High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Management
In Malaysia, 3 in 10 adults over 18 have hypertension, or high blood pressure. It is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and one of the major risk factors for stroke and coronary heart disease.
Find out how to reduce your risk and manage your blood pressure.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where your blood pressure is constantly higher than normal.
When the force of blood pushing through the walls of your blood vessels increases, your arteries can become damaged and narrowed (less elastic). With high blood pressure, your blood vessels must work harder to transport oxygenated blood around your body.
This eventually damages the tissues surrounding the walls of your arteries (atherosclerosis) and can put you at risk of heart disease.
What Causes High Blood Pressure In Malaysia?
High blood pressure is typically caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices or preexisting medical conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.
Certain risk factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity and a high BMI also increases your risk of high blood pressure.
Those with a family history of high blood pressure are prone to developing the condition. This risk is also increased if you:
- Do not practice a healthy diet and have a sedentary lifestyle – this type of lifestyle increases fatty tissues and plaque buildup in your arteries (atherosclerosis).
- Smoke – smoking can cause further damage to the walls of your arteries and affect your blood’s ability to clot normally.
Fortunately, hypertension can be managed with the appropriate treatment and medication. Your Speedoc doctor will tailor and adjust your medication to optimise care and management of your condition.
What Are The Signs Of High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure often comes with no symptoms until significant damage has been done to the heart and arteries. For this reason, hypertension is often touted as a “silent killer” and many patients go undiagnosed for years.
When symptoms do occur, they are:
- Blurry vision
- Headache and back of neck pain
- Dizziness
- Nosebleeds
- Chest pains
- Arrhythmia (Irregular heartbeats)
If you frequently experience these symptoms, please see a doctor and go for high blood pressure screening immediately.
How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed?
Hypertension can be measured with a blood pressure monitor at home or at a doctor’s clinic.
There will be two readings: the 1st number measures for systolic pressure (pressure in arteries when your heart pumps) and the 2nd number measures diastolic pressure (pressure in arteries when your heart rests between heart beats).
*For adults aged 18 years and above.
If you suspect you may be suffering from hypertension, seek medical help immediately and change your lifestyle habits to bring down your blood pressure to normal levels.
Testing For High Blood Pressure At Speedoc
High blood pressure is diagnosed during a blood pressure reading. The test will tell us if you have hypertension and whether it is an emergency hypertension or otherwise. Blood and urine tests may also be performed to check for pre-existing medical conditions that may be contributing to an abnormally high blood pressure.
You may also have your BMI (body mass index) recorded and undergo an electrocardiogram test (ECG) to evaluate your cardiovascular health – undergoing these extra tests will help us tailor a management plan for your condition.
For those who have unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking that are contributing to your high blood pressure, you may be advised to undergo a smoking cessation programme to help you kick the habit.
What Are Some Treatment Options For High Blood Pressure In Malaysia?
In Malaysia, high blood pressure can be treated with medication that is prescribed by a doctor to control the blood pressure to healthy levels. There are many different kinds of medications for hypertension and our doctors will need to do a thorough review to see which is the most suitable type for you.
It is key that you also manage your health at home by practicing healthier lifestyle habits. This involves consuming a healthy diet, exercising for at least 30 minutes daily and undergoing regular health checkups to continue to monitor your condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
3 in 10 Malaysians aged 30 to 69 have hypertension. This risk increases as you get older.
Your blood pressure goes down during sleep – a lack of sleep or having sleep problems means your blood pressure stays higher for a longer period of time. Poor sleep can also lead to higher stress levels and unhealthy food choices – factors which will over time hurt your heart health.
Worldwide, high blood pressure is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths.
