10 Hypertension Myths You Probably Would Have Heard

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“Oh, if you’re suffering from hypertension, you should be feeling the following symptoms..”

Or

“I’m way too young to be hypertensive” 

Or even,

“I come with a family history of hypertension. I might as well live a little before I start seeing hypertension symptoms.”

These are all common excuses that you must’ve heard one time or the other in conversations regarding hypertension. But even though people claim many of these to be myths, they are not. The facts behind these myths are often misrepresented and the statistics are skewed. 

If you’re experiencing blood pressure that’s above 120/80, that means that you should tread carefully.

Keep reading to know more about the ten misinterpreted hypertension myths and the facts behind them. 

1. The Common Symptoms Of Hypertension Are Headaches, Dizziness, Chest Pain And/Or Nosebleeds. 

High blood pressure can manifest in many ways that are not as obvious as the mentioned symptoms. Nervousness, sweating, troubled sleep are all symptoms of high blood pressure. A lot of the cases go unnoticed because people are looking for the obvious symptoms while ignoring the minor ones. 

2. Hypertension Is Only Seen In People Above 40. 

Age is not really a huge factor when it comes to having high blood pressure. As soon as you start seeing a physician, it is important to screen your blood pressure at healthy intervals. Especially if you’re in an unhealthy fat range or such, it is even more imperative to get your blood pressure checked regularly. If there is any cause for worry, the numbers will show it even if your body still hasn’t started to. 

3. There Is Nothing You Can Do To Prevent Hypertension If You Are Genetically Predisposed To It. 

Even though you are genetically predisposed to having high blood pressure, lifestyle choices are also a huge factor in the condition manifesting in your later years. If you continue to make unhealthy habits, hypertension can wreak havoc on your body. So if you’re eating unhealthy, change it. Quite vices like cigarettes and alcohol and most importantly, start a practice of daily movement and exercise. 

4. Low Blood Pressure Is Okay; High Blood Pressure Is The Problem. 

While high blood pressure gets a lot of flack for being problematic, people don’t give enough credit to low blood pressure. If your body is low in blood pressure, it can show certain symptoms like dizziness, and fainting. Lower blood pressure can also be indicative of a damaged circulatory system. The symptoms from low blood pressure, especially one like shock, can cause fatalities if not attended to immediately.

While comparatively lower blood pressure may be normal for some people, it is important to keep an eye on the monitor and to stay alert. 

5. Since I Don’t Use Table Salt, My Sodium Intake Is Managed. 

Sodium is a sneaky ingredient who can hide in a lot of processed food items. Just because you are avoiding table salt (added salt) in your main meals, doesn’t mean that you’re not eating any at all. 

In some people, sodium can cause a spike in blood pressure, and this is why it is important that people learn to read labels. A lot of hidden salt can be found out through this. And this is not limited to fried snacks or frozen meals, this could also be the case with your favourite spreads, and even drinks. 

Debunking Hypertension Myths

6. Blood Pressure Medication Can Be Stopped Once The Symptoms Subside. 

Blood pressure is a fickle condition that requires constant monitoring and expert guidance. If certain symptoms that have been bothering you are starting to subside, that’s not a cue to stop them. Medications require the patients to follow courses to see the best possible result. 

Doctors keep this in mind while treating a patient and expect them to respect this recommendation. So it’s not up to us to self-medicate or abruptly stop a medication. 

7. Your Stress Management Skills And/Or Demeanor Indicates Your Blood Pressure. 

A lot of Indians amount their racing heart and thumping ears as an indication of high blood pressure. While high-stress situations can get the blood pumping, generally having a calm demeanour is not good enough of a reason to not expect high blood pressure rates just like how you wouldn’t expect an easily irritable man to always have high blood pressure. 

8. Since I’m A Woman, I’m Not Going To Get Hypertension.

There are no gender barriers when it comes to high blood pressure. But if you’re on certain birth control pills, are pregnant, or are going through menopause, your risks for developing high blood pressure is higher as a woman than as a healthy man. Poorly managed lifestyle choices are often the culprit that makes people more vulnerable to having hypertension complications rather than their gender. 

9. If You’ve Got High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure Is To Be Expected. 

Since poor lifestyle choices are often the culprit behind both high blood pressure and high cholesterol, they may occur together in patients. But this has to do more with the poor dietary choices and sedentary lifestyle of the patient, rather than any dependence of blood pressure and cholesterol on each other. But it is possible for patients to experience high cholesterol without having high blood pressure and vice versa.   

10. I Only Need To Consider The Blood Pressure Reading At The Doctor’s Office. 

A lot of people find that the anticipation of getting pressure checked to be reason enough to cause elevated heart pressure numbers. But you also can’t brush off these numbers as hospital room jitters. If you experience elevated high blood pressure readings multiple times, it is time to start routine self-monitoring your vitals. They can help you understand your body and your hypertension better. 

If you’ve been falling for these myths, and thereby ignoring your blood pressure readings and taking questionable lifestyle choices, it’s time to make it right. Routine self-monitoring and being an active participant in your healthcare can go a long way in catching hypertension in time and managing it effectively. 

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