Hospital Regional de Paragominas addresses prevention of hypertensive disease

The “National Day for the Prevention and Combat of Arterial Hypertension”, always held on April 25th, is a date to raise awareness among the population about the importance of preventing and controlling high blood pressure, a condition characterized by a persistent increase in blood pressure. in the arteries. Contributing to the special date, professionals from the Hospital Regional Público do Leste, in Paragominas, clarify the factors associated with the development of the disease.

Cardiologist at HRPL, Wallace Tavares explains that hypertension or high blood pressure, as it is popularly known, consists of blood pressure systematically equal to or greater than 140 per 90 millimeters of mercury.

The doctor highlights that blood pressure can rise for several reasons, but mainly due to vasoconstriction. That is, the contraction of blood vessels.

“The heart can be compared to a tap connected to several nozzles. If we close the tip of one of the nozzles, the pressure increases. The same happens when the heart pumps blood, if the vessels are narrowed, the pressure rises”, he pointed out.

Wallace Tavares adds that hypertensive disease, in most cases, is inherited from parents, but it can also be a consequence of a disorder of the thyroid or endocrinological glands, such as the adrenal gland.

“However, there are several other factors that influence blood pressure levels, such as: smoking, consumption of alcoholic beverages, obesity, stress, excess salt consumption, high cholesterol levels, lack of physical activity, diabetes and inadequate sleep. Adult people should measure their blood pressure at least once a year as a means of monitoring. Furthermore, healthy lifestyle habits must be adopted to prevent hypertension, such as healthy eating and physical activity”, warned Wallace Tavares.

Brenda Camelo, nutritionist at Hospital Regional do Leste, comments that adequate nutrition plays a fundamental role in preventing this disease, as overweight and obesity can accelerate the onset of hypertension by up to 10 years. Furthermore, she emphasizes that excessive salt consumption, associated with inappropriate eating habits, also contribute to the emergence of hypertension.

“The National Day to Prevent and Combat High Blood Pressure aims to raise awareness of the disease, in addition to encouraging early diagnosis and treatment. The initial symptoms are characterized by dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitations, frequent headache and changes in vision, however, sometimes the disease is silent, which is why it is important to regularly measure blood pressure”, emphasized nutritionist Brenda Camelo.

She adds that, at HRPL, the Dietary Nutrition Service (SND), as well as the Clinical Nutrition Service (SNC), work together providing a diet based on the principles of healthy eating to hospitalized users. It also mentions the assessment of nutritional status carried out daily by clinical nutritionists and training for the diet production team in order to offer adequate diets, especially for patients with chronic complications, such as high blood pressure.

“At the time of hospital discharge, the patient receives adequate nutritional guidance for the prevention and treatment of hypertension with information that will help to make healthier food choices, which will help control the disease”, explains the nutritionist.

Valdeci Galdino, 57 years old, is one of the HRPL users who lives with hypertension. He says he discovered the disease recently and that the condition requires greater attention to health, including some lifestyle adaptations.

“I myself have high blood pressure and I still need to know a little more about the disease, but I know that it brings a lot of harm, like stroke. You should avoid consuming too much salt. It is important to drink plenty of water and take care of your health. Initiatives that address hypertension are very important, because, with the information, we can know the risks we run and how to avoid the disease”, said the farmer.

Service:

The Public Regional Hospital of the East is an organization within the health network of the government of Pará managed by the Instituto Diretrizes, in partnership with the State Department of Public Health (Sespa).

Text by Pedro Amorim