Recently, 45-year-old Ms. Zhang was sent to a Chinese Medicine Hospital by her relatives for emergency treatment due to unconsciousness. After a head CT and other related examinations, the doctor diagnosed hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage.
It is understood that Ms. Zhang has suffered from high blood pressure for many years. Although she usually takes antihypertensive drugs, her blood pressure is not well controlled. Because Ms. Zhang lived alone for a long time, she was found unconscious at home by her relatives two days after losing contact. In order to save the patient’s life, medical staff immediately performed a minimally invasive removal of intracranial hematoma. The operation was performed under local anesthesia and lasted less than 30 minutes. During the operation, 20 ml of blood was drawn from the patient’s skull. After the operation, Ms. Zhang’s vital signs were stable and her consciousness gradually became clear. She is still recovering.
Hypertension is a very common disease in today’s life. It is also called “silent killer” abroad, which means “silent killer”. Why is it called this name? Because hypertension seems to be unknown, if it is not controlled, it will cause coronary heart disease, kidney failure, and even stroke, which will seriously endanger life and health.
For hypertensive patients, in addition to standard treatment, the most important thing is to do a good job of self-care. So, what are the methods of self-care for hypertension?
1. Measure blood pressure on time. It is best for families to bring their own sphygmomanometers and take blood pressure measurements on time. Under normal circumstances, patients need to take blood pressure measurements at least once a week and make a record, so that the doctor can use it as a reference to adjust the drug dose during diagnosis. If the blood pressure is unstable, the blood pressure can be measured every day, and the blood pressure should be controlled within 140/90mmHg as much as possible.
2. Reasonable diet. Patients with hypertension should choose a light and easy-to-digest diet with low salt, low calories, low fat, and low cholesterol, eat more fruits and vegetables, and supplement calcium. Avoid ingesting foods with high alcohol content and canned food, pickled products, egg yolks, animal offal, animal fats, and seasonings with more salt or sodium, and control irritating beverages such as coffee and strong tea. You can eat more foods containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as fresh fish), which is beneficial to blood pressure control and possible coronary atherosclerosis in the future. Patients who take potassium excretion diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, etc.) should supplement potassium-rich foods, such as mushrooms, bananas, and oranges.
3. Ensure adequate sleep. Patients with hypertension should try their best to live regularly and ensure adequate sleep time. If the patient has problems with sleep quality, he can drink a cup of hot milk before going to bed to improve sleep quality.
4. Exercise should be appropriate. Develop the habit of regular aerobic exercise, about 3 to 5 times a week, 30 to 45 minutes each time. The main exercise methods are walking, jogging, swimming, and Tai Chi. Avoid strenuous physical activities such as weightlifting and wrestling. In the event of dizziness, chest tightness, shortness of breath, etc., you should stop exercising and contact your doctor immediately. In addition, it should be noted that the low temperature in the morning and vasoconstriction are the high incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, so try not to exercise in the morning, you can choose to do it in the afternoon or evening.
5. Take medicine on time. Many patients feel that their high blood pressure is not serious, and sometimes forget to take the medicine and simply stop taking it, so that they often take a few days and stop for a few days. In fact, high blood pressure is a “time bomb”. When you are emotional, it is very likely that your blood pressure will rise suddenly, which may cause a blood vessel rupture or stroke. Therefore, be sure to take medicine regularly. The initial administration of antihypertensive drugs should be carried out under the guidance of professional physicians. After long-term blood pressure control is stable, the dosage can be adjusted according to the results of blood pressure monitoring under the guidance of professional physicians, and the drug should not be stopped by itself.
6. Self mentality adjustment. According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization, men who are often in negative emotions are 1.5 times more likely to develop high blood pressure than men who are emotionally comfortable, and 1.7 times more likely for women. Emotion is a healthy switch. When emotions fluctuate, blood pressure will naturally rise. If it reaches a certain level, it is quite dangerous. For people with mental stress and mental imbalance, they should adjust their mentality, empathize, and calm their mentality by enjoying music, learning painting and calligraphy, planting flowers and plants, etc.
7. Control weight. With the improvement of living standards, more and more people are overweight and obese. Obesity can not only cause high blood pressure, but also cause coronary heart disease, cholecystitis, arthritis and many other systemic diseases. Therefore, if you want to stay away from high blood pressure, you must pay attention to weight loss. It is recommended that your body mass index (BMI) be controlled below 24.
8. Quit smoking and drinking. Smoking is the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease and malignant hypertension. Patients with hypertension should develop a feasible plan to quit smoking. Drinking alcohol causes a brief drop in blood pressure and then rebounds above normal levels.
