Hypertension and Heart Disease in Ghana: Warning Signs, Chest Pain, Blood Clots and Treatment

High blood pressure (hypertension) affects a large share of Ghanaian adults, and many do not know they have it. Left untreated it damages the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes. Heart disease, heart failure and blood clots are serious, but they are preventable and treatable with proper medical care. No supplement can treat a heart attack, cardiac arrest or heart failure.

Hypertension: the “silent killer”

• Most people have no symptoms. Some get headaches, dizziness or nosebleeds, but these are not reliable signs.
• A reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher on repeated checks is high blood pressure.
• Check your blood pressure at least once a year from age 18, more often if you are over 40, overweight, diabetic or have a family history.

Treatment

• Cut salt (including stock cubes, salted fish and processed foods). Recommended: Forever Arctic Sea Omega-3
• Eat more vegetables and fruit; limit alcohol; stop smoking; be active daily; manage stress.
• Most people also need daily blood pressure medicine, often for life. Don’t stop when you feel fine; feeling fine means it is working.

Heart attack and chest pain

Coronary artery disease narrows the heart’s blood vessels and can lead to a heart attack.

Warning signs: pressure, tightness or pain in the chest that may spread to the arm, jaw, neck or back; breathlessness; sweating; nausea; sudden weakness. Women and people with diabetes may have milder or unusual symptoms.

What to do: call 112 or get to the nearest emergency unit immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes, and do not take herbal mixtures instead. Fast treatment saves heart muscle and lives.

Not all chest pain is the heart (it can be muscle strain, acid reflux or lung problems), but sudden, severe or exertion-related chest pain must be checked urgently.

Cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops pumping. The person collapses, does not respond and is not breathing normally. Call for help, start CPR (hard, fast chest compressions in the centre of the chest) and use a defibrillator (AED) if one is available. Learning CPR is one of the most useful things you can do for your family.

Heart failure

• Signs: breathlessness on walking or lying flat, swollen feet and legs, tiredness, waking at night breathless.
• Common causes in Ghana: long-standing high blood pressure, heart muscle disease, valve disease.
• Treatment: several medicines that improve survival, controlled fluid and salt, and regular review by a doctor or cardiologist.

Blood clots

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): one swollen, painful, warm leg, often after long travel, surgery, pregnancy or bed rest.
• Pulmonary embolism: sudden breathlessness, chest pain, coughing blood. This is an emergency.
• Treatment is with prescribed blood thinners (anticoagulants). Don’t combine them with herbal products without your doctor’s advice, as some increase bleeding.

Frequently asked questions

Can hypertension be cured with herbs?

No. Lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure, but most people still need prescribed medicine. Some herbal products raise blood pressure or interact with medicines.

Can I stop my BP medicine once my pressure is normal?

No, not without your doctor. Normal readings usually mean the medicine is working.

What is a normal blood pressure?

Below 120/80 mmHg is ideal; 120–139/80–89 is a warning zone to act on with lifestyle changes.

Related: stroke and paralysis recovery and diabetes and cholesterol.

Medical disclaimer: This article provides general health information and does not replace professional diagnosis or treatment. In an emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital.