Hypertension is a heart condition whereby the blood pressure in the arteries is constantly elevated. Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within blood vessels and is measured in ‘millimeters of mercury’ (mmHg) using two numbers; for example, 120/80mmHg.
According to the NHS, more than one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure but many won’t even realize it. The only way to find out is by having your blood pressure checked.
Noticeable symptoms of hypertension are rare as the only time someone will notice symptoms of hypertension will be when their blood pressure reaches dangerously high levels. This is known as a hypertensive crisis and the symptoms for this include severe headaches and anxiety, chest pain, and an irregular heartbeat.
Hypertension puts lots of strain on blood vessels, the heart, and other vital organs such as the kidneys. Having high blood pressure increases the risk of the following serious and potentially life-threatening medical conditions:
Heart disease
Heart attack
Kidney disease
Vascular dementia
Strokes
Heart Failure.
Ways of treating and managing hypertension include:
Watching your diet – Avoid foods high in saturated fat and sugar. Replace them with fruits and vegetables.
Leading an active lifestyle – Begin adding more exercise to your day. Start by walking regularly and then move onto jogging if you can.
Stop smoking – Nicotine raises people’s blood pressure and heart rate. If you smoke, one of the best things you can do for your overall health is to quit.
The NHS recommends that all adults over the age of 40 get their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
With a Personal Alarm, if you feel chest pains or feel unwell you can raise an alert by pressing your red button and informing our Response Team that you’re concerned and they will contact your loved ones, or the ambulance service, and ask them to visit your home.
Asthma occurs when the body’s airways are sensitive to allergens and become inflamed. This inflammation can cause a painful and frightening attack, which causes the airway muscles to tighten and narrow – making it hard to breathe.
Symptoms of asthma include:
Coughing.
A tight sensation in the chest.
Being out of breath regularly.
Older people are susceptible to asthma and it can worsen when people have a cold or the flu. Asthma can be disruptive to a person’s life and managing it is extremely important.
Having a personal alarm could be a difference-maker if you suffer from an asthma attack. You can press your pendant button, which will then make an alarm call through to our Response team They will communicate with you over the loudspeaker and arrange for help immediately. Should you collapse or fall wearing a fall detector, your device will send an alert call automatically.
Around two million people are living with sight loss here in the UK, with 360,000 people registered as blind or partially sighted.
The leading cause of blindness is age-related macular degeneration (AMB), which affects more than 600,000 people in the UK. AMD is caused by a build-up of deposits on the macula (the small area at the center of the retina) and can also be caused by abnormal blood vessels developing under it.
Other common causes of blindness in the elderly are glaucoma, caused by pressure on the optic nerve, and diabetes – Diabetic Retinopathy causes damage to the retina. Possible treatment options for blindness will depend on the cause, but may include:
cataract surgery
Eye drops.
Laser surgery.
Losing your sight can be very difficult to cope with, however, there are support groups out there that can help
A third of the population will suffer from a form of cancer at some point in their lives. There are over 200 strains of this medical condition, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer.
Cancer is a disease where cells in the body replicate abnormally and cause a mass known as a tumor. These abnormal cells multiply, causing either the tumor to grow or the cancerous cells to spread through the bloodstream.
Symptoms that we should all look out for include:
Finding an unexpected lump.
Unexplained weight loss.
Unexplained blood in the stool, urine, when coughing, or when vomiting.
The survival rate is much lower for older people, which is why it is important for symptoms to be caught earlier and treatment to begin as soon as possible.
Chronic bronchitis is a respiratory condition, more commonly known as a type of lung disease. Most cases develop due to an infection irritating and inflaming the bronchi of the lungs, causing an overproduction of mucus. The body tries to shift this excess mucus via coughing. This condition causes this coughing to happen daily for prolonged periods of time.
The condition is caused by either a virus or bacteria, similar to the same viruses that cause colds and flu which can make it difficult to differentiate when diagnosing. Look out for symptoms of chronic bronchitis which include:
A sore throat.
Headaches.
A runny or blocked nose.
Fatigue.
Aches and pains in your chest.