Ajabu Africa

Health
Stress and blood pressure
By Eve Njoroge, Ajabu News Health Contributor

Do you know how many Africans have high blood pressure problems? More than you would think.
Some studies have suggested that hypertension is present in as many as 40 percent of the African community both here in the US and in Africa though it is more prevalent here.

Black Africans and African Americans also tend to be younger when diagnosed and to have more severe hypertension than white Americans, according to totalhealthvillage.com. Blacks are also less likely to be able to control their high blood pressure than white Americans.

Some of the causes of high blood pressure are obesity, heavy drinking and also if it runs in the family. If one of your parents has high blood pressure, check your blood pressure several times a year.
As I wrote in the last column, the stress level we face here does not do us any good and now we have to deal with high blood pressure problems too?

What is blood pressure? It’s the force of your blood against the walls of your arteries.
Blood pressure can change; for example when you are nervous or excited- it will be high and when you are resting or sleeping – it will be low. So that’s why every time you take your blood pressure, it changes.
What about high blood pressure? This is when the arteries narrow and cause the heart to pump harder in order to distribute blood to the body.

Your blood pressure may change according to the time of day, your mood or activities, but the range stays abnormally high. People with high blood pressure can have symptoms like headaches, nausea, and shortness of breath or chest pain. Please do not ignore these symptoms if they occur frequently. However, there are usually no symptoms sometimes, which is why high blood pressure is called “the silent killer”.

You can feel perfectly fine, yet have blood pressure high enough to cause a stroke or a heart attack.
I remember back in Kenya, we used to hear about people who just dropped dead when they were fine – maybe all along they had high blood pressure. That is why it’s important to have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Blood pressure is checked using a rubber cuff with a pressure gauge called a sphygmomanometer (if you cannot pronounce it, don’t worry). This is a painless 1-minute procedure. A high blood pressure is any reading above 140/90. A healthy (normal) blood pressure reading is 120/80 or below. Only your doctor can determine what is healthy for you.

Though there is no cure for high blood pressure (HPB), exercise, diet changes and in some cases, medications can control it. You can prevent HPB by maintaining an ideal weight and limiting salt in your diet.
To check your blood pressure; you can visit your local pharmacy and get it done for free or even the Wal-Mart in Drumhill, MA has a blood pressure cuff too.

Healthy heart has a list of foods for keeping your blood pressure down. These include apples, avocado, bananas, broccoli, cantaloupe, corn (or maize), honey-dew melon, oranges, potatoes, rice, watermelon, pasta, if consumed in moderation.

Avoid: bacon, canned soups and vegetables, diet soda, fast foods, ham, hot dogs, salted potato chips, nuts, cheeses and nuts, sausage, foods high in fat: butter, cheese, eggs, fatty meats (especially Nyama choma) and ice cream.

I know that most people do not like to know that they have a health problem but I believe that prevention is better than cure.

For the sake of your children and your family, get regular blood pressure check-ups. Most of us, Africans have health insurance that we pay a lot of money for every week and think that seeing a doctor means you are sick. On the contrary, look at it from a positive perspective – you could be preventing yourself from serious medical problems in the future.

ENDS

The writer is a Licensed Practical Nurse at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass.