New Delhi, February 8 (IANS). Due to unhealthy lifestyle, the number of hypertension or high blood pressure patients is increasing day by day. Besides, excess salt in food, junk food, stress, lack of exercise, obesity, tobacco and alcohol consumption become major causes of ‘silent killer’.
The National Health Mission alerted about hypertension and called it a ‘silent killer’. This disease gradually damages the body without any symptoms and can prove fatal. Hypertension damages the heart, kidneys and brain. However, it can be controlled or prevented with a balanced diet, exercise and regular checkups.
According to experts, the most common and major cause of hypertension is today’s unhealthy lifestyle. According to the National Health Mission, small changes in lifestyle are very important to control and avoid hypertension. If care is not taken in time, it can cause heart diseases, stroke, kidney failure and eye problems.
The main causes of hypertension include excessive salt intake, eating too much salt daily increases blood pressure. Processed foods, chips, namkeen, pickles and outside food are often loaded with excess salt. Along with this, continuous work pressure, family problems or mental stress increases BP for a long time. Sitting all day long, not exercising and obesity also promote it.
Additionally, excessive consumption of junk and processed food, tobacco and alcohol damage the arteries and increase the risk of hypertension. Not only this, excess weight, especially fat around the stomach, puts pressure on the heart and increases BP.
The National Health Mission said that to prevent hypertension, it is important to get blood pressure checked regularly, take a balanced and low-salt diet, exercise or walk for at least 30 minutes daily, do yoga-meditation to reduce stress, stay away from tobacco and alcohol and keep the weight under control.
At the same time, doctors recommend that every person above 18 years of age should get BP checked at least once a year. If anyone in the family has hypertension then testing is even more important. If detected on time, it can be easily controlled by medicines and changes in lifestyle.
–IANS
MT/ABM
