Happy New Year, my dear readers!
At the very beginning of a new year, what is your New Year resolution? I hope it is a better health condition!
Last time we covered life style intervention on prevention and treatment of hypertension (limit alcohol consumption and increase work-out). This time, we would go through some mild and spiritual ways.
Mental stress will surely activate sympathetic nerve and elevate blood pressure. Such elevated stress mainly originates from excessive work-load, life pressure and morbid psychology (depression, anxiety, Type-A personality, social isolation and lack of social support). Hypertension patients should resort to doctors for pressure management and instruction on individualized cognitive behavior intervention. Necessary condition must resort to psychological therapy combined with medication to alleviate anxiety and mental stress. The main choices of medicines for anxiety disorder are as follows: benzodiazepine (Alprazolam and Lorazepam), selective serotonin 1A agonist (Buspirone and Tandospirone). It is also practical to recommend patients to seek for treatment in professional medical institution to avoid blood pressure fluctuation caused by mental stress.
Human body follows the day and night routine, so did blood pressure. When we fall asleep in normal conditions, heart rate will slow down and blood pressure will decrease. Such day and night change is featured with relatively high blood pressure in day time and relatively low one in night time. Long term poor sleeping quality or insomnia will break such routine. Human body will not receive enough rest and lead to disorder of emotion, mental stress and hormone. There would also be vascular central nervous system regulation dysfunction and increased aldosterone secretion. The persistence of these issues will invariably increase the high blood pressure risks. Our routine might differ individually as long as sufficient sleeping time is ensured. Teenagers need 8 to 9hr sleeping time, adults, 7 to 8hr, and elders, 6 to 7hr. Such length of time would guarantee energy for the following day. If taking a nap is part of your routine, it is better to be less than 30min every day.
By Dr. Linda MU
China Medical Team in NRH of Solomon Islands
(Translated by ZHAO Yi, School of Foreign Languages, Guizhou Medical University)
