By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often called a “silent” condition because a person may have it without feeling sick. There may be no headache, dizziness, or other warning signs. Yet, if left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can damage the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The good news is that many of the steps that help prevent and treat hypertension are simple.
But how you prevent a problem if you don’t know the cause? So what causes blood pressure to rise. There are 3 major causes dietary causes. First cause is malapot ang dugo. Second cause is makitid ang daanan ng dugo. And third is marami ang dugo. Very easy to imagine, di ba? Next question. Ano ang nagpapalaput ng dugo? Alam na natin ito. Just think of jam and jelly. Sugar ang major pampalapot ng dugo sa mundo natin ngayon. Then think of your mantika- very malapot. So if you mix the sugar and taba, dobleng malapot. So the heart has to pump hard to push the blood.
At bakit naman makitid ang daanan ng dugo? Makitid dahil dumikit ang asukal at taba. Think of a your blood stream as a water pipe- let oily, syrupy fluid flow in that pipe. After some days, nakadikit na yong asukal, asin at taba sa walls ng pipe kaya mahirapan dumaloy ang dugo. The heart has to pump hard to let blood flow in those narrowed blood vessels.
At bakit marami ang dugo? This is usually caused by eating too much salt, which makes the body retain water, increasing the amount of fluid in the bloodstream. Of course, the more blood there is, the harder to push.
Knowing these 3 causes of high blood pressure will show you how then to prevent and treat it. Perhaps the easiest first step to preventing and treating high blood pressure is to eat less salt. How? Minimize meat. Avoid processed foods like junk food, instant noodles, canned goods, sauces. Instead of adding extra salt to meals, try using herbs, spices, ginger, garlic, onion, calamansi, or other natural seasonings for flavor. Eat more fresh vegetables…. and vegetables. Fruits are too sweet.
Next simple step is to reduce sweets. Here’s good news. When you reduce salt intake, you reduce your craving for sweets.
Next step is to reduce fat intake. Well, if you minimize meat and eggs then you automatically reduce fat also. Ang galing di ba? Just minimize meat and eggs and you target all three causes of high blood pressure- salt, sugar and fat. You also increase your savings. You see, healthy eating does not have to be expensive or complicated. Local and seasonal produce can provide important nutrients while helping families maintain a balanced diet.
This next step is a bit more challenging. Aside from a healthy diet, regular physical activity or exercise helps the heart pump better and keeps blood vessels healthier and more flexible. It reduces stress, helps control weight, blood sugar and cholesterol. Exercise can mean just walking to nearby places, gardening, doing household chores, cycling, dancing, or simply taking regular walks around the neighborhood can help.
Avoiding tobacco is equally important step. Smoking damages blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Limiting alcohol is also part of protecting our blood pressure. For those who drink, moderation is important; for others, avoiding alcohol altogether is a healthy choice.
Another important small step is to know your blood pressure. Because hypertension may have no obvious symptoms, feeling healthy does not necessarily mean that our blood pressure is normal. Regular checks at a health center, clinic, or with your barangay health worker can help detect a problem early. But again, don’t wait for your blood pressure to rise before taking steps to change. It’s easier to prevent than to cure.
For people already diagnosed with hypertension, the above lifestyle changes are important, but if there are prescribed medicines, continue taking them unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
The wonderful thing about how God designed our bodies is that the steps you take to care for your heart are also good for the other rgans. In other words, a healthy lifestyle is good for our over-all health and well-being. In fact, it is necessary. Ready to undertake the steps?**
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“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2
