I write this article as a cautionary tale.
My mother had high blood pressure for a very long time and it came on in her early fifties. She was always very much against taking medicine but she reluctantly agreed to take tablets for her high blood pressure. She felt that they made her drowsy and forgetful and she used to convince herself that they were not really necessary, and that taking just half a tablet would do the job. She found visits to the doctor difficult and she always worried about having her blood pressure taken. She said that the mere though of having her blood pressure checked made it go up.
In her last few years there were warning signs, like bloodshot eyes and a loss of feeling in her legs for a few days. She explained this away as ‘jelly legs’ and unfortunately we all supported her in her view that everything was fine. She seemed active and healthy in every other way and was still going of on frequent holidays to Ireland to visit her family there.
No family really wants to believe that their parent is seriously ill and so a blind eye was turned to these warning signs. Then one night she had a massive brain hemorrhage in her sleep and could not be woken the next morning. She clung on to life for a week to be visited by her extended family and then passed away peacefully.
The doctors all said that she was so strong to have survived for a week after such a massive stroke, but that the failure to properly control her blood pressure was the cause of her premature death. Whilst she was in the hospital in the stroke unit I saw many patients who had suffered strokes due to high blood pressure and were learning to deal with the consequences. Confined to wheel chairs they were trying to talk with half paralysed faces and learning to perform simple functions like swallowing. And all of this was largely preventable.
The higher your blood pressures the higher your chances of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, or heart failure. It is also known as hypertension or BP for short.
Prevention and Control
There is so much you can do to prevent high blood pressure, and the same measures help to control it if your blood pressure is already too high:
Take care of yourself — visit your doctor and have your blood pressure taken
Take medication if you need it — but also find out about and understand the medication. Get one that suits you — there are many available. Ask to see a consultant if your BP remains high.
Lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Obesity is a major factor, so if you need to lose weight, you can begin by sending off for my healthy eating guide — just send an e-mail to [email protected]
Check your cholesterol.
Eat to keep your heart healthy — plenty of fruit and vegetables — low fat dairy produce — cut down on fat and fried food
Reduce your salt and sodium intake — avoid fast food and processed food — don’t sprinkle salt on your food — avoid salty snacks
Cut down on caffeine — make water your main drink of the day.
Take regular exercise — a brisk walk or a swim every day
Quit smoking — smoking increases your chances of having a stroke, developing heart disease and several forms of cancer
Reduce stress — too much stress is not good for you. If you know you are constantly stressed take time to relax an let go of problems
Finally if you do find that you have high blood pressure, don’t panic. You can avoid all complications and your life expectancy can remain normal if you take control and have it treated.
Ask Alva
I have a 2-year-old daughter who is developing into what I would describe as a faddy eater. When she was a baby, she would eat anything I gave her, but now I find it quite difficult as she only wants pizza and crisps. Jane
Try to be a good role model by eating healthily yourself and eating together whenever possible. Let your toddler see you enjoying your food and she will soon develop good habits. Let your daughter help you with food preparation and try and make her food look attractive and say lets now sit down together and enjoy our supper. My Toddler Eating Guide is available by e-mail at [email protected].