How Salt Causes Hypertension (Also known as High Blood Pressure)

Hello daddy how are you doing today? I am fine thank you Jane, he replied. Daddy you sound tired and your response rate isn’t consistent. What exactly is the problem? For days now, I have been feeling very tired and I noticed blood in my urine. I haven’t gone to the hospital because I feel it’s just one of those issues and everything will return back to normalcy very soon.

Daddy, how many days exactly have you been having this issue? About three days now. What! So for three days now you have been seeing blood in your urine and you have been feeling consistently tired this way and you think things will be fine without doing anything about it?

The truth is that Jane I have been praying and I believe God will heal. Daddy! I know God can and will heal you but at least you should have gone to the hospital first so they will tell you exactly what is wrong. See daddy, I am coming to pick you right now so that we can go to the hospital together.

Jane you don’t have to worry, I will go there myself. Daaadddy, I insist. In issues like this, I don’t trust your decision. I will be with you in less than thirty minutes.

Daddy turned sixty last year and he retired from active civil service five days after sixtieth birthday. It is not unusually to find people five to ten years older than daddy still on the government payroll around here because most of them reduced their ages while applying for their jobs. Honesty is one of daddy’s values and he would rather loss while doing the right thing than gain while doing the wrong thing. Mummy died while my siblings and I were still kids and daddy took care of the three of us till we became adults and left the house. But we have built a very strong bond with him over the years.

Retirement is taking its toll on him as he stays in doors often. Getting a care giver for him has been a bit of a challenge. The good thing is that his friends come around to see him often so he doesn’t feel the absence of people that much. He is also a great cook but whenever any of us goes to see him, we prepare different dishes so he wouldn’t have to stress himself to cook at least for the next couple of days.

Growing up, dad was really nice to us but he was strict when it comes to academics and everything about God. He doesn’t joke with those. We used to discuss everything about school, friendship and relationship with dad and he was always willing to guide us right. He wasn’t the judgmental type of father most of our friends had then. I remember the shock on the faces of my friends back in days when I told them how I and my siblings tell our father everything including relationships…lol.

We arrived at the hospital and daddy explained his symptoms to the doctor on duty. One of the first things the doctor did was to take the reading of his blood pressure. The expression of the doctor’s face changed and I could feel something was seriously wrong. Imagine someone whom we just exchanged heartfelt greetings with about twenty minutes ago becoming so sour. I was getting impatient.

Doctor please, what is the problem I asked? What is wrong with my dad? Your dad’s blood pressure is really high. It is 145/90mmHg. I fear he might be suffering from hypertension. To confirm this, you have to come back three different times (12 noon, 5pm and 9pm) today so that I can measure his blood pressure and draw my conclusion. All the while the doctor was speaking, my father was mute. He didn’t even say a word while I was questioning the doctor and his face was expressionless and it was difficult for me to read his mind. While we were leaving the hospital, I asked him what the issue was. He turned, looked at me and said, “Jane all is well. You really don’t need to be worried about me. I know this is a phase and everything will be alright again”. Those words genuinely reduced my fears and we went home.

At 9pm that day, we were already back to the doctor’s office for the final measurement of dad’s blood pressure. At Noon when we went back to take the measurement it was 150/95mmHg. At 5pm, it was 152/95 mmHg and now at 9pm, its 155/100mmHg. The doctor broke the news to us that he just confirmed dad has high blood pressure with the series of measurements he has been taking all day.

Immediately the doctor pronounced dad hypertensive, he began to panic. I got really nervous too and I tried my best not to shed a tear. His blood pressure will be properly managed if you do all I tell you to do, said the doctor. Mr. Jones, you need to change your lifestyle and take your drugs I will be giving you the doctor told my dad. Hypertension can’t be cured but it can be properly managed when you do what you are asked to do. I am not telling you this to scare you but to put your mind at rest. Trust me, you will be fine. Those words helped dad and I to stop panicking and feeling nervous respectively.

Mr Jones, you need to start exercising, eating less fatty and low salt foods. Also you need to cut down or stop taking meals prepared with seasoning cubes (bouillon cubes). Its funny most people don’t know that most seasoning cubes are made up of about 40% salt and they still add more salt to their meals.

Let’s do a little calculation. Most seasoning cubes you find in Nigeria weigh eight grams. Forty percent of it is almost four grams which is half the weight of the seasoning cubes. Then you add salt again into the food. Aside that, people use a lot of seasoning cubes to cook a single meal. That increases the quantity of the salt in the meal. The World health organization said that an adult should only eat five grams of salt per day. With all these you most likely will consume more salt than the recommended quantity you are meant to eat daily.

Another thing you need to pay attention to again is the monosodium glutamate these seasoning cubes contain. This also contains sodium. Sodium is good but too much of it increases blood pressure. This monosodium glutamate is the main component of the seasoning cubes that sweeten your meals. Instead of adding more sodium to your meals with this, use natural spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food sir.

I understand this “revamp” of lifestyle won’t be that easy but it’s achievable. Kindly check your card for your next appointment date. Jane please, take good care of your dad and make sure he takes his drugs and does every other thing I have told him to do. I will see you guys in your next appointment. Dad and I thanked the doctor for his time and we left.

I had to learn how to cook with low salt and without seasoning cubes so that I can care for my dad. I made sure he exercises daily and does everything the doctor told him to do. Dad is much better now and his blood pressure is stable.