Hypertension - Family support following your hypertension treatment plan
Family and friends can be a wonderful resource in helping you keep your blood pressure under control - and it helps them stay healthy too.
While a hypertension diagnosis may leave you feeling overwhelmed, remember that you aren't alone. As well as your health professionals, your family and friends can help you on this journey and support you in following your treatment plan.
If you need to lose weight, have your family help to clear the house of unhealthy edible temptations. Follow the DASH diet together and learn how to make healthier versions of favourite family recipes. Look for tasty seasoning replacements everyone can use to reduce salt intake. It saves time and money if the whole family eats the same healthy meals; there isn’t a need for you to prepare food separately.
Exercise helps maintain healthy blood pressure and benefits everyone. Find fun physical activities the whole family can enjoy so you can exercise together. Hiking, biking, dancing, playing a game of Frisbee or family soccer - find what you love.
Taking your medication correctly each day is your responsibility, but you can ask a family member to remind you until you’ve made it an ingrained habit.
Check blood pressure regularly, and encourage loved ones to do the same annually - make it a family tradition. Remember no one can “feel” if their blood pressure is high.
There is some indication that high blood pressure can run in families. So the lifestyle changes you need to make will benefit not only you, but other family members you influence to join you. Their improved health may help prevent them from developing hypertension, or will at least instill good habits.
Written and Managed by Medinformer
Medical References
National Kidney Foundation. High blood pressure: the role of the family. Link: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/hbpfamily
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa. Blood pressure. 2021.