Masked Hypertension: Office Stress and Its Impact on Health
Currently, office culture is witnessing many changes. Previously, people felt relaxed while working in the office, but now even young employees begin to experience stress as soon as they arrived. Due to work pressure, many mild symptoms are often overlooked.
BP Problems
According to experts, high blood pressure is rapidly increasing among people aged 25 to 45 due to long hours spent on laptops, mental stress, lack of sleep, staying up late, and lack of physical activity.
Identifying Masked Hypertension
What is worrying is that many individuals’ blood pressure remains normal at the doctor’s clinic, while it increases at the office or at work. This is called masked hypertension. Studies show that these individuals may be at a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease in the future than the general population.
What is masked hypertension?
According to the NCBI, masked hypertension is a condition in which blood pressure is lower than the normal 140/90 mmHg at the doctor’s clinic, but remains consistently high at home, in the office, or during daily activities. This is the opposite form of ‘white coat hypertension.’
Differences from Normal High BP
According to the American Heart Association, in normal hypertension, a person’s blood pressure remains elevated everywhere, whereas in masked hypertension, it only increases in everyday situations.
Increasing Cases Among Young People
According to the CDC, today’s busy and stressful lifestyle can be a major cause of masked hypertension. Long hours of sitting in the office, work pressure, excessive use of mobile phones and laptops, lack of sleep, excessive caffeine, smoking, and processed foods affect blood pressure.
The Danger of Asymptomatic Hypertension
According to Science Direct, masked hypertension can persist for years without any symptoms. During this time, elevated blood pressure can damage arteries, thickening the heart muscle, and increasing the risk of stroke.
Preventive Measures
– Exercise at least 150 minutes a week.
– Get up and walk around every 45-60 minutes at the office.
– Limit salt intake.
– Avoid smoking and alcohol.
– Get 7-8 hours of sleep daily.
– Practice meditation and deep breathing techniques to reduce stress.
– If there is a family history of high blood pressure, monitor your blood pressure regularly at home.
Do not take this condition lightly and consult a doctor.