Assignment Task:
Create a Reply for this discussion also adds some references.
Disease Prevention and Management: Hypertension
Hypertension is a major cause of critical conditions such as stroke, myocardial infarction and renal failure. It remains asymptomatic and thus called "silent killer". Besides medications, lifestyle modifications act as necessary adjunctive treatments. These lifestyle modifications include effective stress management and following suitable diet such as DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
Non-Pharmacological/Lifestyle Modification Approaches
Stress Management
Chronic stress is a major contributing factor causing hypertension. Constantly increased stress levels lead to high cortisol and adrenaline levels which cause vasoconstriction of blood vessels. These stress hormones also keep the blood pressure elevated.
Management of stress positively impacts hypertension management. Stress management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing and yoga help patients cope with stress and also improve cardiovascular health. Research by F. Zhang et al. shows that in hypertensive patients, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs have been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.8 mmHg F. Zhang et al. (2021).
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet
Heart healthy diets have proven to be very effective for the management of cardiac disorders such as hypertension and heart failure. A prolonged study on DASH diet has given positive results in managing hypertension Onwuzo et al. (2023). This diet involves eating more of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and reducing sodium and saturated fats. People are encouraged to replace processed foods with fresh foods to lower their exposure to salt and unhealthy fats. Reducing sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day lowers systolic blood pressure by 5-6 mmHg (Onwuzo et al., 2023). In addition to lowering sodium intake, increasing potassium intake and consuming potassium rich foods such as bananas and spinach have relaxing effect of blood vessels. (Onwuzo et al., 2023).
Impact on disease pathophysiology
The above-mentioned lifestyle measures impact hypertension pathophysiology by:
1. Reducing stress hormones and thus reducing vascular resistance.
2. Reducing sodium causing decreased extracellular fluid volume leading to lower blood pressure.
Role of Nursing:
Nurses educate their patients about healthy diets and lifestyles to promote heart health. They are also equipped to provide education on stress management techniques. In addition to that, nurses monitor blood pressures regularly and identify hypertensive patients early in the disease course to prevent further complications. Follow up of medications is also done by nurses to ensure that patients stick to evidence-based treatments.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, lifestyle modifications are as necessary as medications in the management of hypertension. Stress management and heart healthy diets are major components of hypertension management. Nurses are pivotal in empowering patients to adopt these changes through education, support, and individualized care plans. Need Assignment Help?
References:
Onwuzo, C., O Olukorode, J., Omokore, O. A., Odunaike, O. S., Omiko, R., Osaghae, O. W., Sange, W., Orimoloye, D. A., Kristilere, H. O., Addeh, E., Onwuzo, S., & Omoragbon, L. (2023). DASH Diet: A review of its scientifically proven hypertension reduction and health benefits. Cureus.
Zhang, F., Zhang, Y., Jiang, N., Zhai, Q., Hu, J., & Feng, J. (2021). Influence of mindfulness and relaxation on treatment of essential hypertension: Meta-Analysis. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2021, 1-7.