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Approximately 1.4 billion people live with hypertension worldwide, and what’s especially troubling is that 1 in 3 Malaysian adults above the age of 18 are living with hypertension. Our country is also one of the Asian countries with the highest rates of the disease prevalence with 30.3%.
Hypertension is more commonly known as high blood pressure. When blood pushes with too much force through the cardiovascular system, it can damage the walls of the arteries and the heart muscle, which can lead to several life-threatening diseases such as a heart attack and stroke. These health complications resulting from hypertension kill approximately 7.5 million people worldwide every year!
Most of us are likely already familiar with the more common causes of hypertension, such as lack of exercise and eating unhealthy foods. But what about those that are not very well-known?
Read on to find out—you could end up taking steps to save your life:
#1 Loneliness
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Loneliness is a feeling that comes out when your desire to have meaningful social interactions and relationships are unmet. For example, you could be far away from home and have no friends to reach out to, or when you had a devastating break up with a significant other. Loneliness is a form of stress and causes the stress hormone, cortisol, to increase along with your blood pressure.
#2 Herbal supplements
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Certain herbs and vitamins contained in your supplements may contribute to rising blood pressure. People already diagnosed with high blood pressure need to consult their physician before taking them. Some examples are ginseng, liquorice root, Vitamin K and Vitamin E.
#3 Sleep deprivation
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Lack of sleep causes the brain to become more sensitive to negative thoughts and emotions. This leads to the increase of stress hormones and a rise in your blood pressure. So, make sure you’re getting enough sleep—and a good one!
#4 Caffeine
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Caffeine increases blood pressure, though some people may experience this effect more than others. Some researchers believe that caffeine can block a hormone that helps keep your arteries widened. It is also possible that caffeine causes your glands to release more adrenaline, leading to increasing blood pressure.
#5 Pregnancy
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High blood pressure that a mother-to-be develops during pregnancy is called gestational hypertension and starts after you are 20 weeks pregnant. Usually, it’s harmless to you and your baby, then goes away within 12 weeks after childbirth. However, it does increase the risk of experiencing future high blood pressure.
A more serious version of this is preeclampsia, an increase in blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy, which can be life-threatening. The mother’s organs, such as her kidney and liver, may be damaged. When the blood vessels in the umbilical cord tighten due to high blood pressure, it becomes more difficult for the baby to get enough oxygen and nutrients to grow.
You’ve heard of advice such as exercising and eating well to manage your high blood pressure, but have you considered tracking it by yourself at home?
It is crucial for you to keep track of your blood pressure yourself so that you can understand your health condition and the effectiveness of the treatment and medications. It’s also an opportunity for you to observe blood pressure reading during ‘peak periods’ (such as mornings) to help doctors identify early onset hypertension.
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Omron Blood Pressure monitors can help you with this. It’s able to monitor effects of hypertension drugs and detect mask hypertension and symptoms while giving fast and accurate readings. Plus, it’s easy to use!
When you buy an Omron Blood Pressure monitor at participating pharmacies, remember to register for warranty online at www.omronhealthcare.com.my. 50 lucky winners will be reimbursed and get to shop for other products at the pharmacies! Terms and conditions apply. This promotion runs from 20 May to 30 June 2019.
Note: Please consult your doctor for interpretation of the results.