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High blood pressure can afflict kids, too |
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By Dr. Munaf Kadri, Guest Columnist
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major public health issue, affecting approximately 20 percent of adults. But you may be surprised to learn that it affects children as well. In fact, 1 to 3 percent of children and adolescents experience it.
Hypertension needs to be recognized early, as it is associated with the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease later on in life. Detection
High blood pressure or hypertension is measured as a systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Ask your pediatrician about your child’s or adolescent’s blood pressure when you go for a check up. It is important to be proactive and ask if the pressure is normal to prevent long term damage. If hypertension is untreated, it may worsen and prolonged extra pressure can lead to heart failure. It may cause stroke by causing blood vessels in the brain to burst. It may cause damage to kidneys and other organs. Thus, it is very important to diagnose and treat hypertension. Signs and symptoms
It is most likely diagnosed by simple blood pressure measurement. However, it may present in your child as headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, and visual disturbances. If your child is found to have high blood pressure, your pediatrician will order tests to see if there is an underlying medical problem. This may include simple blood and urine tests. If an underlying cause is found, the doctor will try to address this cause. If no underlying cause is found, the patient is said to have "essential hypertension."Treatment
Salt restriction is important in management of hypertension. Restricting salty foods can reverse mild hypertension and lower serious hypertension. Avoid canned foods and eat more fresh fruits. Canned foods generally tend to have higher levels of salt. When other interventions fail to improve your child’s blood pressure, your child’s doctor may recommend using medications. The doctor may prescribe a diuretic, which is a medicine that increases urine output. If this does not work, there are numerous other medications may be tried.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends having blood pressure checked at regular visits. Pressure should be checked by age three or sooner if your child was preterm, had a low birth weight or had other illnesses. You should watch your child’s caloric intake. Remove excess salt even if there is no high blood pressure. Your child should get plenty of fruits and vegetables. Most importantly, parents have to make good nutritional choices for the entire family and lead by example. It is difficult to get children to change their habits if the parents do not do so themselves. A healthy lifestyle will go a long way in preventing hypertension and its unwanted consequences. Dr Kadri is a founding UMMA board member. He is a pediatrician-neonatologist at Loma Linda University Medical Center. The first step in treatment to high blood pressure is exercise. If your child is obese, weight reduction through exercise would be recommended. There is strong evidence of obesity with hypertension. Some studies suggest that obesity accounts for 45 percent of hypertension in adolescents. Nutritional counseling for weight loss should be a part of managing hypertension. Weight loss should be a major part of treatment in an obese child or adolescent. Encourage your child to be active by playing sports or exercise three to four times per week.
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