Hypertension in Employees

Being a workaholic may not just affect your social life. People who put in long hours at the office may be more likely to have high blood pressure among other complications, hypertension can cause serious damage to the heart, resulting in chest pain, heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat or stroke. Moreover, hypertension can cause kidney damage, leading to kidney failure. Workplace programs have potential as dissemination vehicles. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized stress management program delivered in groups at the workplace for reducing BP compared with enhanced usual care.

Work stress has repeatedly been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The work we do affects our risk of hypertension. Three occupational determinants of hypertension have been extensively researched in the past few decades: job insecurity, job loss, and the psychosocial work environment.

Hypertension is often dubbed the silent killer because it is largely a symptomless condition.  Employees typically do not see or feel hypertension and so companies are using strategies to get more employees screened, better identify those at risk and drive healthier outcomes by motivating the high risk employees to get the care they need.  

How Work Affects Hypertension

1. Work stress can result in tension causing a rise in the blood pressure
2. Physical demand – metabolism will rise when workload is heavy and work is physically demanding, leading to a rise in blood pressure
3. Hot and humid work environment – manual works may result in excessive sweating and dilation of blood vessels
4. Patients with hypertension may forget to take medicine because of their busy work schedule, adversely affecting the effectiveness of treatment.

High blood pressure is a major concern at workplaces.  Understanding the risk factors in diet, hereditary, and lifestyle, will help employees take the initial steps towards improving their condition.  Keeping their blood pressure in check will improve their quality of life at home and at workplace. Even though you have done various ways to treat hypertension, you still take steps to prevent hypertension so that symptoms of high blood pressure do not appear again in the future.

Ways to prevent hypertension that can be done are:

1. Reduce salt consumption and follow a healthy diet
2. Reduce alcohol and caffeine consumption
3. Lose weight if necessary
4. Exercise regularly
5. Enough rest
6. Manage stress well

High blood pressure or hypertension is a serious condition that can lead to various other medical problems, such as stroke and heart disease. Therefore, it is important for you to immediately consult a doctor while living an appropriate lifestyle, if you or someone close to you has high blood pressure.