High blood pressure, causes and treatment

One and a half to two hundred years ago, the greatest poet of Urdu, Mirza Ghalib, said a beautiful poem:

We are not convinced of running in veins

What is blood when it does not drip from the eye itself?

Blood running in the veins is not a strange thing and it is necessary for the survival of life, but the dripping of blood from the eye is a poetic allusion and through it Ghalib wants to express the intensity of his pain.

World High Blood Pressure Awareness Day is celebrated on May 17 every year. The purpose of celebrating this day is to provide people with accurate information about high blood pressure and to guide people in taking measures to prevent it. At this point, some objective facts must be discussed.

The pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the veins while moving through the veins is called blood pressure. It is important to keep blood pressure or blood pressure within a certain range.

Excessive blood pressure is called hypertension. High blood pressure, if left untreated, can affect many vital organs in the body, including the retina. It is true that the blood does not drip from the eye, but its increased pressure affects the eye severely and if not treated in time, a person may become blind.

The historical background of high blood pressure is very important and interesting. Once upon a time, blood was considered a static fluid in the body. Greek rulers were also convinced of the same concept. The first Muslim scientist and physician Ibn Nafis revealed that blood flows in veins. Ibn Nafees was born in Damascus, Syria, where he was born in 1213.

He died in Cairo, Egypt in 1288. The concept of blood entering the veins during the beating of the heart was presented by Ibn Nafis. British physician William Harvey (d. 1657) explained this concept in more detail. What actually happens is that when the heart contracts, blood flows from the left side of the heart into the veins and arteries.

When the heart dilates, the body’s waste blood enters the right side of the heart through the veins. Purification of used dirty blood is done by the lungs. The process of contraction and expansion of the heart continues continuously and this process is called heartbeat. Circulation provides energy and oxygen to the entire body and this process is necessary to continue the journey of life.

The pressure exerted by the blood on the vessels during the contraction of the heart is called systolic blood pressure (Systolic BP), while the pressure exerted on the vessels during the expansion of the heart is called diastolic blood pressure (Diastolic BP). Blood pressure does not stay the same throughout the day but fluctuates and is related to our movements.

Despite the decrease, the blood pressure generally remains within a certain limit, however, when the blood pressure increases permanently above a certain limit, this situation is called high blood pressure or hypertension (Hypertension) and its effective treatment. It is necessary. Low blood pressure is called “low blood pressure” and it is not considered a disease in general, however, the reduction in blood pressure due to diarrhea, vomiting and excessive bleeding should be treated. .

High blood pressure sometimes has no symptoms or complaints, but it damages the body internally and the person reaches the threshold of death, that’s why this disease is called a silent killer. Common complaints of high blood pressure include:

Headache, fatigue, increased heart rate, blurred vision or double vision, fainting, nosebleeds, difficulty breathing and nausea and vomiting. There are two types of high blood pressure. Primary or Essential and Secondary or Secondary. Primary hypertension has no known cause but can be successfully treated. Secondary high blood pressure is caused by another physical disorder, so it is important to treat the physical disorder along with the high blood pressure. More than 90 percent of people suffer from primary hypertension.

Regarding high blood pressure, we should be aware of certain factors and triggers that lead to high blood pressure such as smoking, alcohol and other drug use, excess weight, physical inactivity, high salt intake. and senescence or advanced age. High blood pressure is often a family disease and is passed down from generation to generation.

For measuring high blood pressure, mercury is used as the scale and the unit of measurement is millimeter. In this regard the following figures are very important and require our attention.

Ideal blood pressure: less than 80/120 mm Hg (mercury).

Keep in mind that 120 is the pressure that occurs during contraction of the heart i.e. Systolic BP while 80 indicates the pressure that occurs during expansion of the heart i.e. Diastolic BP.

Normal blood pressure: 120/80 or 129/84 mm Hg

High blood pressure: 130/85 or 139/89 mm Hg

High blood pressure: equal to or greater than 140/90 mm Hg

Critically elevated blood pressure: equal to or greater than 180/120 mm Hg

Keep in mind that in the case of hypertensive crises, the blood vessel may burst and the patient may suffer from stroke. Diagnosis of high blood pressure is very important and only after correct diagnosis comes the treatment phase. We should remember that blood pressure can temporarily increase in case of various ailments such as severe headache, nervousness or body pain.

This is a normal reaction of our body. A definitive diagnosis of the disease is not made based on transiently elevated blood pressure. After continuous observation of blood pressure for two to four weeks, it is decided whether the patient is suffering from high blood pressure disorder or not.

Currently, 26 percent (about one billion) people in the world suffer from high blood pressure. The situation in Pakistan is also very alarming. According to the National Health Survey, around 18 percent of people in Pakistan are suffering from this disease, while the number reaches 33 percent among people over 45 years of age.

In other words, every third person above the age of 45 years has high blood pressure. Unfortunately, due to lack of awareness, twenty-five percent of people are not diagnosed with this disease, while even after diagnosis, only 12.5 percent of people receive regular treatment. Deaths due to high blood pressure have also increased significantly in Pakistan. About 23 out of 100,000 people die every year due to high blood pressure.

If high blood pressure is not properly treated, there are many complications that can be fatal, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, heart failure, cataracts, and arteriosclerosis. Mild dilation, cognitive problems and severe memory loss etc. After the final diagnosis of high blood pressure, the treatment phase begins. If the blood pressure is not too high, initially, drugs are not used for treatment, but preventive measures are taken. There are five precautions that generally prevent more than fifty percent of people from needing medication. These five measures are as follows.

1. A healthy diet, especially vegetables

2. Reduce or eliminate salt in food

3. Lose weight

4. Adopt a regular exercise habit

5. Total abstinence from smoking and drugs

After taking these five measures, blood pressure is checked regularly for three to four months. If the condition still does not improve, medicines are used. Medicines are used for a long period of time and most patients have to take medicines for life.

Only a specialist physician can decide whether to continue the medication or not. It should be noted that the above precautions are not abandoned even during the use of medicines. These measures help in tapering off the medication and also help in withdrawal.

The most important thing is that for peace of heart we should live according to the ways of the Prophet ﷺ. Temperance and moderation in food and drink and other matters, avoiding anger and provocation, turning to Allah Almighty in trials and tribulations, regularly studying the Qur’an and arranging prayer, these are all habits and behaviors that bring satisfaction to the heart. . The internal system of our body is correct and helps to stay safe from various diseases.

(Dr. Iftikhar Barni is a Psychiatrist working in Islamabad. He is the Central General Secretary of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA).)