Nigeria’s silent epidemic: High blood pressure among youths
“IWAS just released from the hospital,” my mentee said to me as called her last Monday to check in. She lives alone and she had fainted at home. Her brother found her in such a critical state and immediately rushed her to the hospital. She was at the hospital for a week and was just released the Monday I called. What did the doctor say was the matter? I asked, “I have high blood pressure,” she responded.
It is extremely concerning that a growing number of young persons living in Nigeria are living with both diagnosed and undiagnosed high blood pressure. According to the World Health Organisation, high blood pressure is when the pressure in the blood vessels is too high. When one has high blood pressure, the heart works harder to pump blood. A few symptoms of high blood pressure include: blurred vision, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and headaches. People with high blood pressure may not feel any of these symptoms. For many, the only way to know is to get your blood pressure checked. I posed this question on Twitter, “why do 20- year olds living in Lagos have high blood pressure?” and the responses came in as to reasons why. Nejeeb Bello Oyarese (@ nejeebbello) said, “Lagos is too stressful. For instance, thousands of food vendors barely slept last night, knowing the styrofoam and plastic packaging they bought in bulk to cut costs has now been banned. You step out of your house breathing bad air, paying taxes to area boys, then dodging police and thieves. How can one continue this way?”
Donaldson Okoye (@ okoyedonaldson) stated, “inflation and capitalism are after our life.” Amongst many other responses to the question posed, @ kehindemurain mentioned, “cardiovascular cases will always be on the rise in a place like Lagos. Stress levels are high at home, on the road, and at the office. Lagos residents do not get quality sleep, have poor eating habits, poor health seeking behaviors, and the list is endless.”
It is important to note that high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a major cause of premature death worldwide. What can be done to protect our young people? As Nigeria’s macroeconomic situation worsens, and the naira continues to depreciate, many young people are under significant pressure particularly for financial responsibilities. There are too many young people now crowdfunding on social media for their basic necessities such as food, school fees, medical bills, and to secure the release of kidnapped relatives. As more countries adopt stricter immigration policies, it may become more difficult for younger persons to leave the country, or japa as planned. With fewer job prospects and as unemployment continues to reach unreasonable heights, what options are Nigeria’s youths really left with?
Despite these macroeconomic challenges and uncertainties, more Nigerians, especially young people, need to adopt a culture and social community of proactive wellness. One can take action steps by increasing physical activity while reducing high- salt and maggi intake, alcohol, anxiety, and stress.
This will help in managing treatment for this disease. In addition, practicing mindfulness while adopting essential core values and learning not to take things so personally, might help people to think beyond the current challenges that they are faced with. Good health is wealth.