He stated that the hypertension affects everyone from infants to old age, adding that the two major causes of hypertension are the Essential Hypertension (which the root cause is unknown to man e.g age) and the Modifiable Risk Factors like smoking, diet, obesity, diseases and so on.

Dr. Adeyemi noted that youths between the age of 15 and 18 should check their Blood Pressure (BP) every three to five years if their body system is functioning optimally, adults from 40 years and now should check quarterly, while those who have established BP should check at lease three times a week while on medication. 

He stressed that parameters like the right cuff size, positioning, mental state of the patient and physical exertion must all be put into consideration in order to have an accurate BP measurement. 

The doctor said that taking lots of fruits, vegetables, reduction in salt intake, reduction in fats and cholesterol, consuming the right, the use of medication as prescribed helps in the control of hypertension. 

Also, he noted that hypertension is not a disease being managed in the chemist or by a nurse but a multifactorial disease that needs expert care and management, maintaining that it cannot be managed in isolation because the doctors also check for co-morbidities which have to be managed and treated alongside high blood pressure.

He mainted that hypertension is not a death sentence but a wake-up call to take better care of oneself, prevent complications by initiating prompt expert intervention,, and continuing with such care and management.