PERSONAL HEALTH : Relaxing Facts on Hypertension

One of the obstacles in treating hypertension is getting people to take it seriously, partly because of myths such as these:

* Myth: Hypertension only strikes people who eat high-cholesterol, high-sodium foods and who don’t get enough exercise.

Such traits certainly are associated with high blood pressure, but many people with good lifestyle habits develop high blood pressure.

* Myth: High blood pressure starts at a certain “magic number.”

Unlike many diseases, having hypertension is not an either-or matter. Many factors usually go into the decision to start treatment for elevated blood pressure. Changes in diet and lifestyle may be suggested even if the reading is considered only “borderline high.” * Myth: Your blood pressure is a single, fixed figure. A person’s blood pressure changes over the course of a day, depending on activity and emotional state. * Myth: Hypertension only affects people in high-stress jobs.

People in all fields and with all types of personalities can develop hypertension.

* Myth: Because high blood pressure has no symptoms, it won’t hurt to skip medication at times.

People on blood-pressure medication generally need to stay on it for life. Skipping even a few days can be dangerous.