Under Pressure

Call me paranoid, but it's all precautionary really and for peace of mind. Incidentally, peace of mind wasn't quite the outcome after attending today's health screening at workplace.

Why did I go for it? Simple. When you hear of people in the prime of their lives coming down with one disease or dropping dead when they have no previously known medical condition, I thought a health screening would be a good stocktake on how your body's holding out.

It was prompted by my company bringing a service provider into the premises to offer their services at a subsidised rate, and so I signed up for an Executive Package.

The results of the blood and urine tests will be known later on, but on site, I was bewildered by my high blood pressure reading. It was 144/88 when normal healthy readings would be 130/80. Not good. Not good at all! It could have been because I'd rushed down for my 1pm appointment. I also confessed to the young lady manning the station that I'd just come from giving a security personnel a piece of my mind. So maybe my blood was still on the boil and I needed to simmer. I was then instructed to make my way to the other stations before coming back for a second reading. I did. No difference to the first.

I'd always felt fit and have been healthy. I exercise at least once a week, which I thought was sufficient. But apparently not. Was I under stress? Not anymore than would the average person I believe.

Have I been eating foods rich in sodium? Not deliberately. In fact, I think my threshold for salty foods is very low. Nor am I big on dried or preserved food. So what could be the cause?

I did an online search and read that in most cases, it is inexplicable why one has high blood pressure. My mum suspects genes play a part. Now that's something you can't change or alter. You inherit both the good and the bad.

Those with high blood pressure are at risk of suffering a stroke and heart attack among other complications, and I'd surely like to steer clear of these.

What can I do? Make small deliberate decisions to exercise more regularly, be more selective in what I eat, learn to live and let live and pray for His watch over my blood pressure. I feel the pressure and pleasure to pray for His mercy over my health.