High blood pressure is seen by many health professionals as the silent epidemic. About one in five South Africans suffer from high blood pressure, or hypertension as it is also known. Because one cannot feel high blood pressure, many people are not even aware they have it, until hit by a stroke kidney failure or heart disease. Even when the condition has been identified, the lack of symptoms often leads to patients forgetting to take their medication.

The Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication identified this lack of awareness around high blood pressure in researching themes for their latest series, Soul City 4. "High blood pressure is becoming more and more common in our society; we are eating more highly processed foods, flavouring our food with large amounts of salt, smoking and drinking more, and getting less exercise" says Dr Garth Japhet, Soul City Director. All of the above contribute to a rise in high blood pressure - and consequently, a rise in the incidence of strokes, heart disease and kidney failure, all of them life-threatening illnesses.

In many cases, a change in lifestyle is all that is needed to bring the blood pressure down - in others, it becomes necessary to prescribe medication as well. The Soul City Institute uses television and radio drama, accompanied by print media, to provide the public with information that can empower them to make more informed and healthy choices in their lives.

The series aims to inform people about the causes of high blood pressure, how they can find out whether they have high blood pressure, and what to do about it if they do. Research conducted by the Soul City Institute highlighted the problem that because there are no symptoms attached to high blood pressure, many people do not know they have it. Also, those who have been diagnosed as having high blood pressure often stop taking their pills, or take them on some days, when they feel ill, and forget on others.

"Soul City stresses the importance of taking your medication every day regardless of how well you feel," says Japhet. "However, even if you are on medication, it is still crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is always the first line of defence and can help cut down on the amount of medication necessary to control one's blood pressure. "

The series, which is sponsored by Old Mutual, BP, the European Union, the UK Department for International Development, Kagiso Trust, and the Department of Health, is currently running on SABC1. Many people only take their pills when they feel bad, but dosing erratically can have serious consequences - you can't feel if your blood pressure is fine, or if it has risen. The only way you can keep a check on the level of your blood pressure is to have it measured regularly by a health worker.

Additional Information On Living With High Blood Pressure

• People who have loved ones with high blood pressure that needs medication should be supportive and help their loved one by reminding them to take their pills
• Sometimes drugs have side-effects; but if you think the pills themselves are making you feel ill, don't stop taking them. Talk to your health worker about it - s/he can usually prescribe a different drug which will suit you better.
• Never miss an appointment at the clinic. The health workers need to keep a careful check on your blood pressure to make sure you stay well.
• Never let your medication run out - get more before the first batch is finished.
• Take your pill bottles or packages with you to the clinic, so the health worker can check exactly what medicine you have been taking.
• Try to take your medicines at the same time every day.
• Write down the names of the medicines you are taking, and keep them in your purse or wallet. This will be helpful if you are ever in an emergency where doctors or para-medics need to know what drugs you are on.
• The first line of defense against high blood pressure is to live a healthy life:
  
  • Lose weight if you are overweight.
  • Eat less fat and salt.
  • Avoid highly processed food - white bread, white sugar and white flour
    Go for high-fibre alternatives like wholewheat bread and unpolished rice.
    Try not to eat canned foods - they often contain a lot of salt.
• Stop smoking and cut down on alcohol.
• Try to get some exercise every day - walk instead of taking a taxi, kick a soccer ball around with your kids at home, take the stairs at work instead of taking the lift.
• A diagnosis of high blood pressure should never sound like a death sentence - if you are careful and responsible, you can live a long, healthy, normal and active life!

Causes of high blood pressure

Certain factors may make a person more susceptible to high blood pressure:

• Overweight
• Family history - you are more likely to get it if your mother or father had it
• Age - blood pressure tends to go up as you get older.
• Diets high in salt and fat.
• Low levels of exercise
• Drinking too much alcohol - it's recommended that men drink no more than two standard tots a day; women no more than one.
• Smoking

How to find out whether you have high blood pressure

Have it checked by a nurse or doctor. The procedure is as follows:

• The nurse will put a blood pressure cuff on one arm, pump it up, and listen to the heart sounds as the cuff deflates. Blood pressure has two numbers. One is the pressure in the patient's arteries when the heart muscle contracts to pump blood to the body; the other is the pressure when the heart relaxes between heartbeats.
• A normal blood pressure reading would be below 140 over 90. If it is above that, the problem can easily be tackled problem with changes in diet and lifestyle. However, if it is over 160 over 95, a health care worker will probably suggest that the patient go onto medication to control it.
• Blood pressure needs to be measured at least twice before it can be diagnosed as high. Excitement and nervousness can give a falsely high reading.
• Some pharmacies do blood pressure checks for nothing. Records should be kept to show to the doctor.

Dr Krisella Steyn - Medical Research Council:
082-4498057 or 021-9380345

The Heart Foundation