In today’s fast moving and highly stressful environment, many people are suffering from hypertension without really knowing. Particularly in Malaysia, hypertension is one of the silent killers as many Malaysians are suffering from this disease without really realizing.
This is mainly because hypertension is not a clearly visible disease, unlike skin problems and such. According to the World Health Organisation, Malaysia recorded 1,251 deaths that resulted from hypertension. It is one of the top 20 killer diseases in the country where it is constituted by 1.22% of deaths in 2010.
Hypertension is commonly known with another popular name called high blood pressure. This is a situation where the arteries within the body system have unusually elevated blood pressure. The arteries are important as it channels blood to the entire body each time the heart beats. Where this is concerned, high blood pressure means that a stronger force of blood is being pushed into the vessel walls which could damage them in the long run.
Blood pressure is measured in levels of systolic and diastolic units, the former being the high and the latter being the low. The level for a person with normal blood pressure is in the 120/80 levels in which anything beyond that would be considered dangerous.
High blood pressure is commonly associated with people who lack physical activity and those who are overweight or obese. This is a common situation with many Malaysians today due to the food intake. Malaysian food is widely regarded as one of the best in the world due to its variety and the multi-cultural background.
However, food is often linked with problems like cooking styles and overly use of salt and oil. In order to make food taste better, many use the likes of MSG or monosodium glutamate which could lead to high blood pressure.
Other known causes of hypertension include smoking and lifestyle. This is an important factor as more and more Malaysians are now spending more time working instead of exercising. In their free time, they do not work out enough while enduing more stress at work. One of the biggest problems with hypertension is that the symptoms cannot be clearly seen. In fact, only when the person measures the blood pressure will he or she be aware of whether they have high blood pressure. This is the main reason why hypertension is the 17th highest killer in Malaysia in 2010. However, early detection can treat this problem especially if the person faces constant fatigue, dizziness or nausea.