Free Essay. the Importance of Health Maintenance, Screening, and Management of Hypertension

To provide vital and timely information regarding hypertension to the community in need.

The target audience is my community who are very literate on health matters and other areas. In most cases, my community, like visiting social media to gather information regarding health matters before physically visiting a practitioner. I will use Facebook because most of the people in my community have Facebook accounts. Facebook is the most common and the leading social media platform which comprises of more than a billion active members. In Facebook, a user can generate information without and difficulties and instantly make the information extensively available and easily reached. Additionally, Facebook will help in establishing patient connections, growing relationships with the targeted audiences, connecting with people of similar hypertension issues and interests, and providing a conducive environment of timely communication. A user can also use Facebook to bring hope to patients by sharing success stories to demonstrate abilities.

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The topics that I will cover on my Facebook page include:

Understanding hypertension in the elderly- the rate of high blood pressure in older adults has increased considerably. Hypertension in the elderly is among the major topics in high blood pressure treatment. Control of hypertension in older adults can efficiently inhibit heart problems, stroke, cognitive deterioration, and reduction of death rates among the elderly. Blood pressure increases gradually with age, and accordingly, the occurrence of high blood pressure is higher in older adults (Virdis et al., 2011).

Prevention and control of high blood pressure- research indicates that hypertension can lead to adverse effects if it is nor controlled for a continued period. Regular monitoring of blood pressure at home and consistent check-ups enables individual control of hypertension. Monitoring the blood pressure assists in keeping the blood pressure under control. Most people lack awareness of the presence of hypertension in their bodies. Hypertension is a silent killer disease because an individual might lack the symptoms, but the illness is a leading risk factor for heart problems and stroke (Ettehad et al., 2016).

Screening and treatment of high blood pressure in older adults- evidence indicates that screening and treating high blood pressure helps to prevent heart diseases amongst older adults. An individual is diagnosed with high blood pressure if the person sustains elevated blood pressure that is up to 140mmHg. Treatment of high blood pressure is available and affordable. Research shows that making hypertension screening a priority especially to the people with a high risk of heart diseases and the poor can lead to improved health population and reduced mortality (John, Muliyil & Balraj, 2010).

Management of hypertension in older adults- the main goal of treating high blood pressure is the attainment and maintenance of the required blood pressure. If a person is diagnosed with high blood pressure, Drugs such as thiazide-type diuretic should be used to attain goal blood pressure. In case the goal blood pressure is not reached using the recommended drugs, antihypertensive drugs may be used. If a patient's goal blood pressure fails to be attained, the patient should be referred to a hypertension specialist (James et al., 2014).

References

Ettehad, D., Emdin, C. A., Kiran, A., Anderson, S. G., Callender, T., Emberson, J., ... & Rahimi, K. (2016). Blood pressure-lowering for prevention of cardiovascular disease and death: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 387(10022), 957-967. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01225-8

James, P. A., Oparil, S., Carter, B. L., Cushman, W. C., Dennison-Himmelfarb, C., Handler, J., ... & Smith, S. C. (2014). 2014 evidence-based guideline for the management of high blood pressure in adults: a report from the panel members appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8). Jama, 311(5), 507-520. DOI:10.1001/jama.2013.284427

John, J., Muliyil, J., & Balraj, V. (2010). Screening for hypertension among older adults: a primary care "high risk" approach. Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 35(1), 67. DOI: 10.4103/0970-0218.62561

Virdis, A., M Bruno, R., Fritsch Neves, M., Bernini, G., Taddei, S., & Ghiadoni, L. (2011). Hypertension in the elderly: an evidence-based review. Current pharmaceutical design, 17(28), 3020-3031. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/138161211798157711