The Silent Killer – A Cautionary Tale

It’s often referred to as the ‘the silent killer’ and it’s only by some form of divine intervention that it didn’t kill me.

I’m talking about high blood pressure.

According to recent estimates, nearly one in three adults in the industrial nations is likely to have high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don’t know they have it. In fact, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. Hence high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.”

As I got into my forties I very occasionally chanced to get my blood pressure checked. It was usually on the high side. I would usually say things like “well I have ‘white coat syndrome’ so of course it is high”. It’s always high when taken by a doctor.  And in fact if I had it taken at the local chemist it was usually a bit lower, so I wasn’t worried. Besides I didn’t want to be taking tablets for the rest of my life!

I didn’t go to the doctor very often. I was healthy and never had the need. I didn’t smoke, only drank now and then. However, on the rare occasions that I did visit the doctor, he would point out that I may be healthy but I certainly wasn’t fit!

Anyway this particular doctor was so concerned about me that after I left the district he sent me a prescription for blood pressure tablets!

I took them for a while, but I couldn’t see the point. OK, so my blood pressure may be a bit high, but I felt fine. There was nothing wrong with me. I had no symptoms. Hardly ever went to see a GP.

One night I drove home from work. I had been working a late shift so I got home around midnight. Had a glass of wine, checked my emails, as you do ………..

First it was just awareness. The beautiful smiling face of my wife, brightly coloured in a sea of gray. It seems we had been talking for a while, though I don’t know what I had said. Penny’s voice is full of love and joy and encouragement.

I have no context to put it in so I just accept it in the now. There is only now. I have no past. The future is not contemplated. I see my daughter’s face and hear words of love, joy and encouragement. I am doing exceptionally well. With regards to what, I wonder? I gradually become aware of the ICU bed and the tubes and the wires and the oxygen mask. And it is all so normal. I’ve always been like this.

I had suffered an aortic dissection. It had been caused by years of high blood pressure. The main blood vessel serving my vital organs had split and was blocking the blood supply and my aortic valve was damaged. But by some miracle I was alive.

The fact that I am writing this piece is one of a series of miracles.

The fact that my youngest daughter was visiting us, sleeping on the lounge but not asleep and heard me fall is a miracle. The fact that I made alive to the hospital was a miracle as well as a testament to the skills of the paramedics who kept me alive. The fact that I survived the eight hour operation is another miracle and a testament to the skills of the surgeons and medical staff. The fact that I was found in time, survived the journey to the hospital, the operation and had no brain or organ damage is another miracle. I am very lucky. Most are not.

I am now on four different high blood pressure tablets and will be for the rest of my life. However long that is!

Because my vascular system is weakened and damaged, I have to make sure that I average a blood pressure of less than 120/70 and I get yelled at if I pick my grandchildren up because that sort of muscular activity causes high blood pressure.

But then, at least I am still here to be yelled at!

As you get older, keeping high blood pressure in check is fundamental if you want a long and happy life.

I now have my own blood pressure meter and keep a constant check on it.

The moral is, take your blood pressure seriously. Buy yourself a meter, talk to your doctor, be proactive. It’s your life.

Prevention is simple. The results of ignorance often can only be rectified by divine intervention.

What is your blood pressure now?

Recommended Blood Pressure Meter.

I’ve have one, so should you.

I can’t live without it!

More About Blood Pressure Monitors

Hypertension, which is high blood pressure, can be fatal and continues to compromise health in a great many of the population.

Knowing what your blood pressure is is something that could save your life because it will alert you to a problem and allow you to do something about it. Blood pressure monitors are the tools that will enable you to know with certainty what your blood pressure is. High blood pressure will often not come with obvious symptoms and monitoring it will ease heartache and confusion. These days blood pressure monitors are readily available.

There are modern gadgets available today that have pretty good features. Many have been fitted with automatic digital readouts that will make the work easier for people who use them. The new breed of monitors have been fitted with excellent memories that are able to store the readings and allow people to compare so that they observe the results over time. Automatic digital blood pressure monitors are definitely the future and have become very popular because of their efficiency. They can be easily bought at the pharmacy or even on line.

Deciding to get these items will be a wise move and there are various considerations that will come to play.
The following factors need to be considered so that the machines gotten can serve their purpose as desired. The first thing to look for is the machines with cuffs that are correct size for the intended user.

There are many varieties of machines with different facilities at varying prices but a basic suitable machine is easily affordable.
Taking time before buying and decide what features you want. My view is that you need a machine that will store up to 90 readings and average the last three. This means that you can take three readings at one time and get an average, which is more accurate.

Most machines are very simple to use. Simply fit the cuff, push the button and wait for it to do it’s thing. Th cuff will inflate with air and you will feel a slight pressure from this. Then the cuff will deflate slowly. And there will be the reading on the screen. If it tells you 120 & 80 then congratulations it is normal. If it is 190 & 100, see your medical practitioner immediately!

If you have a machine that will average the last three readings then do three readings. You will find that the when you sit at rest the reading will get lower. Resting for ten minutes before taking a reading is normal.

As for blood pressure monitors this is the one I use Omron Blood Pressure Monitor

The Main Causes of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition where the pressure in the arteries is higher than it should be. For the average healthy person it should be  120 over 80.
A health professional would be able to assess your blood pressure and let you know if it is high. Or my recommendation is to buy your own monitor, they are very inexpensive and easy to use.

You will not know when you have hypertension. There are no symptoms. As a result, most people only find out when they have a heart attack. A bit late!
Hypertension can be the result of other diseases.
This is normally referred to as secondary high blood pressure.
In this scenario blood pressure will return to normal once the underlying problem has been cleared up.

Secondary hypertension has many causes. Here are some of them:

• thyroid dysfunction
• aorta coarctation
• alcoholism
• tumors
• pregnancy
• birth control pills
• adrenal gland diseases
• Chronic kidney diseases such as nephritis

Coarctation is the narrowing of the aorta and is generally hereditary.
In most cases the hypertension is apparent in the arms.

Secondary hypertension can be caused by a range of other factors.
For example too much salt is a contributing factor especially sodium chloride by itself. Sea salt or similar would be preferable since it is a natural product that contains lots of other salts and minerals, not just refined sodium chloride.

One of the things you could do to help hypertension is to reduce salt intake and only use sea salt or similar.

Apart from underlying medical conditions, drugs and medications can elevate your blood pressure.
Examples are amphetamines and diet pills.

So apart from the risks of developing hypertension through other medical problems and drugs, there is also the problem of the sedentary lifestyles that are more prevalent these days. Lack of exercise will not only tend to increase your weight but will also cause high blood pressure in it’s own right.

High blood pressure can also occur as  primary high blood pressure.
It’s not known how this type of high blood pressure comes about.
Nevertheless there are some things that are known to contribute to primary high blood pressure.
The first one is age.

Blood pressure quite often increases with age.
The culprit here is arteriosclerosis which is basically hardening of the arteries.
This means the arteries can’t expand and contract with the beating of the heart.

Another cause of high blood pressure is one you can’t do anything about. It’s in your genes.
Chances are that if high blood pressure runs in your family, you are going to be a sufferer as well.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. If you are aware of having high blood pressure you can manage it. Start eating healthy meals with plenty of vegetables and fruits, decrease your salt intake, especially refined sodium chloride, exercise regularly.

To be aware of your blood pressure, high or otherwise, you should get yourself a blood pressure monitor. The are inexpensive and very easy to use. Take control!