KOCHI: Often, when people describe their hot-headed friend, they say his/her ‘blood boils’. Though this is a metaphoric reference to burst of anger or rage, a ‘boiling blood’ is also symbolic of high blood pressure, a condition if left untreated, can largely reduce your quality of life and even prove to be fatal.
High blood pressure is referred to as hypertension. A recent report by India Council for Medical Research (ICMR) states that one in four adults in India suffers from hypertension. It notes only 10% of patients have their blood pressure under control.
Another report by National Family Health Survey (NFHS) says southern states have a higher prevalence of hypertension than the national average. Kerala has the highest prevalence rate of hypertension among all southern states — 32.8% of men and 30.9% of women have been diagnosed with hypertension in the state. Telangana is a close second with 31.4% prevalence in men and 26.1% in women.
“The number of hypertension cases we deal with daily have increased over the past two years. Teenagers and young adults are falling victim to the illness. This is an unwelcome trend,” says Arun Mohan, a cardiologist based in Thiruvananthapuram.
Though genetics affects your chances equally, your lifestyle is almost always a deciding factor when it comes to hypertension. Smokers, obese people, those who don’t engage in physical activities much, junk and salty food eaters are all at risk.
Yoga this!
Though there are several contributing factors to hypertension, the exponential increase in the number of cases may be directly proportional to the pandemic-induced shift in lifestyle. Increased stress level is a major reason. “When you are stressed constantly, it can repeatedly elevate your blood pressure. Stress can also stimulate your nervous system to produce large amounts of hormones that increase blood pressure by restricting blood vessels,” says Dr Neethu Joseph, based in Kochi. She suffered from hypertension throughout the first wave of pandemic, until yoga came to her rescue. “I started taking online yoga lessons. It made a huge difference. I think self-care is vital during these trying times,” she adds.
Question your habits
It is all fun and games when you drink liquor with your friends every other day and take ‘smoke breaks’ too often at work to get the ‘creative juices flowing’. But these habits could have big implications on your cardiovascular health — especially smoking. It doubles the risk of hypertension and increases the chances of a stroke. So, it may be time for smokers to kick that cigarette butt!
Got good sleep?
Ameen Shereef, an IT employee based in Kannur and working at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, is struggling to get his sleep routine back after two years of working from home. “I used to work, play or watch TV all night, sleep around 6am, and wake up around 9am for breakfast, because I was staying with my parents. Then I would just sleep in intervals,” he says. When we sleep at night for prolonged hours, something called ‘nocturnal dipping’, or a reduction in blood pressure happens. This is very important in keeping hypertension in check.
With a ‘pinch’ of salt?
Malayali cuisine is known to be salty. Our traditional tamarind or curd-based curries are all balanced with ample amounts of salt. However tasty they might be, consuming high levels of salt can put you at direct risk of hypertension. You may also eat more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. Cut back on saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats. A heart-friendly diet has more whole grains, fish, poultry, and nuts. Limit sodium, sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats
Make it work out!
One of the highest risk factors leading to hypertension is lack of physical activity. During the pandemic, with gyms and grounds out of bounds, many people fell off their exercise routines onto their couches and haven’t gotten up since. Now, not everyone can kill it at the gym every day. You can look for alternative daily physical exercises that can keep you fit. For example:
Un-social yourself
Social media has most of us believing that literally everyone has it better than us. People have been known to experience high levels of FOMO (fear of missing out) when without their phones. “We think we are scrolling because we are ‘free’, but our stress levels are highest when we are on social media crusade,” says Sunaina Shajahan, a psychologist from Kottayam. She suggests keeping the phone away for as long as you can, especially before hitting the bed.
Be gladly unproductive
Modern society has convinced us that productivity is everything. But sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself and your health is to take a break and relax. Eat some good food, listen to great music, get enough sleep, keep your phone aside and get a face pack on - life is too short to not get some rest when you need it the most!
When to see a doctor
Hypertension has the following symptoms. If you are experiencing any of these, call a doctor today!
Blurry or double vision
Lightheadedness/Fainting
Fatigue
Headache
Heart palpitations
Nosebleed
Shortness of breath
Nausea and/or vomiting