Misconceptions About Hypertension

My blood pressure is normal for my age, height, and weight.

In adults, values of 130/80 mmHg and above in measurements made at home and 140/90 mmHg and above in measurements at the doctor's office are considered hypertension. In addition, values between 130 and 140 for systolic blood pressure and between 80 and 90 for diastolic blood pressure are considered a predisposition to hypertension.

Hypertension is actually a heart disease.

Hypertension has genetic origins in most cases. The fact that some genetic factors reduce salt excretion through kidneys and increase salt and water retention in the body constitutes one of the most important causes of hypertension. Hypertension is not a heart disease but a critical and very common disease that damages the heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain when not treated correctly and on time, which is mostly of genetic origin and affects many organ systems.

My blood pressure is irritable; it goes up when I get angry.

The opinion that stress alone can increase blood pressure has not been proven yet. Genetic causes, obesity, malnutrition, salt consumption, alcohol intake, excessive smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and stress increase the likelihood of developing a type of hypertension called essential hypertension, which occurs in 95% of hypertension patients, and the cause of which is unclear. Only 5% of the patients have an underlying disease that causes hypertension, and this type of hypertension is called secondary hypertension. This type of hypertension is caused by renal and endocrine diseases and some medications the most.

Those who have hypertension in their family will definitely have hypertension.

Essential Hypertension shows a familial transmission, but modifiable factors dependent on our volition, which are called environmental factors, also cause hypertension. If there is a hypertension history in the family, especially in parents and siblings, these people should monitor their blood values and beware of other factors that increase the risk of heart disease, such as being overweight, having a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and consuming alcohol or salt.

I have "labile" blood pressure. It varies between high and low at very short intervals. It turns out to be low at home and high at the doctor's office. Actually, I am not a hypertensive patient.

Blood pressure may vary throughout the day depending on a person's physical activity and emotional state. It is at its lowest level during sleep at night, begins to increase when the individual wakes up in the morning and reaches its highest level at noon. It increases during work and decreases during rest. Hypertensives whose blood pressure does not decrease at night have a higher risk of heart or kidney disease and cerebral palsy.

I have no complaints; why should I be a hypertensive patient?

Many people with hypertension may not have any complaints. Even if hypertension does not cause any complaints, it continues to cause damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes, and veins. For this reason, it is also necessary to measure blood pressure once a year in people with no complaints and treat it if it is detected as high. Some patients may have the following symptoms: dizziness, headache (usually in the back of the head and in the neck), rapid fatigue, shortness of breath, visual disturbances, chest pain, nosebleeds, tinnitus, palpitations, and a feeling of heaviness in the head. Since these symptoms can also be observed in other diseases, they are not specific to hypertension.

I have no complaints; hypertension does not harm me.

Whether it causes a complaint or not, hypertension causes significant problems at all levels if it is not treated. In untreated hypertensives, cerebral palsy, heart attack, kidney failure, and blindness due to hypertension, which are called "end organ" damage, are more common. Compared to people with normal blood pressure, people with untreated hypertension are at twice the risk of death, three times the risk of heart disease, and seven times the risk of stroke.

Using only blood pressure-lowering medication protects me from the damage caused by hypertension.

In treating hypertension, recommendations that we call “lifestyle changes” are vital to reduce blood pressure to the desired level, either alone or as an aid to drug therapy.

Recommendations for Individuals with Hypertension

• Have a proper and balanced diet
• Exercise for 45-60 minutes 4-5 times a week
• Get down to your ideal weight and maintain this weight
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Reduce salt (do not consume ready-made food, canned food, pickles, nuts, and tomato paste)
• Do not smoke

What does blood pressure have to do with salt? When I receive medication, my blood pressure drops anyway, so I can eat salty food.

There is a strong relationship between salt intake and hypertension. Hypertension is more common in societies that consume too much salt. A study by the Turkish Hypertension and Kidney Diseases Association revealed that Turkish society consumes three times more salt than normal. The average daily salt consumption in our country is 18 grams. Salt restriction reduces blood pressure at all hypertension levels, can normalize blood pressure in mild hypertension, and causes a decrease in the amount of medication used in severe hypertension. The point that should not be forgotten in this regard is that there is much more salt in tomato paste, canned foods, and processed, frozen foods than we need. It should be kept in mind that the salty taste left on the palate by convenience foods may indicate a hidden source of salt.

My blood pressure is normal, so I can discontinue my medication. I can use my wife's or mother's medication once in a while; she is also hypertensive anyway.

Hypertension is a lifelong disease. Then the drug treatment will also continue for a lifetime. The treatment of hypertension is planned specifically for the individual. The treatment of patients who are informed about the effects and side effects of medications is initiated by the relevant specialist physicians.

•    I have a headache; I need to take an analgesic immediately. I have a sore throat, so let me use the antibiotic I was given earlier. My doctor gave me two medications and told me to take one in the morning and one in the evening; I take both at the same time, or I do not take one of them sometimes.

Analgesics, flu medications, and some psychiatric medications can cause hypertension. Moreover, some hypertension medications also can disrupt the heart rhythm when used together. If you suffer from hypertension, do not take any medications without asking your doctor, who follows you up. The duration of action of each hypertension medication is different. Sometimes it is also inconvenient to take them together. Use your medications only in the way and at the time recommended by your doctor.