HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE – AVOIDING MEASURES
In the past five years research has taken place in Australia, Britain, and the U.S.A. to resolve this problem. During the same period new drugs have been developed which have fewer side-effects. The consensus which is beginning to appear is that the majority of people under the age of 70 whose blood pressure lies in the grey area will benefit by taking anti-hypertensive drugs, although it is just as important for them to change their life-style so that they help control their own blood pressure and reduce their dependence on the drugs.
There are a number of simple measures which a man should adopt to avoid the problems of high blood pressure.
- If you are overweight, get your weight down. If you do, you may find that your blood pressure comes down too.
- Cut down the quantity of salt you have in your food, or add to your food, so that you take no more than 2 g (one-third of a level teaspoonful) a day. You can do this by avoiding salty foods, such as bacon and salted peanuts, and by not adding salt to the food on your plate.
- You should stop smoking! Smoking increases the tone of the branches of small arteries so that they become narrow. This change aggravates high blood pressure and increases the risk of a stroke.
- Take more exercise, but only take exercise you enjoy and after talking it over with your doctor.
- Try to reduce the emotional tension and strain in your life. Your blood pressure level is determined by your autonomic nerve system and by chemicals secreted by various organs in your body. The impulses from your nervous system and the release of the chemicals are influenced by your emotions. If you can relax more at work and at home, if you can stop worrying about trivial matters, if you can put things to one side for a while, you will reduce your emotional tension, and this will help to reduce your high blood pressure.
- If you can do all these things you may find that you do not need drugs, as your blood pressure has fallen to normal. But if you do need drugs, several are available. The first, and most frequently prescribed, drug is called a diuretic, because it increases your urine flow. It also reduces your blood pressure to some extent. None of the diuretics available is more effective than any other (whatever the twenty-five manufacturers say). There are a few minor side-effects from the medication but most people can take them without any disturbance. Nearly 65 per cent of people with mild hypertension only need to take diuretics, but for the remaining 35 per cent of people with hypertension, the effect of diuretics is not sufficient, and other drugs have to be taken as well.
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