Live-in care can be extremely stressful and without even realising it, you may find that you are suffering from high blood pressure. Normally we are always on the lookout for high and low blood pressure in our clients, and we may not be aware that even carers can have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure has become known as the silent killer. In fact, some symptoms are difficult to spot but they can lead to deadly and even fatal conditions.
A very frightening thought indeed is that one in four adults in the UK suffer from high blood pressure without knowing it. It can lead to problems like strokes and heart attacks with women being more at risk than men, according to experts.
It can place extra strain on the blood vessels, kidneys, heart, brain and even eyes with constant high pressure having deadly repercussions.
Arteries can be damaged by high blood pressure because it makes them less elastic. This then decreases the flow of oxygen and blood to the heart, and this will often lead to heart disease.
And as if this is not enough, decreased blood flow can cause:
Angina
Heart attacks
Heart failure
Stroke and brain issues
Kidney disease
Fluid retention
Fatigue
Palpitations
Shortness of breath
Headaches
Pain between the shoulder blades or in the chest
Tiredness
Hot flushes
Looking at the symptoms it is easy to see why menopause, anxiety and stress may be thought of as the problem, where in fact, the issue is high blood pressure.
According to the NHS high blood pressure is anywhere from 140/90mmHg and upwards.
The NHS also encourages women to have their blood pressure checked regularly after the age of 40. They recommend doing this annually.
Professor Angela Mass from the Women’s Cardiac Health Programme and Radboud University in the Netherlands says that her advice to all women is to take blood pressure seriously, know what your individual values are and if you feel that it is too high talk to your GP.
Women should never underestimate the long-term effects of high blood pressure.
Because the signs are so easily confused, it becomes vital to be proactive in preventing the disease and being aware of the signs and symptoms.
One of the most significant consequences of high blood pressure in women is a type of heart failure which can lead to severe complications where there are few treatment options available.
As live-in carers it is very important that we are not only taking care of our clients, but also ourselves. If you should be experiencing the symptoms, never assume until you have talked to a doctor about what is going on.
It is very easy to ignore our own health while taking care of our clients, but ultimately, we will pay the price with the consequences sometimes being disastrous.
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