Rising pressure

According to experts, almost 25 percent of the Pakistani population suffers from hyper tension or high blood pressure. This puts them at risks of cardiac disease, stroke and a host of other ailments. Doctors warn that even children as young as 15 years old are being detected with raised blood pressure. Of course, this is almost certainly a very high percentage of the population that has not been detected with the ailment given the limited access to medical care facilities in many parts of our country and the lack of awareness about regular health check-ups.

Experts also warn that of those suffering hypertension 50percent are based in urban centres. This could of course be because those in cities are more likely to visit a clinic or medical facility, but also because exercise may be more limited in cities especially for those doing sedentary jobs.

Doctors say that the lack of exercise, consumption of unhealthy foods including fried items and other conditions of life contribute to the rising rates of high blood pressure in Pakistan. The problem also is that, especially in its earliest stages when treatment can be most effective, the disease produces virtually no symptoms. It however continues to damage organs in the body. The only solution to the problem is to run a campaign designed to inform ordinary people across the country about the need to get blood pressure checked at regular intervals. Lifestyle changes such as controlling weight and diet can also help keep the ailment under check. People need to be informed about this and basic medical care facilities offered at centres everywhere in the country, especially in far-flung areas, so that more people can easily discover the problem and attain treatment that they need. Treating high blood pressure is far easier than treating the ill effects it can cause in the longer run, which makes it imperative that we set out on a mission to prevent the problem and educate people about the risks it poses to their health.