Feature: Misconception about hypertension

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=7&rid=886855
• Friday, May 20, 2016

By Leilani S. Junio [(PNA), RMA/LSJ]

MANILA (PNA)--There are misconception about high blood or hypertension that should be corrected based from the testimonies of persons brought to emergency room of hospitals when they suffer hypertension or high blood pressure.

In a health forum spearheaded by Philippines College of Physicians (PCP) at Annabel’s Restaurant in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, Dr. Carlos L. Chua, neurologist, internist and hypertension specialist; trustee of Philippine Society of Hypertension and past president of Stroke Society of the Philippines cited some wrong notions about hypertensions that should be corrected.

In a slide presented about “Haka-haka o mga maling akala tungkol sa hypertension or high blood”topic Dr. Chua gave some clarification among the media health reporters.

On the belief that a person does not have a high blood if he/she is not feeling anything which implies or shows that he/she is experiencing it.

Dr. Chua said that because of that if the blood pressure monitored from the person who is not yet complaining of something wrong with him/her and was monitored with high blood pressure ---for example 200/110mmHg, its probable that such person will doubt and even questioned the accuracy of the recorded high blood pressure.

Moreover,he said that most likely that person would stick to his belief that he does not belong to the category of people suffering from high blood pressure.

“Iyan ho ay isang maling haka-haka dahil pwedeng mataas ang BP ng isang tao pero wala siyang nararamdaman dahil nagsisimula pa lang,” Chua pointed out.

The neurologist also said that such was true among people who have a family history (parents, relatives with hypertension) and there is a possibility that they will inherit it and surfaced later in life.

He said that since the high blood or hypertension was just in the starting stage, its possible that the symptoms would not be actually noticed.

Also, he said that another wrong belief that should be corrected was if a person had a high blood pressure, he could donate blood because they had higher volume of blood and it would lower down their BP if they would decrease it by donating in blood letting program..

As a clarification he said that the normal volume of blood of an adult is 5 liters.

“Hindi ibig sabihn na pag may “high blood” yung blood volume ay dumami na sa 5 liters or naging 6, or naging pitong litro or dumami yung dugo ko kaya tumaas ang BP…When we talk of BP, there is a big difference between pressure and volume. There is actually no increase in volume of blood,” he explained.

He further said that a person suffering from high blood pressure still has five liters of blood circulating in his body and what was actually happening was “increasing of pressure” in which the heart was playing a role because it pumped blood.

He said that an increase in the pump of heart can lead to high blood pressure.

On the other way around, he said that those who were diagnosed with low blood probably believing that they will not experience high blood or hypertension should not think that way.

He said that the expalanation behind that was the still, the volume of blood is “still the same” volume and it is only the red blood cells that are lacking in numbers and the condition being experience is low blood cells or what is being called as anemia or iron deficiency.

On the belief also that only that thin people will not suffer hypertension he said that such was not true and there is no such a thing that hypertension is only among those who are fat.

“Hindi ho totoo iyan-- wala hong pinipili ang alta presyon-- dahil ang alta presyon ay nasa lahi. More than 90 percent of hypertension in the world is acquired by inheriting them… It’s in the genes,” he said.

On the basis of age, he said that at present there is a subset of young population that can develop hypertension especially if they suffered from kidney problems at young age.

Normal BP is 140/90 mmHg.

High Blood Pressure/hypertension is diagnosed when the BP is consistently equal to or higher than 140/90

Some important approach to prevent or control hypertension can be done through lifestyle changes, maintaining nomrla weight, reducing sodium in the diet, exercising, limiting alcoholic drinks, non smoking and avoidance of people who smoke,managing stress, etc.