Heart diseases commonly manifest as hypertension/high blood pressure (i.e, when there is persistent rise of pressure in the blood vessels). The heart pumps blood to all parts of the body through blood vessels, hence the higher the pressure in the blood vessels the harder the heart has to pump. This can be injurious to the heart and can also lead to complications such as stroke, heart attacks and kidney failure.
Some common risk factors of high blood pressure include; tobacco use, unhealthy diet, alcohol abuse, lack of exercise, overweight/obesity, family history of high blood pressure, advancing age, diabetes mellitus and kidney disease.
Some symptoms of high blood pressure include; headache, dizziness, chest pain, changes in vision, buzzing ears, bleeding from nose and fatigue.
Hypertension/high blood pressure is also called the “silent killer” because most people do not show any symptoms, hence it’s important for us to check our blood pressure regularly (at least once every month), in order for any abnormalities to be picked up early and manage promptly to prevent complications.
