Hypertension is a medical condition that is associated with ageing, and which affects both men and women, once they reach 50 years or about that age. It has been established that a person could develop hypertension at a younger age. Nonetheless, when discovered early and properly managed medically, a person with hypertension can still live a fully functional prolonged life, without developing other health complications or even delaying their onset. Below are tips for lowering blood pressure.

Make small changes

If you have high blood pressure, there’s plenty you can do every day to control it. Eating healthier, exercising more, and tweaking other day-to-day habits can help keep your readings in check. That might keep you from needing medication to keep your numbers where they should be.

Eat a healthy diet

You can lower your blood pressure by eating lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy. Look for foods that don’t have much fat or cholesterol. This approach has a name: the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. It includes lean meats, poultry, fish, and nuts. It’s also high in protein and fibre and avoids sugary drinks, red meats, and sweets.

Lose extra weight

Shedding even a few extra kilograms can lower your blood pressure. It’s also important to watch your waist. Too much bulk around your midsection can affect your BP. For women, a waist of more than 35 inches is high. For men, it’s more than 40 inches.

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Be Active

Exercise can help you lower your blood pressure and lose weight. Aim to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Look for aerobic workouts that make your lungs and heart work a little harder. Try things like brisk walking, biking, swimming, or dancing. Even chores like raking leaves or washing windows count.

Watch your salt

Too much sodium can raise your blood pressure. You should aim for no more than 1,500 milligrams a day. You don’t get sodium just from the salt you sprinkle in foods. It can also hide in packaged foods. Read labels before you buy. Salt can lurk in things like soups, sandwiches, and pizza.

Get more potassium

Your blood pressure is likely to be higher if you don’t get enough of this nutrient. Shoot for between 3,000 and 3,500 milligrams each day. How much is that? A medium banana has about 420 milligrams. A baked potato with the skin gives you more than 900 milligrams. Spinach, beans, tomatoes, oranges, yoghurt, and sweet potatoes are also high in potassium. Some people with medical issues like kidney disease or who take certain medicines may have to be careful with potassium. So check with your doctor before changing what you eat.

Ease stress

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted members of the public to the presence of defective tetracycline hydrochloride ophthalmic ointment in the market.

It therefore in possession of the defective ointment to discard it immediately.

This is contained in a notice signed by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said the World Health Organisation (WHO) had raised an alarm on batches of the tetracycline hydrochloride ophthalmic ointment USP one per cent for various quality issues.

She added that the affected ointment, manufactured by Navi Mumbai-based Galentic Pharma (India) Pvt Ltd, was still within valid shelf life.

She quoted the WHO as saying, “At least 55 countries received the affected batches, and the manufacturer has initiated a voluntary recall for several batches.

“The WHO also stated that the manufacturer had indicated that other batches may be included in the voluntary recall.”

She also said, “Five international procurers of the product independently conducted a visual examination of random samples of stock on hand and detected a range of quality issues.

“The issues reported by each procurer were not uniform and varied from batch to batch. Some of such issues include the presence of particles, ranging in colour, size and shape on the nozzle in the cap and in the ointment inside each tube.

“Others are black spots and brown splotches on the inner foil layer of the tube, and phase separation.

“Tetracycline Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Ointment USP one per is indicated for use in bacterial blepharitis (red, swollen, irritated, and itchy eyelids), bacterial conjunctivitis (eye discharge, redness and itching), bacterial keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), and trachoma caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.

“The product is given as treatment for infants and older children and also indicated as a preventive measure for infants, including neonates.”

She also urged anyone who suffered any adverse reaction to seek prompt medical advice.

South Africa has called for vigilance on the part of the country’s citizens after health authorities confirmed two imported cases of cholera.