A non-communicable disease (NCD) is non-infectious, meaning it cannot be on from one individual to the next. There are many NCDs as they account for 71% of deaths globally. In Belize, NCDs are responsible for 65% of deaths annually.
Examples of NCDs include cancer, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Hypertension is one of the most common NCDs and widely referred to as High Blood Pressure. While hypertension is deadly, it is also avoidable and treatable; that is why World Hypertension Day is observed on May 17th across the world with the hopes of creating greater awareness of this silent yet deadly disease.
At RF&G Life, we believe one of the greatest insurance products we can offer is education, and so we proudly join the global efforts to educate the public about hypertension.
What Exactly Is Hypertension?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hypertension is the state of above normal pressure in the walls of a person’s arteries. The arteries are the channels that transport blood from the heart to all other parts of the body. While it is normal for a person’s blood pressure to increase during some activities, having higher than average blood pressure for prolonged periods, especially when not exerting a lot of energy, is a cause for concern that typically result in a hypertension diagnosis.
How Does One Get Hypertension?
Most medical professionals link hypertension to unhealthy lifestyles. Unhealthy lifestyle choices include limited or no physical exercise, overeating, obesity, excessive consumption of salts, sugars, and bad fats, and the excessive consumption of alcohol and/or drugs.
According to the CDC, hypertension is heredity by which the risk of diagnosis increases.
Prevention is Better than Cure!
As with all things undesired, prevention is indeed better than cure! Making conscious dietary and lifestyle choices are, as simple as it may sound the best deterrent against hypertension. Eating balanced healthy meals, engaging in regular physical exercises or activities, avoiding excessive alcohol or drug consumption, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight are universally referred as healthy lifestyle choices that reduces a person’s risk of having high blood pressure.
According to WebMD, persons 60 years and older are at greater risk developing hypertension. With that in mind, higher vigilance and routine physical check-ups are advised. Seeing a medical provider regularly can allow for hypertension and other ailments to be detected long before the effects are observed, and can save you expenses and discomfort.
Treating Hypertension
The symptoms of hypertension include irregular heartbeat, chest pain, blurry vision, fatigue, nosebleed, and even nausea. Since hypertension is accompanied by the excessive presence of salts in the body, medication to treat hypertension typically includes ‘water pills’, allowing excessive salts to be flushed from the body, and various muscle and blood vessel relaxers.
The natural treatments include strict dietary changes and rigid physical exercise routines. Health is a person’s greatest wealth. No one should consciously be engaged in activities that degrade their quality of life, making them ill, uncomfortable, and miserable. Avoiding NCDs like hypertension should be a priority for every individual, especially middle-aged adults and those nearing their 60s. With dedication, many healthy lifestyle choices become effortless and instinctive that contributes to a longer, healthier, happier life for you to enjoy with your loved ones. RF&G Life wishes exactly that for all of our clients, their families, and friends, and we stand ready to support you with our quality products that can strengthen you and your family’s well-being!
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