A young man in his early thirties suddenly slumped while chatting with a friend. Within minutes, he was being rushed into the emergency room, unable to move part of his body. Sandra watched as doctors worked frantically to save him. Like many people, she wondered how someone so young and seemingly healthy could become critically ill without warning. The answer lies in a condition that often develops silently over many years —hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure.
Hypertension, often called the "silent killer" may cause no symptoms at all while quietly damaging the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels. For many people, the first sign of a problem may be a stroke, heart attack, or another life-threatening complication.
For the purpose of this article, we will be discussing various myths and misconceptions about this condition while establishing facts that can aid in the understanding of this medical condition.
Hypertension is a chronic condition where the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries remains persistently elevated. The World Health Organisation defined hypertension as blood pressure consistently greater than or equal to 140/90 millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
What does this mean?
Blood pressure has two values: systole (numerator) and diastole (denominator).
Systole is simply the pressure in the arteries when the heart pushes out blood, and diastole is the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes.
According to the World Health Organisation, a healthy blood pressure is less than or equal to 120/80 mmHg.
When things begin to go wrong in the body, the body has a way of alerting its owner by showing symptoms like cough, dizziness, headache, fever, or even abdominal pain. These symptoms are what prompt the individual to visit and seek medical care.
Quite unlike the other medical conditions, hypertension earned the nickname "The Silent Killer” because it shows no obvious symptoms (asymptomatic). This means that a person with hypertension may have no symptoms, yet the condition may silently damage vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes if left untreated for a long time.
How then can one be diagnosed with hypertension?
Since hypertension often has no symptoms, the only way to know if you have it is by checking your blood pressure regularly. When blood pressure remains persistently high, a diagnosis of hypertension can be made by the physician.
“The danger of hypertension is not what you feel; it is the damage happening when you feel perfectly fine.”
Myth 1: Hypertension doesn’t affect young people.
Fact: Hypertension can affect persons of all age groups, including children, adolescents, young adults, and elderly persons.
It is true that hypertension is associated with increasing age. However, it is not
exclusively meant for aged persons. Children born with congenital heart or kidney abnormalities can be hypertensive.
In young people, due to negative lifestyles like physical inactivity, smoking,
and poor diet, there might be increased chances for hypertension early in life.
Myth 2: I do not have symptoms; therefore, I do not have hypertension.
Fact: Hypertension doesn’t have any symptoms.
The body often gets used to rising blood pressure, allowing hypertension to remain hidden while it silently affects vital organs. Absence of symptoms doesn’t exclude the possibility of an underlying hypertensive disorder.
Myth 3: My blood pressure has normalised; there is no need to continue my medications so that it doesn’t go too low.
Fact: Medications are prescribed to suit the body such that it keeps the blood pressure at a threshold.
A normal blood pressure while on prescribed medication does not necessarily mean the medication should be stopped; rather, it suggests that the medication is effective.
Stopping the medication without medical advice may cause blood pressure to become elevated again.
Myth 4: Whenever I have a headache, my blood pressure must be high.
Fact: Most headaches are not caused by hypertension.
Many people check their blood pressure because of a headache and may discover an elevated reading. This often leads them to assume that hypertension caused the headache, which is not often the case.
Headaches may present in severe, elevated hypertension due to ongoing damage to the brain.
Myth 5: Worrying causes hypertension
Fact: While worry and stress can elevate blood pressure, they're not the major cause of hypertension.
When a person is stressed, some hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released, which may temporarily elevate blood pressure. However, chronic hypertension is caused by various other contributing factors.
Hypertension is multifactorial, meaning that it is caused by various factors, which include:
● Family history of hypertension
● Aging
● Obesity
● Smoking or tobacco use
● Excessive alcohol consumption
● High salt intake.
Hypertension, when not effectively managed, can damage multiple organs, such as the following:
● Brain: stroke
● Heart: heart failure, heart attack
● Kidney: chronic kidney disease, kidney failure
● Eyes: blindness
Absolutely! While there are non-modifiable factors like family history and ageing, some causes can be managed by lifestyle modifications, such as:
● Reducing salty food intake
● Exercising regularly
● Weight management and control
● Reduction in smoking and drinking
● Routine blood pressure monitoring
And if already diagnosed, compliance with medications to prevent complications.
In conclusion, hypertension remains a major public health challenge, but it is also very preventable and controllable when compliance is ensured. Greater public awareness and regular blood pressure screening can help reduce illness, disability and death caused by hypertension.
Dedicated Physician with a deeply humanizing and patient fare philosophy
Reviewed for clinical accuracy. Pharmora articles are reviewed by an independent clinician before publication and re-checked every 12 months.
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