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Management of Hypertension (HBP)

There are different ways to go about managing HBP and lower risk of further health related conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease etc. Below are some of them:

Measuring your blood pressure on a regular basis
As hypertension does not really have symptoms, regularly checking your blood pressure is the way to know if it is too high. You can have a blood pressure monitor at home that you can use to check it or find time to go to your doctor and get it done.

Take your medication
If you are on medication for HBP, it is recommended that you stick with it as instructed by your doctor. Stopping the medication without medical advice could lead to serious health consequences.

Make lifestyle changes
A person can control high blood pressure by making some lifestyle changes like:
Being physically active (exercising, walking daily for about 30mins)
Quit smoking (if you do)Eating healthy, include limiting salt and alcohol
Watching your weight
Managing stress

Talk with your health care team
You and your health care team or doctor can and should work together to ward off or treat any medical conditions that could lead to HBP.

If you don’t have a health care team, we are here to assist. You can reach out to us @ [email protected] or 0802 577 0297

Diagnosis of Hypertension
To diagnose high blood pressure, your health care provider examines you and asks questions about your medical history and any symptoms.

Your blood pressure is checked using a cuff, usually placed around your upper arm.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is diagnosed usually based on the average of two or more readings taken on separate occasions.

STRESS AND DIABETES

Stress doesn't cause diabetes but it can affect your blood sugar levels and how you look after your condition.

Having diabetes in addition to life’s general ups and downs can be a cause of stress. It’s not always easy to live with and this can also feel harder when many people don’t understand it.

You may not be able to avoid stressful situations but there are things you can do to make it easier to cope such that you don’t give room for stress to be bult up and affect your emotional health.

Find out what stress is, how it affects diabetes and what you can do to change things. We’re here to help.

What is stress?

Stress is how your mind and body react to new or difficult situations. It might be something short-term like worrying about a presentation you’re going to give at work the next day or going to a party where you don’t know many people at the weekend. It can also be something physical like an accident or illness.

You may have less immediate but more constant worries about things like money, a relationship or coping with the loss of someone close.

Stress can affect you physically, emotionally and/or mentally.


How stress can affect diabetes

When you feel stressed, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This may likely give you an energy boost for a ‘fight or flight’ response. At such times, these hormones actually make it harder for insulin to work properly, known as insulin resistance. As energy can’t get into your cells, your blood sugar levels rise.

If your blood sugar levels go too high, it’s called going hyper (full name hyperglycaemia). We’ve got more information about hypers, how to avoid them and how they’re treated.

If stress doesn’t go away, it can keep your blood sugar levels high and put you at higher risk of diabetes complications. It can also affect your mood and how you look after yourself, which can start to affect your emotional health.

There are things you can do to take the pressure off.