at the young age of 25 i was diagnosed with hypertension. my mother, like myself, also was hypertensive in her mid 20's, but at that time they rarely treated young healthy adults for hypertension.
my mother now has kidney damage, but i am determined not to end up with kidney damage. this is thanks to treatment for hypertension.
when you look at me, you would never know that i have hypertension. i am 5'6, 125 lbs. i do 1 hour of cardio each day, as well as weights 4 times per week. looking at my body you would assume that i am 100% healthy, but my body holds a secret, for some reason i have high blood pressure. it's genetic, apparently.
25 and my bp was 160/120, not good.
i do not eat lunch meats, salt my food, or eat salty foods. this is in part due to my diligence in not wanting to face hbp, not wanting to face kidney damage and reduced quality of life.
i take dyazide. my bp is now 110/70. my risk for heart attack and stroke are reduced, and my risks for kidney damage as well.
this "chemical" will save me from a lifetime of complications which hbp would create, had i not been treated.
as nurses we should encourage an overall healthy lifestyle, while realizing that we do not 100% know why people like me have hbp... without knowing why certain people have hyperlipidemia even though they change their diet, exercise, etc.
some things we just do not know.
i am glad those "chemicals" exist.
