A senior registrar in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Dr. Famba Famba Daniel says a lot of Nigerians are living with hypertension with only a few of them aware of their status. The health expert in an interview with our reporter described hypertension as a silent killer. Stating that so many people moving along the street are hypertensive without knowing.
Dr. Famba is also advocating for medical checkups. He said once in a while, it is proper for us to go to the hospital and do a proper medical checkup because, in the process, one will be able to discover if one has hypertension and get treatment, for Nigeria itself is stressful. Stating that early detection is the surest way of reducing complications.
The senior registrar in the department of family medicine however spoke on the symptoms people should look out for. He explained that in most persons who discover hypertension, they find out that they are asymptomatic which means that they don’t have any symptoms at all while in some cases, the persons involved in hypertension will start having severe headaches, persistent headaches, and blurring vision. He said most times when people have a headache, they think it is malaria, and after taking malaria treatment, they still have headaches. He advised that at this point, they should just go to the hospital and check their blood pressure.
Dr. Famba Famba Daniel further highlighted ways by which high blood pressure can be prevented or reduced. He said this can be achieved by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the quantity of salt (sodium) in diet, having regular exercise, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and limiting the intake of alcohol. He however revealed that getting fewer than six hours of sleep every night for several weeks can contribute to hypertension. He therefore urges people to always get a good night’s sleep, and reduce stress.
