HYPERTENSION- THE SILENT KILLER!

When the pressure of the blood pumped via the arteries is higher than normal it is termed as hypertension. When the systolic pressure goes above 140mm Hg or diastolic pressure goes above 90 mm Hg it is termed as Hypertension. In the recent times hypertension has been claiming lives all over the world and is thus classified as a silent killer. The constant hypertension over the time can damage the blood vessels which eventually becomes more difficult to be handled by the circulatory system and often lead to further countless health issues, however this condition is no longer a disease condition that can be cured with the help of medications, it needs to be be managed well with lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes work parallel with the ongoing medications and one must take the efforts to manage it.

Symptoms of Hypertension:

Many a times the person does not experience any symptoms till the pressure goes about high as 160mm Hg or above and they face common symptoms like fatigue, severe headaches, shortness of breath, vision problems, difficulty in breathing, chest pain and irregular heartbeat.

Causes of Hypertension.

1. High salt intake: Now  a days our lifestyle is such that we prefer a lot of on the go stuff and end up buying packets of foods that are easy to prepare, while you must be assuming that your salt intake is low in the your meals while cooking adding these quick meals even once a day is adding a lot more salt in your daily diet. 
2. Genetic predisposition: Genetics are something you cannot control and often genetics could be the major cause of this disease, however the symptoms could be managed with dietary habits & lifestyle changes. 
3. Obesity: Inactive lifestyle and Obesity is the major cause of this disease as age increases. So maintaining a healthy relation with food is very important from an early age to later avoid such conditions.

What happens when you have hypertension?

1. Due to high blood pressure there is inflammation seen on the endothelial wall that surrounds the arteries due to a build up in pressure.
2. There are higher chances of CKD (chronic kidney disease), which is not only caused by hypertension however the blood supplies nutrients to the kidney to perform its function of filtering out waste products. So when the pressure is high the amount of blood supply reaching the kidneys reduces and thus impair
3. Hypertension forces your heart to pump more blood towards the rest of the body which can thicken the left ventricle (Which pumps the blood) and increase the chances of heart attack.
4. Overtime when the blood vessels are damaged adequate amount of blood and oxygen is not reaching the brain and chances of a stroke increases.

How to control Hypertension? 

While it is not easy to change your eating habits and lifestyle habits completely but taking smaller steps towards doing so really helps. 

1. Increase the uptake of potassium rich foods: Potassium helps balancing the level of sodium in the body and lessen the effect of it on blood pressure and also reduce water retention which is caused due to salts water absorbing properties. Including fruits and vegetables like banana, oranges, grapefruit, apricots, cantaloupe, spinach, peas, pumpkin and nuts & seeds that are rich in potassium like hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds should be included in your meals or in between meals.
2. Reducing the amount of salt: Try and use only 1 tsp (i.e 2300 mg of sodium) of salt in the entire day recommended by American Heart Association, it’s difficult but try and substitute it with foods like lemon, amchur powder, tamarind pulp to your meals which not make you realise that there is less salt in the food and also reduce your sodium consumption.
3. Read the nutritional labels: While buying any food product always check the sodium content in it and buy only foods that state to be low in sodium.
4. Limit your alcohol consumption: Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to hypertension, therefore it is preferable to limit it to not further lead to any major complications.
5. Limit too much caffeine intake: Caffeine causes a spike in blood pressure levels to provide its stimulating effect to provide energy, therefore not more than 2 cups a day is recommended even if you are not having hypertension. 

TOP 5 FOODS TO AVOID FOR HYPERTENSION:

1.Pickles: 

We all love pickles as it adds an extra taste to your food, however for preserving pickles salt is used which is quite harmful for people having hypertension, apart from that even people who do not suffer from hypertension should avoid it & indulge in it maybe once in a while so reduce the risk of hypertension in the future.

2. Processed packaged foods:

Processed foods have a longer shelf life due to the presence of salt & preservatives which will increase your salt uptake during the day and should be completely avoided by someone having hypertension. Apart from that it also contains trans fats to increase its shelf life and stability which increases you LDL cholesterol levels which leads to poor heart health one of the major consequences of high blood pressure issues.

3. Canned fruits & vegetables: 

These are a very convenient option when we are having lesser time to cook or prep for a meal, but it consists of a lot of salt for taste & preserve. This increases further risk of hypertension. Try and practise meal prep over the weekend to avoid such instant options over the week.

4. Deep fried snacks:

While we all love to munch on some crispy & crunchy snacks it consists of a lot of flavourings which are high in salt & unrefined oils which are reused again & again for frying. Due to which it increases the chances of heart diseases and also affects the pressure to come down in control due to the excessive salt and water retention is more commonly seen.

5. Cured meats:

Ham, bacon, sausages are often prepared by soaking in brine, salt & spices. These meats can be really tasty however they do contain a lot of salt & unhealthy fats which increases the risk of hypertension, also these meats are usually served in sandwich forms along with some sauces which makes one sandwich easily have more than 1 tsp of salt which is our target to meet when a person has hypertension and should be avoided completely.

Give away message:

Hypertension is not a disease condition it is a lifestyle disorder which if not taken care of can have side effects related to heart health. If controlled well, it can be well managed with lifestyle as well and you don’t need to just depend on medications. If you are already on medications do not stop it without expert advice. Also avoid foods that are high in salt & trans fat to further lower the risk of heart conditions & stroke.