Srinagar: When 55-year-old Shamima from Tanghdar was diagnosed with hypertension in 2013, she dismissed it as a mild disease and stopped taking medicines after sometime.
“She was not compliant with medicines and diet. In 2020, she came with features of renal failure and was put on maintenance hemodialysis. In 2021, she was admitted with pulmonary edema (a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs) and passed away,” the doctor treating her at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar said.
Similarly, a 59-year-old male with a history of heavy smoking was diagnosed with hypertension in 2008.
“He was non-compliant to his medication and continued smoking. In 2018, he was admitted with lacunar stroke (A lacunar stroke occurs when an artery that supplies blood to the deeper portions of the brain becomes blocked) causing weakness of his left arm and hand. He still continued smoking and was not taking medicines regularly. He got re-admitted in 2021 with a big ischemic stroke (this stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients) and developed aspiration pneumonitis during hospital stay. He too couldn’t survive,” the doctor said.
A senior doctor at SMHS Hospital Srinagar said hypertensive patients (especially primary hypertension) usually are asymptomatic.
“In some patients with secondary hypertension, the manifestation would be that of an underlying disease. Like palpitation and sweating in Pheocromocytoma (Tumor that forms in the center of the adrenal gland (gland located above the kidney) that causes it to make too much adrenaline), swelling or altered colored urine in renal failure, electrolyte disturbances in endocrine causes etc,” he said.
He said in general, middle aged males with family history of hypertension, smokers, overweight and obese people, people with diabetes are at a higher risk of having hypertension. “A regular health checkup, and periodic blood pressure monitoring is the key to diagnose hypertension early thereby decreasing the incidence of hypertension related comorbidities.”
Hypertension is a condition in which the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries is too high. The incidences of hypertension have seen a sharp rise in Kashmir and while earlier it was common in the older age groups, now many new cases of young people with hypertension.
The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) has revealed alarming statistics on hypertension as 19 percent of the “over 15 years” of population in J&K has elevated blood pressure and is taking medicine to control it with more women suffering from elevated blood pressure than men.
As per NFHS, elevated hypertension among women in J&K was recorded at 20 percent and 18.9 percent for men, while the national average settled at 21.3 percent and 24 percent, respectively. Notably, several of J&K’s nutritional indicators have worsened since the fourth round of the NFHS, which was held in 2015-16.
Community Medicine Specialist, Dr Sheikh Mohammad Saleem said high blood pressure is called a silent killer not without a reason. Most of the time, there are no noticeable signs of hypertension and even if you have some symptoms, you may not immediately act upon it dismissing it as routine tiredness, work pressure or exertion. “Ignoring BP issues can however prove deadly and in worst cases it can cause a heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease, aneurysm, stroke, memory problems or dementia.”
Some of the common indications of high blood pressure include severe headache, blurring vision, breathing difficulty, especially breathlessness on exertion, chest discomfort, and easy fatigability, he explained. “High blood pressure can affect your health and cause serious complications if it is left untreated,” Dr Saleem said.
Nutritionist at Modern Hospital, Rajbagh, Shazia Lone said one who is hypertensive may not know that they have a kidney disease until their blood is tested for Blood Urea, Serum Creatinine and GFR.
“It is an extremely important parameter that every hypertensive individual should be tested for at least once in six months irrespective of their age to check for their renal function. For patients who have high blood pressure and kidney disease, it is extremely important to keep a control check on their blood pressure through their lifestyle changes. It is very imperative to adhere to a strict diet.”
Lone insisted that the most common advice is to restrict salt/sodium which alone is not the only thing to do but it is important to understand to follow a DASH i.e. Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension diet. She said, “Inclusion of DASH, staying well hydrated and indulging in physical activity of 45 minutes per day not only controls blood pressure and prevents kidney diseases but also keeps a check on your weight and overall well-being.”
