Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : October 6, 2017 7:33 PM IST
I am a 50-year-old man. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at a doctor's clinic during a normal checkup around 6 months back. However, I do not have any symptoms or health problems. As I have no problem with high blood pressure is it okay to not get it treated? I include fresh fruits and vegetables and don t use table salt and hence, my sodium intake is low. So if my blood pressure becomes normal after taking medicines, can I stop taking medications?
The query is answered by Dr Gunjan Kapoor, Director, Interventional Cardiology, Jaypee Hospital, Noida.
High blood pressure runs in the family. However with good lifestyle changes, one can avoid getting high blood pressure even if your family has a history of hypertension. But that doesn't mean you should avoid any treatment or not consult your doctor. Not many people know that in most cases, people with high blood pressure may not show any warning signs and symptoms. And this is the reason, it is known as a silent killer. If you have no symptoms or any health problems because of high blood pressure it doesn't mean that you are safe. In fact, you still have a high risk of getting a stroke, heart attack, heart failure or cardiovascular disease due to increased blood pressure readings. And hence, it is important to take treatment irrespective of the symptoms.
So do consult your doctor and get your blood pressure checked. If left untreated it can lead to severe health problems. Not just heart problems, uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to kidney dysfunction or failure, vision loss, angina, peripheral arterial disease (where the blood supply to legs, arms or stomach and intestine can be reduced) and sexual dysfunction in males. Read more about the dangers and complications of high and uncontrolled blood pressure.
Also, most people think that once the blood pressure becomes normal, you can stop taking medicines. However, it can do more harm than good. This is because a majority of the people with hypertension may require medications for the rest of the life. In very few cases, use of medications for few years can bring down the requirement of medicines followed by aggressive lifestyle changes. However, it is up to your doctor to decide and if needed, change the concentration of the medications depending upon your condition. Here's more on medications for high blood pressure all your queries answered
Limiting the intake of table salt is not a reason to stop taking medicines even if your hypertension is in control. Moreover, you need to know that 75% of our oral sodium intake comes from hidden sources like tomato sauce, soups, canned foods & bakery items. It is therefore important to read the food labels and check the sodium content on most of the pre-packaged food items. You may like to read about the top 10 myths about hypertension.
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