As a person ages, they will experience old age, which is characterized by a decline in organ function. In line with this, various diseases will affect the elderly, one of which is hypertension.
Hypertension, commonly known as “high blood pressure” among the general public in Indonesia, is a condition in which systolic blood pressure is above 140 mmHg with diastolic pressure ranging from 90 to 99 mmHg. Hypertension is one of the diseases with the highest number of cases in Indonesia.
On May 24, 2023, in order to welcome National Elderly Day and enrich the knowledge of the elderly about comorbidities, Cita Sehat held an educational activity on hypertension for the elderly in Cimenyan District, Bandung Regency. The educational material presented consisted of:
1. Classification of Hypertension
The educational material on hypertension classification is provided so that older adults can understand the grades or levels of alertness for each grade of hypertension, which is divided into 3 grades, including grade 1 with systolic blood pressure of 140-149 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 100-109 mmHg, Grade 2 with systolic blood pressure ranging from 160-179 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 110 mmHg, and Grade 3 with systolic blood pressure ranging from more than 180 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of more than 110 mmHg.
2. Symptoms of Hypertension
During the educational process, seniors are encouraged to mention the symptoms they have been experiencing, including headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, chest pain, anxiety, blurred vision, and fatigue, which are associated with hypertension.
3. Causes of Hypertension
Broadly speaking, the causes of hypertension can be divided into two categories: demographic factors, which include age and heredity; and behavioral factors, which include smoking, stress, alcohol consumption, excessive salt, fat, and cholesterol intake, insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption, and lack of exercise.
4. Prevention of Hypertension
The main goal of health education is to enable the community to prevent disease. Here are some things you can do to minimize the risk of hypertension: reducing salt intake (no more than 1 teaspoon per day), engaging in regular physical activity (such as walking 3 km or exercising for 30 minutes per day at least 5 times a week), not smoking and avoiding cigarette smoke, eating a balanced diet, maintaining an ideal body weight, and avoiding alcohol.
5. Healthy Exercise for Elderly People
The provision of educational materials on healthy exercise for seniors aims to enable seniors to practice these exercises at home, thereby establishing a new habit of physical activity tailored to their condition.
During the educational activity, many elderly participants asked questions about hypertension, one of whom was Mrs. Kurniasih (54) who asked, “Is there a cure for hypertension?” To treat hypertension, patients can undergo hypertension therapy or take medication such as amlodipine, which can lower high blood pressure.
The enthusiasm of the elderly during the hypertension health education program has encouraged Cita Sehat to continue implementing and developing programs targeting the elderly.
Muhammad Rakha Almughni – Cita Sehat Foundation
References:
Direktorat Pencegahan Dan Pengendalian Penyakit Tidak Menular, Kemenkes RI, 2023
